Gallopin wins Grand Prix de Wallonie
Frenchman conquers the Citadel
Tony Gallopin (Lotto Soudal) took his first victory of the 2016 season with a late attack that netted him the Grand Prix de Wallonnie.
The Frenchman, who had been in a seven-rider move that imploded at the foot of the final climb to the Citadel of Namur, broke free with just over a kilometre remaining and held his lead to the finish.
He only held it by the skin of his teeth, however, as Etixx-QuickStep’s Petr Vakoc – also part of that earlier move – came roaring back as the road flattened out in the final kilometre and almost pipped him to the line. Coming round the final left-hand bend, Gallopin was slowing, but the Czech rider couldn’t make up his mind which side to try to pass on.
Jerome Baugnies (Wanty Groupe Gobert) finished a more distant third a couple of bike lengths back, with Huub Duijn (Roompot-Oranje Peloton) fourth and Cofidis fastman Nicolas Edet fifth.
The 205.5km race in the hilly Wallonnia region featured seven short climbs, with three in the first half of the route and the other four packed into the final 40km.
There was an early nine-man breakaway, with Johan Le Bon (FDJ), Aleksejs Saramotins (IAM), Gert Joeaar (Cofidis), Reinier Honig (Roompot-Oranje Peloton), Felix Pouilly (Roubaix Lille Métropole), and Stef Van Zummeren (Verandas Willems) going clear before being joined by Johan Hemroulle (Color Code), Samuel Leroux (Veranclassic-AGO) and Gregory Habeaux (Wallonnie Bruxelles-Group Protect).
The real action, however, began when they were caught, with just under 30km to go. Pieter Weening (Roompot-Oranje Peloton) immediately kicked off the hostilities on the Côte de Lustin, the third last climb, but it was on the five per cent slopes of the Tienne aux Pierres that the selections were really made.
The bunch split to pieces as Gallopin and Jan Bakelants piled on the pressure, forming a group of seven with Vakoc, Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r), Sebastien Reichenbach (FDJ), Huub Duijn (Roompot-Oranje Peloton) and Thomas Sprengers (Topsport Vlaanderen Baloise).
"We were with seven good riders and we managed to create a small gap pretty fast," Gallopin said. "Bakelants was very good today. He was the one that set up the breakaway and his teammate Pozzovivo was among us as well."
The gap began to grow and it reached 25 seconds as Wanty-Groupe Gobert missed out and were forced to chase behind. The group worked well but by the run-in to the Citadel they had just 15 seconds and as it was about to begin with 3km to go they all eased up and looked at each other – and that was game over.
"We worked together but it wasn’t perfect," Gallopin said. "That’s the reason why we were reeled in at the foot of the citadel. When we were caught by the peloton I had a moment to recover. I found my own pace and I moved up to the fifteenth position."
The steep cobbled roads took the riders up a picturesque series of hairpins and, after Weening and Pozzovivo had accelerated at the head of the reduced bunch, Gallopin rolled the dice again with 1.2km remaining.
"The further we went uphill, the better I felt and the better I was positioned in the bunch," he said. "At a certain moment I felt ready to attack once again and I gave everything I had. Two years ago I finished second on the citadel. I couldn’t take the victory home. This climb suits me very well. In the last fifty metres Vakoc came really close and the stress was getting to me. Fortunately I went fast enough to bring home the victory."
As his teammate Jens Debuscherre had done 12 months previously, Gallopin reached the line alone. After near misses at San Sebastian and the French national championships, he finally had his first success of the campaign.
"The team gave me permission to change my program because I wanted to focus on the European Championships that are coming up this Sunday," he said. "That’s why I didn’t participate in the races in Canada. Instead I chose to ride the Tour of Britain before I came here for the Grand Prix de Wallonie. It feels really good to know that the team trusts me. In the Tour of Britain I felt better every day. I hoped to win a stage there, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. But my focus is on Sunday, that’s when I want to be really good."
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal | 5:06:17 |
2 | Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
3 | Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | 0:00:01 |
4 | Huub Duyn (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
5 | Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
6 | Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:04 |
7 | Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Group Protect | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
8 | Rasmus Guldhammer (Den) Stölting Service Group | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
10 | Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Stölting Service Group | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
12 | Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) FDJ | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Tim Declercq (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
14 | Pieter Weening (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | 0:00:10 |
15 | Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille | 0:00:12 |
16 | Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | 0:00:17 |
17 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Jimmy Turgis (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Veranclassic-AGO | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:00:22 |
21 | Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Gaetan Bille (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
23 | Lawrence Warbasse (USA) IAM Cycling | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Fabien Doubey (Fra) FDJ | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Rémy Rochas (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:28 |
26 | Rayane Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:00:40 |
27 | Kevin Ista (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Group Protect | 0:00:43 |
28 | Axel Flet (Fra) Veranclassic-AGO | 0:00:59 |
29 | Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | 0:01:02 |
30 | Clement Chevrier (Fra) IAM Cycling | 0:01:13 |
31 | Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
32 | Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | 0:01:25 |
33 | Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
34 | Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | 0:01:45 |
35 | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
36 | Nick Van Der Lijke (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ | 0:01:49 |
38 | Arjen Livyns (Bel) Veranda's Willems Cycling Team | 0:02:46 |
39 | Gordon De Winter (Bel) Color Code - Arden'Beef | 0:03:51 |
40 | Brecht Dhaene (Bel) Veranda's Willems Cycling Team | 0:04:05 |
41 | Antoine Warnier (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Group Protect | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Christophe Masson (Fra) Veranclassic-AGO | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
43 | Floris De Tier (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
44 | Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
45 | Thomas Degand (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
46 | Dennis Coenen (Bel) Crelan-Vastgoedservice Continental Team | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Vegard Breen (Nor) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
49 | Stefan Denifl (Aut) IAM Cycling | 0:04:19 |
50 | Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:05:16 |
51 | Maximilien Picoux (Bel) Color Code - Arden'Beef | 0:05:20 |
52 | Pirmin Lang (Swi) IAM Cycling | 0:05:56 |
53 | Marcel Aregger (Swi) IAM Cycling | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Florent Pereira (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Jeremy Leveau (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:06:30 |
58 | Julien Mortier (Bel) Color Code - Arden'Beef | 0:06:55 |
59 | Marvin Tasset (Bel) Color Code - Arden'Beef | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
60 | Sebastien Carabin (Bel) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | 0:07:44 |
61 | Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:08:27 |
62 | Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
63 | Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 62 - Cell 2 |
64 | Michael Reihs (Den) Stölting Service Group | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
65 | Sam Lennertz (Bel) Veranclassic-AGO | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
66 | Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:09:13 |
67 | Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
68 | Dorian Godon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:09:18 |
69 | Adrien Costa (USA) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
70 | Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
71 | Antoine Loy (Bel) Color Code - Arden'Beef | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
72 | Thomas Petit (Bel) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | 0:10:05 |
73 | Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Group Protect | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
74 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | 0:10:36 |
75 | Felix Pouilly (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
76 | Gerry Druyts (Bel) Crelan-Vastgoedservice Continental Team | 0:12:52 |
77 | Dieter Bouvry (Bel) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille | 0:13:54 |
78 | Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
79 | Charlie Arimont (Bel) Color Code - Arden'Beef | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
80 | Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
81 | Julien Van Den Brande (Bel) Veranclassic-AGO | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
82 | Johan Hemroulle (Bel) Color Code - Arden'Beef | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
83 | Auxence Buntinx (Bel) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
84 | Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Crelan-Vastgoedservice Continental Team | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
85 | Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
86 | Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Crelan-Vastgoedservice Continental Team | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
87 | Gregory Habeaux (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Group Protect | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
88 | Massimo Vanderaerden (Bel) Veranclassic-AGO | Row 87 - Cell 2 |
89 | Oliver Zaugg (Swi) IAM Cycling | Row 88 - Cell 2 |
90 | Reinier Honig (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
91 | Joachim Vanreyten (Bel) Crelan-Vastgoedservice Continental Team | Row 90 - Cell 2 |
92 | Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Color Code - Arden'Beef | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
93 | Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
94 | Christian Mager (Ger) Stölting Service Group | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
95 | Sven Reutter (Ger) Stölting Service Group | Row 94 - Cell 2 |
96 | Thomas Koep (Ger) Stölting Service Group | Row 95 - Cell 2 |
97 | Steven Tronet (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | Row 96 - Cell 2 |
98 | Jean-Marc Bideau (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | Row 97 - Cell 2 |
99 | Tom Dernies (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Group Protect | Row 98 - Cell 2 |
100 | Moritz Backofen (Ger) Stölting Service Group | Row 99 - Cell 2 |
101 | Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling | Row 100 - Cell 2 |
102 | Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | Row 101 - Cell 2 |
103 | Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | Row 102 - Cell 2 |
104 | Gert Joeaar (Est) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 103 - Cell 2 |
105 | Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 104 - Cell 2 |
106 | Stef Van Zummeren (Bel) Veranda's Willems Cycling Team | Row 105 - Cell 2 |
107 | Aimé Degendt (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 106 - Cell 2 |
108 | Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Soudal | Row 107 - Cell 2 |
109 | Guillaume Delvaux (Bel) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | 0:15:56 |
110 | Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:16:02 |
111 | Sander Cordeel (Bel) Veranda's Willems Cycling Team | Row 110 - Cell 2 |
112 | Guillaume Haag (Bel) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | Row 111 - Cell 2 |
113 | Tim De Troyer (Bel) Veranda's Willems Cycling Team | Row 112 - Cell 2 |
114 | Nicolas Mertz (Bel) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | Row 113 - Cell 2 |
115 | Wesley Kreder (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | Row 114 - Cell 2 |
116 | Victor Van Bost (Bel) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | Row 115 - Cell 2 |
117 | Davide Martinelli (Ita) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 116 - Cell 2 |
118 | Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 117 - Cell 2 |
119 | Dylan Kowalski (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille | Row 118 - Cell 2 |
120 | Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:16:20 |
121 | Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ | 0:16:42 |
DNF | Elias Van Breussegem (Bel) Veranda's Willems Cycling Team | Row 121 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Thomas Deruette (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Group Protect | Row 122 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Julien Stassen (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Group Protect | Row 123 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Bavo Haemels (Bel) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | Row 124 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Justin Jules (Fra) Veranclassic-AGO | Row 125 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Samuel Leroux (Fra) Veranclassic-AGO | Row 126 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | Row 127 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal | Row 128 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 129 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Marc Fournier (Fra) FDJ | Row 130 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ | Row 131 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Laurent Pichon (Fra) FDJ | Row 132 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jonathan Fumeaux (Swi) IAM Cycling | Row 133 - Cell 2 |
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Patrick is a freelance sports writer and editor. He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish). Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.
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