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Photo ©: Bettini

 UCI codes explained

Tour of Belgium - 2.1

Belgium, May 25-29, 2005

Main Page    Results   Overall standings    Next Stage

Stage 1 - May 25: Oostende - Oostende, 155km

Boonen, of course!

By Gabriella Ekström

Tom Boonen (Quick.Step) fulfilled all the expectations put upon him by the Belgian media and his fans by winning the first stage of the Tour of Belgium, hence taking the leader's jersey. Although being the favourite before the stage, Boonen never expected to be given the stage for free, and he admitted to the press after the finish that he never considered winning an easy task.

"It's never simple," boonen told VRT's Karl Van Nieuwkerke after the finish. "With three ProTour teams, it's difficult to control the race. Everyone looked to us, but luckily it was fast. But after 60 kilometres we could start to control it. With 10 km to go, I broke my saddle. It wasn't too bad, but it was a brand new bike."

As for Napolitano, "I know him well. I have already nearly let him surprise me in Picardie," said Boonen, who played down his ambitions for the overall victory. "Ach, in the time trial I can't do much against the specialists. I think I've done six kilometres on the time trial bike this year, and that was in Paris-Nice."

How it unfolded

After an early wave of attacks, including a fifteen man group containing Servais Knaven and Wilfried Cretskens (Quick.Step), Jan Kuyckx (Davitamon-Lotto), Mathew Hayman (Rabobank), Tom Stubbe (Chocolade Jacques), Kevin Ista and Benjamin Levécot (R.A.G.T.), David Boucher, Gorik Gardeyn and Stefan Van Dijck (MrBookmaker), Leonardo Moser (Acqua & Sapone), Nico Sijmens (Landbouwkrediet), Cédric Coutouly (Agritubel) and Steven De Champs (Profel) trying to break free, the pace settled and the riders cruised along together for almost an hour before a four man group with Alain Van Katwijk (Shimano), Igor Abakoumov and Raimondas Vilcinskas (Jartazi) and Steven De Champs (Profel) was created.

The quartet rode together for only 14 kilometres before being brought back, and equal breakaway attempts were performed by Arthur Farenhout (AXA), Pieter Mertens (Chocolade Jacques) and Jurgen Van De Walle (Landbouwkrediet) when strong crosswinds set in with 65 kilometres to go. Mikhaylo Khalilov (LPR) and Nico Eeckhout (Chocolade Jacques) joined Van De Walle, who wasn't instantly absorbed by the peloton in the wind, and while Boonen smartly positioned himself close to the front, Wim Van Sevenant (Davitamon-Lotto) bridged across to Eeckhout up front and proved to be the only one strong enough to stay with him.

The wind forced the riders to form several echelons, and the mechanics saw numerous punctures as a result of the riders being forced to ride very close to the edge of the road. As the peloton started to split up, several riders took risks greater than necessary when criss-crossing in and out between parked cars along the road side at high speeds.

Probably realising they would not last all the way to the finish, Eeckhout's and Van Sevenant's actions nevertheless stirred things up in the peloton and caused Quick.Step to start riding earlier than they would have liked. The blue and white train of the little lion kept the two Belgians at around a minute, and the peloton never once seemed to ride at its maximum. Approaching Oostende, Eeckhout and Van Sevenant brotherly shared the first sprint among them, while Quick.Step's Dimitri DeFauw snatched the last point in an explosive attack, possibly caused by irritation when the rhythm at the front got disturbed by the sprinting riders in the peloton.

Despite a number of riders looking fresh, few things happened during the first three laps around the finishing circuit. The Quick.Step riders got their share of action when Boonen broke his saddle with 12 kilometres to go. They put on a masterpiece of team work and brought him back to the front within two kilometres, only to realise that Swiss team LPR had happily taken over the job at the front. Once more, Quick.Step showed excellent tactics by sitting up and letting LPR continue their job at the front until only a few kilometres remained. Nico Eeckhout and Wim Van Sevenant, who had just been joined by Peter Van Agtmaal (AXA), were finally brought back to the peloton after having spent the last ten kilometres less than 30 seconds ahead of the peloton.

With four kilometres to go, it seemed that Boonen's train had problems finding each other, and the riders who were still at the front took advantage of LPR and Landbouwkrediet to form a mixed train, before the Quick.Step guys got hold of each other. Twice boxed in, Boonen couldn't be certain he'd win the stage until just before the line. Coming very far out on the right side of the road, Boonen was clearly the fastest rider, but had to take a few risks to get around the massive peloton where everyone gave it a shot. The only threat to Boonen was LPR's Danilo Napolitano, and Boonen admitted afterwards that he had been looking out for the Italian. As he spotted him in the middle of the road, Boonen came across the road, and slightly leaned against Napolitano as they crossed the line, but never really hampered the Italian, who wasn't as fast as Boonen.

His success today means that Boonen might be looking forward to repeat last year's win in Knokke-Heist tomorrow, this time while wearing the leader's jersey.

Results

1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep                                         3.30.03
2 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Team LPR                                          
3 Lénaïc Olivier (Fra) Agritubel                                            
4 Crescenzo D'Amore (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                      
5 James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                       
6 Sjef De Wilde (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen               
7 Mikhaylo Khalilov (Ukr) Team LPR                                          
8 Igor Abakoumov (Bel) Jartazi Granville Team                               
9 Saulius Ruskys (Ltu) Agritubel                                            
10 Paul Van Schalen (Ned) AXA                                               
11 Michael Simms (Aus) Profel Cycling Team                                  
12 Nick Ingels (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen                
13 Linas Balciunas (Ltu) Agritubel                                          
14 Kevin Ista (Bel) R.A.G.T Semences                                        
15 Ivan Fanelli (Ita) Team LPR                                              
16 Maxim Rudenko (Ukr) Jartazi Granville Team                               
17 Mashahiro Shinagawa (Jpn) Shimano - Memory Corp                          
18 Wouter Van Mechelen (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                  
19 Marco Bos (Ned) Shimano - Memory Corp                                    
20 Robby Meul (Bel) Jartazi Granville Team                                  
21 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank                                             
22 Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                       
23 Roman Luhovyy (Ukr) R.A.G.T Semences                                     
24 Thomas Onghena (Bel) Profel Cycling Team                                 
25 Bert Roesems (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                     
26 Rudi Kemna (Ned) Shimano - Memory Corp                                   
27 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                         
28 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                           
29 Julien Smink (Ned) Shimano - Memory Corp                                 
30 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Agritubel                                     
31 Jarno Van Mingeroet (Bel) Profel Cycling Team                            
32 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                        
33 Raimondas Vilcinskas (Ltu) Jartazi Granville Team                        
34 Kristof De Zutter (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen          
35 Alessandro Maserati (Ita) Team LPR                                       
36 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                  
37 Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                       
38 Erwin Thijs (Bel) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                           
39 Vytautas Kaupas (Ltu) Jartazi Granville Team                             
40 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                           
41 Kevin Van Der Slagmolen (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen    
42 Pieter Mertens (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                       
43 Guido Trenti (USA) Quickstep                                             
44 Nico Mattan (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                      
45 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                             
46 Sébastien Minard (Fra) R.A.G.T Semences                                  
47 Steven Caethoven (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                     
48 Dmitri Konychev (Rus) Team LPR                                           
49 David Verheyen (Bel) Profel Cycling Team                                 
50 Jukka Vastaranta (Fin) Rabobank                                          
51 Matthé Pronk (Ned) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                          
52 Denys Kostyuk (Ukr) Jartazi Granville Team                               
53 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Shimano - Memory Corp                              
54 Andrea Rossi (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                          
55 Michele Maccanti (Ita) Team LPR                                          
56 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                 
57 Jurgen Vandewalle (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago                          
58 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                           
59 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quickstep                                           
60 David Boucher (Fra) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                         
61 Cédric Coutouly (Fra) Agritubel                                          
62 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                
63 Daniele Contrini (Ita) Team LPR                                          
64 Steven De Neef (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen             
65 Leonardo Moser (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                        
66 Jan Kuyckx (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                       
67 John Gadret (Fra) Jartazi Granville Team                                 
68 Ronald Mutsaars (Ned) Rabobank                                           
69 Matti Helminen (Fin) Profel Cycling Team                                 
70 Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                         
71 Frederik Willems (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                     
72 Niels Scheuneman (Ned) Rabobank                                          
73 Tom Stubbe (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                           
74 Guillaume Auger (Fra) R.A.G.T Semences                                   
75 Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                            
76 Jose Antonio Pecharroman (Spa)                                           
77 Jef Peeters (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                          
78 Ondrej Sosenka (Cze) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                        
79 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Quickstep                                       
80 Jos Lucassen (Ned) AXA                                                   
81 Gilles Canouet (Fra) Agritubel                                           
82 Andries Verspeeten (Bel) Profel Cycling Team                             
83 Eelke Van Der Wal (Ned) Shimano - Memory Corp                            
84 Geert Omloop (Bel) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                          
85 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Davitamon - Lotto                                     
86 Bart Vanheule (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen              
87 Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank                                                 
88 Niki Terpstra (Ned) AXA                                                  
89 Servais Knaven (Ned) Quickstep                                           
90 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank                                        
91 Denis Bertolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                       
92 Alain Van Katwijk (Ned) Shimano - Memory Corp                            
93 Claudio Astolfi (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                       
94 Florent Brard (Fra) Agritubel                                            
95 Dimitri De Fauw (Bel) Quickstep                                          
96 Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank                                              
97 Jurgen Van Loocke (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                    0.21
98 Peter Ronsse (Bel) Jartazi Granville Team                            0.41
99 Giuseppe Palumbo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                      
100 Dominique Cornu (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen           
101 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen          
102 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quickstep                                      
103 Emilien Berges (Fra) R.A.G.T Semences                                   
104 Xavier Hérinne (Fra) R.A.G.T Semences                                   
105 Jorn Van Der Veken (Bel) Profel Cycling Team                        0.45
106 Arthur Farenhout (Ned) AXA                                              
107 Danny Stam (Ned) AXA                                                    
108 Benjamin Levecot (Fra) R.A.G.T Semences                             0.59
109 Steven De Champs (Bel) Profel Cycling Team                          1.21
110 Robert Slippens (Ned) AXA                                           1.29
111 Peter Van Agtmaal (Ned) AXA                                         1.58
112 Christoph Roodhooft (Bel) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech              4.45
DNF Olivier Kaisen (Bel) R.A.G.T Semences
 
General classification after stage 1
 
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep                                         3.29.53
2 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                     0.02
3 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                               0.03
4 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Team LPR                                      0.04
5 Lénaïc Olivier (Fra) Agritubel                                        0.06
6 Wouter Van Mechelen (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim               0.09
7 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quickstep                                            
8 Dimitri De Fauw (Bel) Quickstep                                           
9 Crescenzo D'Amore (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                  0.10
10 James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                      
11 Sjef De Wilde (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen              
12 Mikhaylo Khalilov (Ukr) Team LPR                                         
13 Igor Abakoumov (Bel) Jartazi Granville Team                              
14 Saulius Ruskys (Ltu) Agritubel                                           
15 Paul Van Schalen (Ned) AXA                                               
16 Michael Simms (Aus) Profel Cycling Team                                  
17 Nick Ingels (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen                
18 Linas Balciunas (Ltu) Agritubel                                          
19 Kevin Ista (Bel) R.A.G.T Semences                                        
20 Ivan Fanelli (Ita) Team LPR                                              
21 Maxim Rudenko (Ukr) Jartazi Granville Team                               
22 Mashahiro Shinagawa (Jpn) Shimano - Memory Corp                          
23 Marco Bos (Ned) Shimano - Memory Corp                                    
24 Robby Meul (Bel) Jartazi Granville Team                                  
25 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank                                             
26 Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                       
27 Roman Luhovyy (Ukr) R.A.G.T Semences                                     
28 Thomas Onghena (Bel) Profel Cycling Team                                 
29 Bert Roesems (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                     
30 Rudi Kemna (Ned) Shimano - Memory Corp                                   
31 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                         
32 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                           
33 Julien Smink (Ned) Shimano - Memory Corp                                 
34 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Agritubel                                     
35 Jarno Van Mingeroet (Bel) Profel Cycling Team                            
36 Raimondas Vilcinskas (Ltu) Jartazi Granville Team                        
37 Kristof De Zutter (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen          
38 Alessandro Maserati (Ita) Team LPR                                       
39 Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                       
40 Erwin Thijs (Bel) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                           
41 Vytautas Kaupas (Ltu) Jartazi Granville Team                             
42 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                           
43 Kevin Van Der Slagmolen (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen    
44 Pieter Mertens (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                       
45 Guido Trenti (USA) Quickstep                                             
46 Nico Mattan (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                      
47 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                             
48 Sébastien Minard (Fra) R.A.G.T Semences                                  
49 Steven Caethoven (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                     
50 Dmitri Konychev (Rus) Team LPR                                           
51 David Verheyen (Bel) Profel Cycling Team                                 
52 Jukka Vastaranta (Fin) Rabobank                                          
53 Matthé Pronk (Ned) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                          
54 Denys Kostyuk (Ukr) Jartazi Granville Team                               
55 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Shimano - Memory Corp                              
56 Andrea Rossi (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                          
57 Michele Maccanti (Ita) Team LPR                                          
58 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                 
59 Jurgen Vandewalle (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago                          
60 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                           
61 David Boucher (Fra) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                         
62 Cédric Coutouly (Fra) Agritubel                                          
63 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                
64 Daniele Contrini (Ita) Team LPR                                          
65 Steven De Neef (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen             
66 Leonardo Moser (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                        
67 Jan Kuyckx (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                       
68 John Gadret (Fra) Jartazi Granville Team                                 
69 Ronald Mutsaars (Ned) Rabobank                                           
70 Matti Helminen (Fin) Profel Cycling Team                                 
71 Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                         
72 Frederik Willems (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                     
73 Niels Scheuneman (Ned) Rabobank                                          
74 Tom Stubbe (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                           
75 Guillaume Auger (Fra) R.A.G.T Semences                                   
76 Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                            
77 Jose Antonio Pecharroman (Spa)                                           
78 Jef Peeters (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                          
79 Ondrej Sosenka (Cze) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                        
80 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Quickstep                                       
81 Jos Lucassen (Ned) AXA                                                   
82 Gilles Canouet (Fra) Agritubel                                           
83 Andries Verspeeten (Bel) Profel Cycling Team                             
84 Eelke Van Der Wal (Ned) Shimano - Memory Corp                            
85 Geert Omloop (Bel) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech                          
86 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Davitamon - Lotto                                     
87 Bart Vanheule (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen              
88 Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank                                                 
89 Niki Terpstra (Ned) AXA                                                  
90 Servais Knaven (Ned) Quickstep                                           
91 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank                                        
92 Denis Bertolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                       
93 Alain Van Katwijk (Ned) Shimano - Memory Corp                            
94 Claudio Astolfi (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                       
95 Florent Brard (Fra) Agritubel                                            
96 Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank                                              
97 Jurgen Van Loocke (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                        
98 Peter Ronsse (Bel) Jartazi Granville Team                                
99 Giuseppe Palumbo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                      
100 Dominique Cornu (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen           
101 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen          
102 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quickstep                                      
103 Emilien Benoit Bergès (Fra) R.A.G.T Semences                            
104 Xavier Hérinne (Fra) R.A.G.T Semences                                   
105 Jorn Van Der Veken (Bel) Profel Cycling Team                        0.55
106 Arthur Farenhout (Ned) AXA                                              
107 Danny Stam (Ned) AXA                                                    
108 Benjamin Levecot (Fra) R.A.G.T Semences                             1.09
109 Steven De Champs (Bel) Profel Cycling Team                          1.31
110 Robert Slippens (Ned) AXA                                           1.39
111 Peter Van Agtmaal (Ned) AXA                                         2.08
112 Christoph Roodhooft (Bel) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech              4.55
 
Points classification
 
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep                                              30 pts
2 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Team LPR                                        25
3 Lénaïc Olivier (Fra) Agritubel                                          22
4 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                       21
5 Crescenzo D'Amore (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil                    19
6 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                 18
7 James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago                     17
8 Sjef De Wilde (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen             15
9 Mikhaylo Khalilov (Ukr) Team LPR                                        13
10 Igor Abakoumov (Bel) Jartazi Granville Team                            12
11 Saulius Ruskys (Ltu) Agritubel                                         11
12 Paul Van Schalen (Ned) AXA                                             10
13 Wouter Van Mechelen (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                 3
14 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quickstep                                          3
15 Dimitri De Fauw (Bel) Quickstep                                         3
 
Mountains classification
 
1 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                       21 pts
2 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto                                 18
3 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quickstep                                           3
4 Wouter Van Mechelen (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim                  3
5 Dimitri De Fauw (Bel) Quickstep                                          3
 
Teams classification                                         
 
1 Team LPR                                                          10.30.09
2 Agritubel                                                                 
3 Jartazi-Revor                                                             
4 Bodysol-Win For Life-Jong Vlaanderen                                      
5 Shimano-Memory Corp                                                       
6 Profel CT                                                                 
7 Landbouwkrediet-Colnago                                                   
8 RAGT Sémences                                                             
9 Chocolade Jacques-T Interim                                               
10 MrBookmaker-Sportstech                                                   
11 Quick Step-Innergetic                                                    
12 Davitamon-Lotto                                                          
13 Acqua&Sapone-Adria Mobil                                                 
14 Rabobank                                                                 
15 Axa Pro Cycling Team