Friday, March 29, 2024

Het Nieuwsblad 2016 goes to GVA

-

HomeDiariesHet Nieuwsblad 2016 goes to GVA

Saturday dawns crisp, cold and sunny for the Het Nieuwsblad 2016 (or, Omloop Gent Gent). We have a copy of Het Nieusblaad which has all the information we need about the route so its time to head for the start. It’s moved this year to the S.M.A.K complex, site of the Gent Six Day.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
The start area. Photo©Callum McGregor
Tiesj Benoot
Big crowds. Photo©Callum McGregor

The trucks are starting to arrive and we check out the One Pro Cycling bikes, looking cool.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Factor bikes as used by One Pro Cycling. Photo©Callum McGregor

As the car park fills with the now de rigueur coaches, ushered in by whistle blowing attendants we grab a quick pic of world champ Peter Sagan’s Specialized before being asked to move on by an unfriendly team staffer.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Sagan’s steed. Photo©Callum McGregor

With the race route and climbs noted the preparation is as you would expect – thorough.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Sagan’s notes for the day. Photo©Callum McGregor

The bikes on display are impressive with some, like the hard-to-get Canyons of Katusha looking more and more like stealth bombers.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Katusha’s Canyons. Photo©Callum McGregor

We spot Eric Zabel, relaxed and chatting, his son Rick will be riding today for BMC in support of Greg Van Avermaet.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Erik Zabel. Photo©Callum McGregor

Over at the Sky bus we are reminded of their significant wins by the subtle addition to the livery of support vehicles.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Sky’s Major Jerseys. Photo©Callum McGregor

Ian Stannard may have opted out of the opportunity to make history today choosing not to chase three three consecutive wins but he’s not forgotten with the race poster featuring a close up after last year’s win.

We head off and catch our first sight of the race at Oosterzele; at 15km’s already there is a break with Kristian House of One Pro Cycling leading the charge.

There are four chasing and looking like they will make the junction. The peloton is relaxed although there are plenty of riders chasing to get back on, maybe there has been some drama we haven’t seen. We catch our first glimpse of world champ Sagan in his rainbow jersey, relaxed near the back of the bunch.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Sagan looks relaxed in his stripes. Photo©Callum McGregor

Our next rendezvous is at the top of the Leberg, this first climb of the day.

The break is well away, we reckon a good five minutes up, and working well.

Ten riders all committed to their task of keeping warm and keeping the biting wind at bay.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
The break work well. Photo©Callum McGregor

The bunch lead by Iljo Keisse, Tony Martin and Tom Boonen look relaxed going about their task. Do Etixx Quick Step have a plan or is that a stupid question?

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Friend of VeloVeritas, Iljo Keisse leads the chase. Photo©Callum McGregor

Next stop is at the top of the Valkenburg climb and we decide to view the race from on high as we climb an industrial tower.

The views are impressive and the break of twelve is spotted in the distance, still working well but the gap has fallen to three and a half minutes.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Bird’s eye view of the break. Photo©Callum McGregor

The feed zone is just round the corner and hopefully there is some hot tea in the bottles as it’s not getting any warmer, despite the sunshine. The chilly wind keeping the temperature in low single figures.

The chase is most definitely on and the gap is tumbling. It looks like the race is coming alive and the break’s time out front is numbered.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
The main group hurtle past. Photo©Callum McGregor

We head to the Haghoek and take up position, it’s not long before the break appears but it’s a different break (the winning break, as it turns out); Peter Sagan is showing off the world champion’s bands, away and not looking back.

Significantly there are no Etixx riders in the break and Tony Martin is charging behind.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Katusha team helper hands up the bottles. Photo©Callum McGregor
Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Game over for Yanto Barker and Steele van Hoff. Photo©Callum McGregor

There is carnage, and Timo Roosen (Lotto Jumbo) unships his chain in front of us.

Despite furious attempts to release it, with a number of expletives thrown in as encouragement, it’s not moving. Enter a Katusha mechanic who, having handed up bottles to his riders, quickly sorts the problem and helpfully pushes Roosen down the road.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Timo Roosen looses his cool, a little. Photo©Callum McGregor

Our attention turns to the nearest public house where we retire to watch the last 25k in the warmth.

It’s good racing and the bunch is hunting the Sagan group down – but not quickly enough.

BMC have their hopes pinned on GVA, who delights his fans and the team by beating Sagan, Tiesj Benoot and Luke Rowe comfortably.

Het Nieuwsblad 2016
Greg van Avermaet takes the sprint. Photo©Callum McGregor

It’s been a great day and the fans are happy, the nearly man is no more, is this the start of better days for Greg? Time will tell but the shadow of 2015 has most definitely been left behind.

Related Articles

Giro d’Italia 2008 – Day 1: Stage 13, Modena – Cittadella

Ciao ! Ciao ! It's 9.30 pm here in Verona, city of opera, Romeo and Juliet and Stage 14 of the 2008 Giro., from Modena. We're sitting outside our hotel with our "welcome drink" - not a bad beer, as it happens. It's been a long one - up at 03.30 am; car to Turnhouse; Easyjet to Stanstead; Ryanair to Brescia with two screeching Essex girls in the seats in front of us, then hire car to Verona.

Le Tour de France ’11, Second Rest Day – or not

We're in the Dröme Department, and it may be a notional Tour de France Rest Day, but all that really means is that there's no racing today - despite what Ned Boulting might tell you about spending time in launderettes, almost everyone still has lots to do. For example, the riders - for whom the rest day is most important, still have to attend press conferences, talk to daft journalists and answer "f****ing stupid questions"(copyright Mark Cavendish), the team mechanics take advantage of the extra time to prep the time trial bikes for next Saturday's chrono, and so on.

Le Tour de France 2009 – Stage 14: Colmar > Besançon, 199km

"Bonjour," really that should be the German equivalent there of, but my German is even more limited than my French. We spent the night in Freiburg here at Le Tour de France - just across the German border, the hotel room is huge, if a tad Spartan; but that didn't stop us from sleeping like bricks, before starting our day to Besançon.

Trinidad & Tobago – Day Four, Walter Perez goes for Ice Cream!

I took in excess of 200 shots at the race on Wednesday night, that takes a bit of editing; and the minute folks see you with a camera, they want pics too - still, if it means you get Olympic Madison Champion Walter Perez's email address, then it's not so bad.

At Random

La Vuelta a España, Stage 15: Barredo First to Lagos de Covadonga

Carlos Barredo's grandmother wells up, 'my God, my God' she keeps repeating as Carlos's amigo hugs her - the man himself hurtled past just seconds ago to join the immortals as a winner on the Lagos de Covadonga. They're standing beside us at the 150m to go mark, and in the mist and cloud once again, QuickStep have done the job. The break survivors limp by before a snarling Ezequiel Mosquera flashes past, intent on putting as much time into the other 'heads' as he possibly can.

Rik Evans – Part Two; “It was a win that lost me my job”

Rik Evans continues telling his story, from giving away a Worlds title to Commonwealth Gold medal, top club 34 Nomads and his slide out of cycling but into depression. Evans has now settled in Australia and cycling has come back into his life.

Berlin Six Day 2018 Scrapbook

'Beauty and the Beast' is the first entry in our Berlin Six Day 2018 scrapbook - handsome devil Denmark's Marc Hester warms up on his rollers as the German sprinters' mechanic waits for the next gear change job. Marc rode with Jesper Mørkøv ‘til kidney stones forced the younger Mørkøv bruv out. Meanwhile our boy Nico plays shy but Achim gives us a smile. Nico is the son of sprint legend, Lutz Hesslich - Berlin was his second last race - he calls 'time' after Copenhagen.

Copenhagen Six Day 2014 Snapshots

The Copenhagen Six Day follows straight after Berlin; the trip isn’t fun – load the camper after the midnight finish in Berlin, drive through the night to the ferry at Rostock, sleep in the camper for an hour or two at temperatures well below zero, hop the ferry across the Baltic, then drive up through Denmark to Copenhagen through the snow and wind.