posted Jun 29, 2008

The new Belgian champion was crowned in Knokke-Heist after a long (256 km), flat race. Last year's champion Stijn Devolder took the race by the scruff of the neck 100 km from the finish. An interesting group of about 15 riders with Devolder, Jurgen Vandewalle, Olivier Kaisen and crosser Sven Vanthourenhout gained an advantage of over a minute, but Silence-Lotto brought back the peloton.

Lots of other riders tried to escape, with Quick-Step keeping things tight pretty easily. During the final lap some bigger names had a go. Philippe Gilbert was shadowed by Gert Steegmans and Devolder did an awful lot of work to help Boonen when Vanheule, Leif Hoste, Nico Sijmens and Sven Nys tried to take their last chance.

The sprint wasn't well structured until Greg Van Avermaet acted as lead-out for Jurgen Roelandts. Boonen and his teammate Weylandt were hindered by veteran Niko "Rambo" Eeckhout. The former world champion couldn't overtake his younger compatriots, Wouter Weylandt even went to the ground causing a big crash. Sven Vanthourenhout did manage to get round Weylandt, but failed to get past Jurgen Roelandts, who wins his very first race as a pro cyclist.

Top 10:

1. Jurgen Roelandts (Silence-Lotto)
2. Sven Vanthourenhout (Sunweb)
3. Niko Eeckhout (Topsport Vlaanderen)
4. Greg Van Avermaet (Silence-Lotto)
5. Tom Boonen (Quick-Step)
6. Kurt Hovelynck (Topsport Vlaanderen)
7. James Vanlandschoot (Mitsubishi-Jartazi)
8. Kevin Pauwels (Fidea)
9. Iljo Keisse (Topsport Vlaanderen)
10. Wouter Van Mechelen (Landbouwkrediet)

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posted Jun 29, 2008

Some other notable facts about the race:

Two former U23 World Cyclo-Cross Champions, Vanthourenhout and Pauwels, finished in the first ten. With Keisse and Van Mechelen the same happened with two specialist track cyclists.

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posted Jun 29, 2008

Well done to Simeoni. I became a fan after the incident with Armstrong in 2004, especially his reaction during the final stage. As he's in the twilight of his career, I cannot think of a better reward for someone who was so callously ostracised by his peers for what must have been an incredibly difficult gesture in the fight against doping.

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posted Jun 29, 2008

I'm really glad for Rob Hayles, but will miss the National jersey not being on TV so much in the bigger races. Well done mate.

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posted Jun 30, 2008

A very good race by Filippo Simeoni indeed. He says it doesn't feel as "revenge", but with Pozzato finishing third, it really is. Pozzato was one of the riders which criticised Simeoni heavily after the Armstrong incident.

I'm surprised he managed to get the win, as it wasn't an easy race. Each lap had a, what they call "muro fiammingo", Alessandro Ballan couldn't make the difference there however. Simeoni attacked from 5 km out and managed to hold on. The bigger teams failed to organise, probably afraid to hand victory to one of their bigger concurrents.

Ordine d'arrivo:
1. Filippo Simeoni (Ceramiche Flaminia) 6h19'15" alla media di 40,311 km/h
2. Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) st
3. Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas)
4. Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner)
5. Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo)
6. Paolo Bossoni (Lampre)
7. Ivan Fanelli (Cinelli OPD)
8. Marco Marcato (Cycle - Collstrop)
9. Alessandro Ballan (Lampre)
10. Gabriele Bosisio (Lpr Ballan)

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