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Greg Van Avermaet takes first Classic-style stage of the Eneco Tour

August 15, 2014
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Belgian Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) enjoyed his first victory of the year on home soil, as he powered up the Muur van Geraardsbergen to win Friday’s Eneco Tour Stage 5. Dutchman Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Shimano), winner of Wednesday’s time trial, placed runner-up to take over the race lead from compatriot Lars Boom (Belkin).

The race faced its first day of short, sharp Belgian hills in the rain, but would do so without last year’s champion Zdeněk Štybar (Czech Republic/Omega Pharma-QuickStep), who crashed on Thursday’s stage, suffering nasty facial injuries.

After a few failed escapes, a four man breakaway of Matteo Trentin (Italy/Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Jens Dubusschere (Belgium/Lotto-Belisol), Ivan Rovny (Russia/Tinkoff-Saxo) and Pablo Lastras (Spain/Movistar) formed and started to make its way over the day’s 19 “bergs”.

The stage featured two finishing loops that created three trips up the Muur van Geraardsbergen, a climb that used to be the key ascent of the Tour of Flanders. On the second to last passage up the Muur, Philippe Gilbert (Belgium/BMC) attacked the reduced peloton, drawing Dutch race leader Lars Boom (Belkin) and two others. Up ahead only Trentin and Lastras were the last two standing.

By the final trip up the Bosberg, a powerful group bridged across to the Gilbert/Boom bunch. With the select group closed in on the break and Silvan Dillier (Switzerland/BMC) trying to bridge, Lastras left Trentin behind, but the Italian was having none of it. With 2 climbs remaining over 9 km to go, the duo held a minute’s lead.

On the penultimate climb, the Denderoordberg, the gap was 36 seconds. Van Avermaet launched the attack that doomed the fugitives. Once the escape was dispatched, the Belkin duo of Sep Vanmarcke (Belgium) and Boom tried to gang up on the others.

A strong move from Wanty rider Laurens De Vreese (Belgium) inside 3 km seemed to stun the rest of the riders. Pavel Brutt (Russia/Katusha) joined De Vreese on the cobbles of Geraardsbergen before the Muur. But it was Van Avermaet’s move in the final 250 cobbled metres of slope that was decisive.

The riders have two more days of bergs to come. Saturday’s premier climb – thrice tackled – is the Cote de La Redoute of Liège-Bastogne-Liège fame.

2014 Eneco Tour Stage 5
1) Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium/BMC) 3:45:36
2) Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Giant-Shimano) +0:02
3) Pavel Brutt (Russia/Katusha) s.t.

2014 Eneco Tour GC
1) Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Giant-Shimano)
2) Lars Boom (The Netherlands/Belkin) +0:02
3) Manuel Quinziato (Italy/BMC) +0:11

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