58th Omloop Het Volk

[steve]

So maarten did you get to see any of this race?

Belgium's top cycling star, Johan Museeuw knows how to win a classic. The 37 year old Lion of Flanders showed his younger peers exactly how it was done in today's Belgian season opener, Omloop Het Volk. Benefiting from the formidable strength of his Quick Step-Davitamon team, Museeuw rode away from teammate Paolo Bettini and US Postal's Max van Heeswijk with 5 km to go to win in classic Museeuw style.

"I knew I would be good, but I didn't expect it this soon," said Museeuw moments after winning. "I am 37 but among the young riders of the team I feel like a 20 year old. With them working, it motivates me. My career will not go on for much longer, so I must take what comes to me."

Behind Museeuw, Van Heeswijk showed that he is definitely at home in his new US Postal/Berry Floor team, taking second after winning a two man sprint with Paolo Bettini. "I knew that they would attack me," said the Dutchman. "First I could follow Museeuw, but I couldn't come back to him on his second attack. He rode away, metre by metre. Museeuw was far too strong. But I had a good feeling: I was with Museeuw in the lead."

The Quick Step success was completed by Frank Vandenbroucke and Tom Boonen, who crossed the line in fourth and fifth with arms raised. They had been an essential part of the move that saw seven riders, four of whom were Quick Step, escape the peloton with 65 km to go, catching and dropping the three early breakaways (Durand, Bracke and Trouvé) and simply riding away with the race after that. In addition to the Quick Step quartet, the group contained Pippo Pozzato (Fassa Bortolo), Peter Farazijn (Cofidis) and Max Van Heeswijk (USPS).

The leaders increased their advantage to over three minutes on the peloton over the flat, occasionally cobbled, final section of the race. Then the seven became three with 22 km to go, as Museeuw, Bettini and Van Heeswijk rode away from the rest. Museeuw saw to it that the three became one by the finish.

Read the rest at cyclingnews.com

Results - 200 km

1 Johan Museeuw (Bel) Quick Step-Davitamon 5.01.15 (39.83 km/h)
2 Max van Heeswijk (Ned) US Postal presented by Berry Floor 0.14
3 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step-Davitamon
4 Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Quick Step-Davitamon 1.33
5 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step-Davitamon
6 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 2.36
7 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis
8 Romans Vainsteins (Lat) Sidermec 3.32
9 Gabriele Balducci (Ita) Sidermec
10 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo
11 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo
12 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) AG2R-Prévoyance
13 Remco van der Ven (Ned) Bankgiroloterij
14 Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Sidermec
15 René Haselbacher (Aut) Gerolsteiner
16 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Lotto-Domo
17 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Crédit Agricole
18 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) FDJeux.com
19 Andrea Ferrigato (Ita) Alessio
20 Fabio Sacchi (Ita) Saeco
21 André Korff (Ger) Team Coast
22 Allan Johansen (Den) Team fakta
23 Jacky Durand (Fra) FDJeux.com
24 Johan Dekkers (Bel) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
25 Roy Sentjens (Ned) Rabobank
26 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Lotto-Domo
27 Tony Bracke (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
28 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Lampre
29 Bobbie Traksel (Ned) Rabobank
30 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner
31 Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) US Postal presented by Berry Floor
32 Jörg Ludewig (Ger) Saeco
33 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Alessio
34 Christophe Mengin (Fra) FDJeux.com
35 Erki Putsep (Est) Ag2r-Prevoyance
36 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Quick Step-Davitamon
37 Gerben Lowik (Ned) BankGiroLoterij
38 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
39 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Team fakta
40 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Quick Step-Davitamon
41 Andy Flickinger (Fra) AG2R-Prévoyance
42 Alessandro Cortinovis (Ita) Lampre
43 Antonio Cruz (USA) US Postal presented by Berry Floor
44 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Bankgiroloterij
45 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
46 Davide Bramati (Ita) Quick Step-Davitamon
47 Lars Bak (Den) Team fakta
48 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Quick Step-Davitamon
49 Tristan Hoffman (Ned) Team CSC
50 Chris Peers (Bel) Cofidis
51 Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) Jean Delatour
52 Nico Mattan (Bel) Cofidis
53 Paul Van Hyfte (Bel) Team CSC
54 Kai Hundertmarck (Ger) Team Telekom
55 Dave Bruylandts (Bel) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
56 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
57 Benoit Joachim (Lux) US Postal presented by Berry Floor
58 Serge Baguet (Bel) Lotto-Domo
59 Christopher Jenner (Fra) Crédit Agricole
60 Robert Sassone (Fra) Cofidis
61 Michael Skelde (Den) Team fakta
62 Rolf Aldag (Ger) Team Telekom
63 Hans De Clercq (Bel) Lotto-Domo
64 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
65 Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank
66 Janek Tombak (Est) Cofidis
67 Dario Pieri (Ita) Saeco
68 Daniele Nardello (Ita) Team Telekom
69 Enrico Cassani (Ita) Alessio
70 Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Team CSC
71 Gianluca Sironi (Ita) Sidermec
72 Glenn D'Hollander (Bel) Lotto-Domo 6.30
73 Kristof Trouve (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop
74 Pieter Vries (Ned) BankGiroLoterij
75 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Fassa Bortolo
76 Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
77 Cristian Pepoli (Ita) Saeco
78 Yuriy Krivtsov (Oek) Jean Delatour
79 Bruno Thibout (Fra) Jean Delatour
80 Stéphane Berges (Fra) AG2R-Prévoyance
81 Christophe Edaleine (Fra) Jean Delatour

 

[easyrider]

So much for the "best Belgium based team" rivalry. BLOW OUT. My question is: Does Quick Step become a soap opera trying to control this many star-quality riders in the next few months?

It would be easy if they had horses for courses and everyone else rode in support, but they have several guys that can compete to win in the same events.

 

[steve]

I quite like this photo

 

[RalleighOke]

When things aren't going SA's way it is not going our way

But in light of all that has happened, I am still positive.....because I can still cycle and my rugby team has won their first 2 games in the Super 12....and Ferrari will not let me down.

Hunter crashes out in Het Volk classic

Posted on Monday, March 03, 2003 - 19:28

Rabobank's SA ace, Robert Hunter, crashed during the Belgian Het Volk classic on Saturday, but still rode on gamely to the finish.
On Sunday he again lined up with the world’s best for a single day event but, after 120 kilometres, the team doctor ordered him to call it quits.

It seems that the hand he injured during an altercation with a West Rand motorist earlier this year again came off the worst in the crash but, fortunately, no bones are broken and he will be a regular competitor in all the big European spring classics.

In the meantime, Hunter has headed south for a spot of R&R in his new favourite destination, Spain, where he will again do a little training with his friend and team-mate, former world champ, Oscar Freire.

For the record, the famed “Lion of Flanders, Johan Museeuw, grabbed victory in the Het Volk race to the delight of his legions of Flemish supporters.

 

[maarten]

NOPE,

I was in Spain at that time on a training camp with the youngsters of our team. They punished me on the steep sections for being 10 to 20 kilo's heavier then them but on 3-4% stretches where I can push the big gear most of them had to admit I was going to fast up the mountain.

Season has now started officially but they all had a week holiday so we decided to go for a trainig camp to the Spanish sun.

We already had our team campionships 2 weeks ago. Finished 2nd(10cm or so) after a 16 year old(national champion, winner of the jugen tour in austria ans most succesfull rider in his category) but I won my category(vets I am 21 beating all our elite and U23 riders, they should have known, loose the sprinters before the last K else you are wasted.

We hope to be as succesfull as last year but that will be difficult.