Terpstra Wins Tour De Wallonie

29 July 2015 04:07

Etixx Quick Step's Niki Terpstra has won the 36th Tour De Wallonie in Belgium.

Etixx Quick Step's Niki Terpstra went into the final stage in the leader's yellow jersey with a lead of sixteen seconds over Topsport's Victor Campenaerts on a 167.3km long stage from Chimay to Thuin with four climb of the Mur du Thiun.

Four riders in Kenny Dehaes, Benoit Jarrier, Gregory Habeaux and Frederik Veuchelen of Wanty Group formed a break and were 4.55 clear after thirty kilometres.

As the lead went out to 5.40, Habeaux took the points on the first King Of The Mountains climb on the Côte de la Rozère. and with one hundred kilometres to go, their advantage stood at 5.55.

On a cloudy day, the gap came down to 4.31 ahead of a reduced peloton with 77.7kms left as the quartet went through the feedzone.

The quartet had a lead of 2.30 as they start on the three closing circuits of 39kms which included the 8% climb of the Mur De Thiun, some of which was on cobbles, where there were reasonably sized crowds for a Wednesday afternoon.

Gregory Habeaux took the second sprint with just over thirty kilometres to go as the gap started to drop down to a minute before Kenny Dehaes of Lotto Soudal took the second climb of the Mur de Thuin.

On the next climb of the Mur de Thuin which Veuchelen took the points on, four became three when Jarrier dropped back.

The trio were ahead by ten seconds going into the final ten kilometres and it two, two kilometres later when Dehaes dropped back to be joined by team mate Tosh Van Der Sande and Chris Juul Jensen of Tinkoff Saxo.

Two suddenly became five when Van Der Sande brought up Dehaes and Jensen to Harbeaux and Veuchelen, none of whom were any threat to the yellow jersey of Niki Terpstra.

With 2.7kms left,. the peloton caught the five up front and they started on the final climb of the Mur de Thuin.Danny Van Poppel of Trek Factory racing picked his chance on the climb and went for it and rode away to win in 4.09.48 ahead of Philippe Gilbert and Matti Breschel, followed by Sierry and Leukemans.

Niki Terpstra finished safely in sixth place and won the race overall with a 22 second winning margin over Victor Campanaerts.

Source: DSG