2015 UCI Europe Tour | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dates | 6–8 March | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stages | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance | 365.6 km (227.2 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Winning time | 8h 24' 37" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2015 Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen was the 69th edition of the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen (English: Three Days of West Flanders) cycling stage race. Rated as a 2.1 event by the UCI as part of the UCI Europe Tour, the race took place from 6 to 8 March 2015. [1]
The defending champion was Gert Jõeäär (Cofidis), who won the 2014 race, which used a very similar course, after victory in the opening time trial. [2] He was succeeded in 2015 by Yves Lampaert (Etixx–Quick-Step), who came fourth in the prologue, won the first road stage of the race from a breakaway and defended his race lead in the final stage. As well as winning the overall classification, he won the points, youth and West Flanders classifications, while his team won the teams classification.
24 teams were selected to take part in the race. Eight of these were UCI WorldTeams; 11 were UCI Professional Continental teams; five were UCI Continental teams. [3]
WorldTeams
Professional Continental teams
Continental teams
The 2015 race included three stages. The first of these was a 7 km (4.3 mi) prologue individual time trial, which was followed by two road stages. The first road stage was mostly flat, except for the climb of the Oude Kwaremont midway through. The second similarly included three hills (the Rodeberg, the Kemmelberg and the Monteberg) in the middle part of the race, with a finale that again included some small climbs.
The first stage of the race was a 7-kilometre (4.3-mile) prologue individual time trial in Middelkerke. The course was an out-and-back route along the northern Belgian coast; it took place in sunny conditions with some gusts of wind. [4] [5] [6]
The time trial was won by Anton Vorobyev (Team Katusha), the first professional win of his career. [7] He was the only rider to complete the course in under eight minutes. Jesse Sergent (Trek Factory Racing) finished second, with Jan Bárta (Bora–Argon 18) third. [8]
Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Anton Vorobyev (RUS) | Team Katusha | 7' 57" |
2 | Jesse Sergent (NZL) | Trek Factory Racing | + 4" |
3 | Jan Bárta (CZE) | Bora–Argon 18 | + 5" |
4 | Yves Lampaert (BEL) | Etixx–Quick-Step | + 8" |
5 | Martijn Keizer (NED) | LottoNL–Jumbo | + 9" |
6 | Alexis Gougeard (FRA) | AG2R La Mondiale | + 11" |
7 | Jempy Drucker (LUX) | BMC Racing Team | + 11" |
8 | Danilo Wyss (SUI) | BMC Racing Team | + 12" |
9 | Christophe Laporte (FRA) | Cofidis | + 12" |
10 | Łukasz Wiśniowski (POL) | Etixx–Quick-Step | + 13" |
The first road stage of the race was a 174.1-kilometre (108.2-mile) route from Bruges to Harelbeke. The principal difficulties came in the middle part of the stage, with the Oude Kwaremont the most significant climb. [10]
An early breakaway was formed of four riders: Tim Kerkhof (Team Roompot), Gijs Van Hoecke (Topsport Vlaanderen–Baloise), Alistair Slater (An Post–Chain Reaction) and Gorik Gardeyn (Veranclassic–Ekoi). They were not allowed a significant advantage by the peloton and were caught after 110 kilometres (68 miles) of racing. [11] The main break of the day was then formed with 57 kilometres (35 miles) remaining by five riders: Yves Lampaert (Etixx–Quick-Step), Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto–Soudal), Alexis Gougeard (AG2R La Mondiale), Sander Cordeel (Vastgoedservice–Golden Palace) and Mirko Selvaggi (Wanty–Groupe Gobert). This break, which included several riders threatening to Vorobyev's lead, was chased by Team Katusha. The peloton was never quite able to make contact with the breakaway, which was reanimated by a sprint for an intermediate sprint. Cordeel attacked in the final kilometre, but was unable to create a gap. Lampaert followed Van der Sande's wheel and was able to pass him in the final metres to take the stage win. The peloton finished four seconds later. [11] [12]
Thanks to the lead over the peloton and the bonus seconds for the stage win, Lampaert took over the overall lead of the race from Vorobyev, as well as the lead of the points and young riders classification. [12]
|
|
The final stage of the race was a 184.5-kilometre (115-mile) route between Nieuwpoort and Ichtegem. The middle part of the race included some difficult climbs, including the Rodeberg, Kemmelberg and Monteberg. The race then finished with three laps of a circuit in Ichtegem that contained two moderate climbs. [14]
An early break was formed by Tim Kerkhof (Team Roompot), Louis Verhelst (Cofidis), Riccardo Stacchiotti (Nippo–Vini Fantini), Jimmy Engoulvent (Team Europcar), Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen–Baloise), Edwig Cammaerts (Veranclassic–Ekoi) and Stef Van Zummeren (Verandas Willems). They gained a four-minute lead over the peloton. There were then attacks from the peloton, with seventeen more riders joining the front group. These included Lampaert, the race leader, and three teammates. In the final circuits of the race, however, these riders were brought to the main peloton and the stage ended in a bunch sprint. This was won by Danny van Poppel, led out by his brother Boy van Poppel.
Lampaert finished in eleventh place on the stage, securing his victory in the race and also taking the youth and points classifications. [15] [16]
|
|
There were four major rankings awarded in the 2015 Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen. A yellow jersey was awarded to the general classification leader (time bonuses were awarded on the road stages at the stage finish and on intermediate sprints); a green jersey was awarded to the points classification leader (points were won at stage finishes and intermediate sprints); a red jersey was awarded to the sprints classification leader (points won at intermediate sprints only); and a black jersey was awarded to the best young rider in the general classification. A white jersey was also awarded to the best local rider after each stage, but this was not worn during racing. [18]
Stage | Winner | General classification | Points classification | Sprints classification | Young rider classification | West Flanders classification | Teams classification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P [9] | Anton Vorobyev | Anton Vorobyev | Anton Vorobyev | Not awarded [lower-alpha 1] | Anton Vorobyev | Yves Lampaert | Etixx–Quick-Step |
1 [13] | Yves Lampaert | Yves Lampaert | Yves Lampaert | Gorik Gardeyn | Yves Lampaert | ||
2 [17] | Danny van Poppel | Tim Kerkhof | |||||
Final | Yves Lampaert | Yves Lampaert | Tim Kerkhof | Yves Lampaert | Yves Lampaert | Etixx–Quick-Step |
Gianni Meersman is a Belgian former professional track and road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2007 and 2016 for the Discovery Channel, FDJ, Lotto–Belisol and Etixx–Quick-Step teams. He currently works as a directeur sportif for the Pauwels Sauzen–Bingoal team.
Matthieu Ladagnous is a French former road and track racing cyclist, who competed as a professional from 2006 to 2023, spending his entire career with UCI WorldTeam Française des Jeux.
Niki Terpstra is a Dutch former racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2003 and 2022 for six different teams. He is the brother of fellow racing cyclist Mike Terpstra. He is the third Dutch cyclist to have won both of the cobbled Monument spring classics, Paris–Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders, after Jan Raas and Hennie Kuiper.
The 2010 season for Cofidis began in January with La Tropicale Amissa Bongo and ended in October at the Giro di Lombardia. It was the team's first season as a UCI Professional Continental team, after being relegated from UCI ProTour status after the 2009 season. The team had been part of the ProTour since the ProTour's inception in 2005. The team carries wildcard status in 2010, meaning they are eligible to be invited to any ProTour event should the organizers wish to include them.
Michał Kwiatkowski is a Polish professional road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Ineos Grenadiers.
Dylan van Baarle is a Dutch professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Visma–Lease a Bike.
Danny van Poppel is a Dutch professional road racing cyclist, who rides for UCI WorldTeam Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe.
Jelle Wallays is a Belgian former road cyclist, who competed as a professional from 2011 to 2023.
Anton Gennadyevich Vorobyev is a Russian cyclist, who last rode for UCI Professional Continental team Gazprom–RusVelo. In 2012, he became the World Under-23 time trial champion on a hilly course.
Silvan Dillier is a Swiss cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Alpecin–Deceuninck.
Johan Le Bon is a French road bicycle racer, who currently rides for French amateur team Dinan Sport Cycling.
Jasper Stuyven is a Belgian professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Lidl–Trek. He is considered to be a classics specialist, and has won several major races including the 2021 Milan–San Remo, one of cycling's monuments, the 2020 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the 2016 Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne. He has also had success in stage races, winning the overall classification of the 2019 Deutschland Tour as well as a stage of the 2015 Vuelta a España. Stuyven has also competed in six editions of the Tour de France, finishing on the podium several times on different stages.
Yves Lampaert is a Belgian professional road racing cyclist, who rides for UCI WorldTeam Soudal–Quick-Step.
Florian Sénéchal is a French racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Arkéa–B&B Hotels.
The 2015 Tour du Haut Var was the 47th edition of the Tour du Haut Var road cycling stage race, held in the Provence region of France. It was rated as a 2.1 event as part of the 2015 UCI Europe Tour, and consisted of two stages over two days, from 21 to 22 February 2015.
The 2015 Eneco Tour was a road cycling stage race that took place in the Netherlands and Belgium between 10 and 16 August 2015. It was the 11th edition of the Eneco Tour stage race and was the twenty-first race of the 2015 UCI World Tour.
The 2017 Dwars door Vlaanderen is a road cycling one-day race that took place on 22 March. It was the 72nd edition of the Dwars door Vlaanderen, and the first since it was promoted to World Tour level – as the tenth event of the 2017 UCI World Tour.
The 2017 Three Days of De Panne was the 41st edition of the Three Days of De Panne cycling stage race. The race included four stages over three days, from 28–30 March 2017. It was rated as a 2.HC event in the 2017 UCI Europe Tour.
The 2018 Arctic Race of Norway was a four-stage cycling stage race that took place in Norway between 16 and 19 August. It was the sixth edition of the Arctic Race of Norway and is rated as a 2.HC event as part of the UCI Europe Tour.
The 2021 Gent–Wevelgem was a road cycling classic race that took place on 28 March 2021 in Belgium. It was the 83rd edition of Gent–Wevelgem and the 10th event of the 2021 UCI World Tour.