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Stuyven wins wild conclusion of BinckBank Tour, Dumoulin takes title

2017 brings Dumoulin first stage race crowns

Jasper Stuyven (Belgium/Trek-Segafredo) emerged from a flurry of attacking and counterattacking to win Sunday’s final stage of the 2017 BinckBank Tour in Flanders, riding solo up the famous Muur for the victory. Nobody could take time out of Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Sunweb), third place on the day, who earns the title.


The Course
It was sure to be a captivating finale of the race, this mini-Tour of Flanders, with an easy opening 140-km followed by a tough concluding 50-km. Riders would face the Bosberg and Denderoordberg climbs twice and the Muur thrice, with barriers forcing riders onto the Muur’s cobbles. The Golden Kilometre, with its crucial bonus seconds, followed the second ascent of the Bosberg.
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Dumoulin led Tim Wellens by four-seconds. Both were very strong on Saturday, as was Peter Sagan, who suffered an ill-timed flat just like he did in this year’s Paris-Roubaix. Sagan was a contender for Sunday’s stage, but was too far back on GC to challenge Dumoulin’s lead. Another rider who could storm the day and steal the GC show was Greg Van Avermaet, 46-seconds back.

The Breakaway
It took around 35-km, before an escape of seven containing Tony Martin (Germany/Katusha) was able to form. A chase duo made it a nontet, one that wasn’t allowed more than a 2:30 lead.

The gap was down to 1:35 by the first passage of the Muur. Martin and Elia Viviani (Italy/Sky) shed the others on the cobbles. In the peloton, Stage 5 winner Lars Boom (The Netherlands/LottoNL-Jumbo) led the way up.


On the Bosberg, three riders started to bridge over to Martin and Viviani from the peloton, making the junction by the Denderoordberg.

The Final Lap
A move by Sagan at the beginning of the final trip up the Muur made the real selection and caught the break. By the time the race hit the Bosberg for the second time, Sagan was in a small, elite chase group behind his Austrian teammate Lukas Postlberger.


The Austrian mopped up the bonus second of the Golden Kilometre, and was brought to heel by a group that had grown. Again, Sagan suffered a mechanical. Just before Sagan latched back on, Martin attacked, drawing Pieter Weening (The Netherlands/Roompot) on the way to the penultimate climb, the Denderoordberg. Weening couldn’t hold on but Martin got a new partner in Dries Devenyns (Belgium/Quick Step).

Van Avermaet attacked, and when Sagan countered he passed the Belgian. Dumoulin took off in chase and Wellens was knocked on his heels for a moment. When the race came back together Stuyven dashed away, taking a 10-second lead into the final kilometre.

Gilbert tried a late move on the Muur, but Stuyven wouldn’t be denied. Stuyven moved up to third on the GC with his triumph.
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2017 has been a dream year for Dumoulin–he hadn’t won a stage race before this season, but plenty of stages. Now he has a Giro d’Italia pink jersey and BinckBank Tour green jersey.

Sole Canadian entrant Hugo Houle’s 27th on the day pulled him up to 24th on GC.

2017 BinckBank Tour Stage 7
1) Jasper Stuyven (Belgium/Trek-Segafredo) 4:06:48
2) Philippe Gilbert (Belgium/Quick Step) +0:01
3) Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Sunweb) s.t.
27) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) +0:12

2017 BinckBank Tour Final GC

1) Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Sunweb) 24:34:33
2) Tim Wellens (Belgium/Lotto-Soudal) +0:17
3) Jasper Stuyven (Belgium/Trek-Segafredo) +0:46
4) Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium/BMC) +0:51
5) Oliver Naesen (Belgium/AG2R) +1:14
24) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) +10:29