2016 Handzame Classic (1.1), Belgium
14th edition: Friday, March 18, 2016
Handzame Classic historic results | 2015 edition | 2017 edition
Bredene - Handzame, 199 km
Erik Baska wins 2016 Handzame Classic
The Race: Here's the story from winner Erik Baska's Tinkoff team.
Erik Baška has raced to the biggest victory of his young career so far at the 14th edition of the Handzame Classic in Belgium, sprinting clear in the bunch finish to take a convincing win in his first year at WorldTour level.
The 22 year-old Slovakian sprinter was Tinkoff’s protected rider from the off today and made sure that he delivered after his teammates, riding as just six here, dropped him off in a perfect position in the final kilometre before he unleashed a perfectly timed finish to outpace all around him.
Delighted with the result, Sport Director Tristan Hoffman said: “Things didn’t work out like we wanted and had hoped them to on Wednesday, but sometimes you need days like this to refocus, and today it came together. Erik is a neo pro, and we already saw how fast he was last year but the step up this year is very different, yet today he showed that he’s getting stronger quickly.
“The guys all raced really well together. Early on we covered some of the course of Gent-Wevelgem, over a climb and some cobblestones and Michael Gogl and Jay McCarthy were up there, and then later on everyone looked after Erik well.”
Another shot of Erik Baska's win
“I have to say a big thank you to the team and to the Sport Directors for giving me the opportunity to be the leader for this race,” said an elated Erik Baška after the finish. “Also to my teammates for doing an incredible job today. The race was pretty hectic but I had really good legs and a good position in the finish. Michael Kolar brought me into around 10th to 15th wheel with about 500m to go and from there I told him that I would go on my own, up the left as there was more space there. I started to sprint with around 200 to 250m to go and had enough speed that I knew I had it in the last 50m.
"Preparation has gone well so far, and I'm really happy with this win after the hard work. I started racing in Dubai and then was in Langkawi so I've got some good racing in the legs, and this win will hopefully give me the confidence I need to keep stepping up."
The race started with an early break of two riders, following a flurry of attacks from the drop of the flag. The peloton wasn’t convinced with the composition of the move and everything came back together before a group of seven riders moved clear at the mid-way point. This move never gained more than a minute and gradually their lead was reeled back in as the Tinkoff riders stayed safe in the wheels, focusing their energy on the expected bunch sprint.
With 11km to go the final breakaway rider was brought back into the fold and the scene was set for a fast finish. Riders tried to break clear but the peloton was attentive to the moves. The Tinkoff jerseys were a constant presence at the front of the bunch as the kilometres ticked by, with Jay McCarthy covering moves and then the team keeping Erik out of the wind, preparing for his sprint.
As the race opened up on the wide road on the approach to the line, Erik unleashed his effort, coming around the outside of the bunch, victory never looking in doubt as he pulled ahead of the sprinting bunch behind. The win is Erik’s first of the year, his first year with the team and at WorldTour level, and will be a great confidence boost ahead at this early stage of the season.
Hoffman continued: “At the December training camp Erik was sick so at the January camp we had to take it easier but he still showed that he was quick. He had a good build up to the start of the season, and then he showed good legs at Langkawi, getting up there in some of the sprints. We don’t want to put too much pressure on him as it’s a big step up from the races he did last year, but today he showed his promise for the future.”
Complete Results:
199 kilometers raced at an average speed of 42.612 km/hr
| 1 | BASKA Erik | TINKOFF | 4hr 40min 12sec |
| 2 | GROENEWEGEN Dylan | LOTTO NL-JUMBO | s.t. |
| 3 | MEERSMAN Gianni | ETIXX-QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 4 | VAN LERBERGHE Bert | TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN | s.t. |
| 5 | LOOIJ André | ROOMPOT-ORANJE PELOTON | s.t. |
| 6 | SAVITSKIY Ivan | GAZPROM-RUSVELO | s.t. |
| 7 | DUPONT Timothy | VERANDA'S WILLEMS | s.t. |
| 8 | STASH Mamyr | GAZPROM-RUSVELO | s.t. |
| 9 | MANNAERTS Jelle | SUPERANO HAM-ISOREX | s.t. |
| 10 | BAUHAUS Phil | BORA-ARGON 18 | s.t. |
| 11 | GROSU Eduard Michael | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI | s.t. |
| 12 | DRUYTS Gerry | CRELAN-VASTGOEDSERVICE | s.t. |
| 13 | HALVORSEN Kristoffer | TEAM JOKER | s.t. |
| 14 | THWAITES Scott | BORA-ARGON 18 | s.t. |
| 15 | CAPIOT Amaury | TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN | s.t. |
| 16 | SUAREZ Kevin | SUPERANO HAM-ISOREX | s.t. |
| 17 | JANS Roy | WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT | s.t. |
| 18 | PEDERSEN Mads | STÖLTING SERVICE GROUP | s.t. |
| 19 | KRUOPIS Aidis | VERANDA'S WILLEMS | s.t. |
| 20 | COLLI Daniele | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI | s.t. |
| 21 | JANSEN Amund Grondahl | TEAM JOKER | s.t. |
| 22 | VEREECKEN Nicolas | AN POST-CHAIN REACTION | s.t. |
| 23 | PASQUALON Andrea | TEAM ROTH | s.t. |
| 24 | OPIE Chris | ONE PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 25 | KRIEGER Alexander | LEOPARD PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 26 | WASTYN Emiel | AN POST-CHAIN REACTION | s.t. |
| 27 | PAGE Dylan | TEAM ROTH | s.t. |
| 28 | WILSON Edvin | TEAM JOKER | s.t. |
| 29 | STALLAERT Joeri | CIBEL-CEBON | s.t. |
| 30 | FENN Andrew | TEAM SKY | s.t. |
| 31 | SILVESTRE Fabio | LEOPARD PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 32 | VERRAES Benjamin | CIBEL-CEBON | s.t. |
| 33 | PARDINI Olivier | WALLONIE BRUXELLES | s.t. |
| 34 | MONTGOMERY David | AN POST-CHAIN REACTION | s.t. |
| 35 | STEVENS Timothy | CRELAN-VASTGOEDSERVICE | s.t. |
| 36 | MARKUS Barry | ROOMPOT-ORANJE PELOTON | s.t. |
| 37 | VAN STEENBERGEN Jori | CIBEL-CEBON | s.t. |
| 38 | STOSZ Patryk | CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | s.t. |
| 39 | KIENDYS Tomasz | CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | s.t. |
| 40 | BOUCHER David | CRELAN-VASTGOEDSERVICE | s.t. |
| 41 | JULES Justin | VERANCLASSIC-AGO | s.t. |
| 42 | SKAARSETH Anders | TEAM JOKER | s.t. |
| 43 | MAES Nikolas | ETIXX-QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 44 | STANNUS Jordan | AN POST-CHAIN REACTION | s.t. |
| 45 | NAESEN Lawrence | CIBEL-CEBON | s.t. |
| 46 | MCCARTHY Jay | TINKOFF | s.t. |
| 47 | PALUTA Michal | CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | s.t. |
| 48 | WIRTGEN Tom | LEOPARD PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 49 | MAIKIN Roman | GAZPROM-RUSVELO | s.t. |
| 50 | LATON Eryk | CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | s.t. |
| 51 | FARAZIJN Maxime | TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN | s.t. |
| 52 | TRUSOV Nikolay | TINKOFF | s.t. |
| 53 | GULDHAMMER Rasmus | STÖLTING SERVICE GROUP | s.t. |
| 54 | CECCHIN Alberto | TEAM ROTH | s.t. |
| 55 | VAN HOECKE Gijs | TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN | s.t. |
| 56 | MEURISSE Xandro | CRELAN-VASTGOEDSERVICE | s.t. |
| 57 | MROZEK Marcin | CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | s.t. |
| 58 | DE HAES Kenny | WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT | s.t. |
| 59 | KOLÁR Michal | TINKOFF | s.t. |
| 60 | NAPOLITANO Danilo | WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT | s.t. |
| 61 | KREDER Wesley | ROOMPOT-ORANJE PELOTON | s.t. |
| 62 | WISNIOWSKI Lukasz | ETIXX-QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 63 | VAN KEIRSBULCK Guillaume | ETIXX-QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 64 | VAN GINNEKEN Sjoerd | ROOMPOT-ORANJE PELOTON | s.t. |
| 65 | VAN GOETHEM Brian | ROOMPOT-ORANJE PELOTON | s.t. |
| 66 | BOVENHUIS Jasper | AN POST-CHAIN REACTION | s.t. |
| 67 | SAGAN Juraj | TINKOFF | s.t. |
| 68 | STACCHIOTTI Riccardo | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI | s.t. |
| 69 | VAN HECKE Preben | TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN | s.t. |
| 70 | KIRSCH Alex | STÖLTING SERVICE GROUP | s.t. |
| 71 | SPANOPOULOS Ioannis | VERANCLASSIC-AGO | s.t. |
| 72 | KRIZEK Matthias | TEAM ROTH | s.t. |
| 73 | MANAKOV Viktor | GAZPROM-RUSVELO | s.t. |
| 74 | DOMAGALSKI Karol | ONE PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 75 | WILLIAMS Peter | ONE PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 76 | HONIG Reinier | ROOMPOT-ORANJE PELOTON | s.t. |
| 77 | MCCONVEY Connor | AN POST-CHAIN REACTION | s.t. |
| 78 | BROCKHOFF Jan | LEOPARD PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 79 | WILLIAMS Samuel | ONE PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 80 | SVENDGAARD Michael Carbel | STÖLTING SERVICE GROUP | s.t. |
| 81 | TOMIO Giacomo | TEAM ROTH | s.t. |
| 82 | TANKINK Bram | LOTTO NL-JUMBO | s.t. |
| 83 | DE NEGRI Pier Paolo | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI | s.t. |
| 84 | SOLOMENNIKOV Andrei | GAZPROM-RUSVELO | s.t. |
| 85 | WILSON Jack | AN POST-CHAIN REACTION | s.t. |
| 86 | DE ROOZE Niels | VERANCLASSIC-AGO | s.t. |
| 87 | MOSCON Gianni | TEAM SKY | s.t. |
| 88 | FORFANG Ole | TEAM JOKER | s.t. |
| 89 | BOEV Igor | GAZPROM-RUSVELO | s.t. |
| 90 | WYNANTS Maarten | LOTTO NL-JUMBO | s.t. |
| 91 | VELITS Martin | ETIXX-QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 92 | JACOBS Pieter | CRELAN-VASTGOEDSERVICE | s.t. |
| 93 | DE BIE Sean | LOTTO SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 94 | STEPNIAK Grzegorz | CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | s.t. |
| 95 | GARDEYN Gorik | SUPERANO HAM-ISOREX | s.t. |
| 96 | CHEVALIER Olivier | WALLONIE BRUXELLES | s.t. |
| 97 | MATZKA Ralf | BORA-ARGON 18 | s.t. |
| 98 | ROBERT Frederique | CRELAN-VASTGOEDSERVICE | s.t. |
| 99 | LANDER Sebastian | ONE PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 100 | LINDAU Philip | TEAM JOKER | s.t. |
| 101 | SCHWARZMANN Michael | BORA-ARGON 18 | s.t. |
| 102 | DIELEMAN Michiel | CIBEL-CEBON | s.t. |
| 103 | VAN BREUSSEGEM Elias | VERANDA'S WILLEMS | s.t. |
| 104 | WAGNER Robert | LOTTO NL-JUMBO | s.t. |
| 105 | DEMPSTER Zakkari | BORA-ARGON 18 | s.t. |
| 106 | LENNERTZ Sam | VERANCLASSIC-AGO | s.t. |
| 107 | TENBROCK Jonas | STÖLTING SERVICE GROUP | s.t. |
| 108 | KEISSE Iljo | ETIXX-QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 109 | MARTINELLI Davide | ETIXX-QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 110 | SCHILLINGER Andreas | BORA-ARGON 18 | s.t. |
| 111 | CERNY Josef | CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | s.t. |
| 112 | RICKAERT Jonas | TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN | s.t. |
| 113 | KERKHOF Tim | ROOMPOT-ORANJE PELOTON | s.t. |
| 114 | SCOTT Jacob | AN POST-CHAIN REACTION | s.t. |
| 115 | GOSS Matthew Harley | ONE PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 116 | VAN DER SANDE Tosh | LOTTO SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 117 | LELEU Antoine | VERANCLASSIC-AGO | 0:00:29 |
| 118 | WALLAYS Jelle | LOTTO SOUDAL | 0:00:30 |
| 119 | KNEES Christian | TEAM SKY | s.t. |
| 120 | VEUCHELEN Frederik | WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT | s.t. |
| 121 | HOELGAARD Markus | TEAM JOKER | s.t. |
| 122 | MINNAARD Marinus Cornelis | WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT | s.t. |
| 123 | HUZARSKI Bartosz | BORA-ARGON 18 | s.t. |
| 124 | CAMPENAERTS Victor | LOTTO NL-JUMBO | s.t. |
| 125 | EIJSSEN Yannick | CRELAN-VASTGOEDSERVICE | s.t. |
| 126 | ARMEE Sander | LOTTO SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 127 | MORABITO Massimo | LEOPARD PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 128 | DUQUENNOY Jimmy | WALLONIE BRUXELLES | s.t. |
| 129 | BAUGNIES Jérôme | WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT | s.t. |
| 130 | VANDEN BAK Laurent | LEOPARD PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 131 | DONDERS Jelle | SUPERANO HAM-ISOREX | s.t. |
| 132 | DE WINTER Ludwig | WALLONIE BRUXELLES | 0:00:38 |
| 133 | DE BONDT Dries | VERANDA'S WILLEMS | s.t. |
| 134 | VAN ZUMMEREN Stef | VERANDA'S WILLEMS | s.t. |
| 135 | CORDEEL Sander | VERANDA'S WILLEMS | s.t. |
| 136 | ISTA Kevin | WALLONIE BRUXELLES | s.t. |
| 137 | KNOX James | TEAM WIGGINS | 0:00:42 |
| 138 | NIKOLAEV Sergey | GAZPROM-RUSVELO | s.t. |
| 139 | SHALUNOV Evgeny | GAZPROM-RUSVELO | s.t. |
| 140 | MORTENSEN Martin | ONE PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 141 | REIHS Michael | STÖLTING SERVICE GROUP | s.t. |
| 142 | GEERINCKX Ruben | SUPERANO HAM-ISOREX | s.t. |
| 143 | TOUQUET Joren | SUPERANO HAM-ISOREX | s.t. |
| 144 | CIOLEK Gerald | STÖLTING SERVICE GROUP | s.t. |
| 145 | BOECKMANS Kris | LOTTO SOUDAL | 0:00:50 |
| 146 | HOLOHAN Liam | TEAM WIGGINS | 0:00:53 |
| 147 | LOWE Samuel | TEAM WIGGINS | s.t. |
| 148 | DUFRASNE Jonathan | WALLONIE BRUXELLES | s.t. |
| 149 | DRON Boris | WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT | s.t. |
| 150 | CALLEEUW Joeri | VERANDA'S WILLEMS | s.t. |
| 151 | CHRISTIAN Mark | TEAM WIGGINS | s.t. |
| 152 | OLESEN Patrick | LEOPARD PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 153 | PEYSKENS Dimitri | VERANCLASSIC-AGO | s.t. |
| 154 | LEGLEY Matthias | VERANCLASSIC-AGO | s.t. |
| 155 | BOUWMAN Koen | LOTTO NL-JUMBO | s.t. |
| 156 | STIEN Adrian Aas | TEAM JOKER | s.t. |
| 157 | CASTELIJNS Twan | LOTTO NL-JUMBO | s.t. |
| 158 | BIALOBLOCKI Marcin | ONE PRO CYCLING | s.t. |
| 159 | HARRISON Samuel | TEAM WIGGINS | s.t. |
| 160 | THOMPSON Michael | TEAM WIGGINS | s.t. |
| 161 | GOGL Michael | TINKOFF | s.t. |
| 162 | VIOLA Antonio | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI | s.t. |
| 163 | VANDENBOGAERDE Jens | SUPERANO HAM-ISOREX | s.t. |
| 164 | VAN POPPEL Danny | TEAM SKY | 0:01:02 |
| 165 | DEVRIENDT Tom | WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT | 0:01:18 |
| 166 | STASSEN Julien | WALLONIE BRUXELLES | 0:01:32 |
| 167 | DE TROYER Tim | VERANDA'S WILLEMS | 0:01:47 |
| 168 | DE PAUW Moreno | TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN | 0:02:14 |
| 169 | BERLATO Giacomo | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI | 0:02:20 |
| 170 | KUBOKI Kazushige | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI | s.t. |
| 171 | PETERS Alex | TEAM SKY | s.t. |
| 172 | SLIK Ivar | ROOMPOT-ORANJE PELOTON | 0:03:05 |
| 173 | SOENENS Alessandro | SUPERANO HAM-ISOREX | s.t. |
| 174 | MARCHAND Gianni | CIBEL-CEBON | 0:03:45 |
| 175 | RUIJGH Rob | CRELAN-VASTGOEDSERVICE | s.t. |