Devenyns WIns Tour De Wallonie

Last updated : 27 July 2016 By CNS Sport

Dries Devenyns of IAM Cycling snatched victory of the race overall with victory in the fifth and final stage of the Tour De Wallonie in Belgium.

The final stage was a 183.9km stage from Engis to Dison on the outskirts of Liege and had Gianni Meersman in the lead on a stage of 11 hills and a local lap of 17.3km at the end which also contained two climbs.

Eleven were in the first break of the day which split the peleton in two, seeing fifty seconds between the two groups.

That group was brought back and Pim Lithgart, Delage, B. Planckaert, Van Bilsen, Quemeneur, Coenen, Politt & Peyskens were able to get away, taking a lead of two minutes after 75kms.

With fifty kilometres to go, the break was 1.10 ahead on a cloudy day but twelve kilometres later, the gap was down to under a minute and the seven in the break were attacking each other.

Three riders went after the front group and caught them leaving only Baptiste Planckaert up front with a group of ten riders behind him before Etixx Quick Step brought everyone back with 23.6kms to go.

Etixx kept men on the front of the peloton before there was more attacks which were soon dealt with.

Dries Devenyns, who was thirteen seconds down on GC, managed to get clear with three kilometres to go and the IAM Cycling rider went for it knowing that there was a ten second bonus for the winner of this stage.

Devenyns just took the stage win by half a wheel in 4.33.56 ahead of Jelle Vanendert and Evgeny Shalunov of Gazprom Rusvelo.

Devenyns, who won the race over from Gianni Meersman by five seconds, said: "i could not be more happier. I attacked with 3kms to and knew that i was still away a kilometre later I could win.   My goal was to win a stage, so to win this is great."