43rd Delta Ronde van Midden-Zeeland - 1.2

Netherlands, September 6, 2003

2002 Results Results Past winners

Van Dijk continues Lotto-Domo success

By Reinier Meijer

Lotto-Domo's Stefan van Dijk has followed on from Robbie McEwen's victory in this race last year, winning a nine man sprint from Geert Omloop (Palmans) and Frederic Guesdon (FDJ) in the 43rd DELTA Profronde van Midden-Zeeland.

A group of 16 riders dominated proceedings in the race from beginning to end. Frederic Guesdon (Fdjeux.com), Dennis Smit (Van Vliet - EBH) and Laszlo Bodrogi (Quick Step-Davitamon) got away after about 8 kilometres. 20 minutes later they were joined by 13 riders, covering 95 km in the first two hours. These 16 stayed together about 40 kilometres. Then Dennis Smit fell back and the 15 other leaders increased their gap to more than 10 minutes.

When the peloton passed the finish with two laps to go the gap was too big to go further. So the peloton consisting of about 110 riders (including Paolo Bettini and Johan Museeuw) was taken out of race. Only four other riders (numbers 15 to 19 in the classification) that broke away some kilometres earlier, could stay in race.

In the last kilometres in the leading group were many attacks, nine riders got away and from these nine Stefan van Dijk (Lotto-Domo) sprinted to victory in front of Geert Omloop and Frederic Guesdon.

Photography

Ludo Dierckxsens
Photo ©: Frans Meijer

Marc Wauters (Rabobank)
Photo ©: Frans Meijer

Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step)
Photo ©: Frans Meijer

Johan Museeuw
Photo ©: Frans Meijer

The three early leaders
Photo ©: Frans Meijer

The chasing group
Photo ©: Frans Meijer

Baden Cooke (Fdjeux.com) and and Gorik Gardeyn (Lotto-Domo)
Photo ©: Frans Meijer

The leaders
Photo ©: Frans Meijer

The peloton
Photo ©: Frans Meijer

The leading group
Photo ©: Frans Meijer

Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo)
Photo ©: Frans Meijer

Stefan van Dijk (Lotto-Domo)
Photo ©: Frans Meijer

Results - 199 km

1 Stefan Van Dijck (Ned) Lotto-Domo                             4.14.29 (46.91 km/h)
2 Geert Omloop (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop                                 
3 Frederic Guesdon (Fra) FDJeux.com                                    
4 Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun) Quick.Step-Davitamon                            
5 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank                                0.02
6 Jans Koerts (Ned) Bankgiroloterij Cycling Team                   0.06
7 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo                                       
8 Baden Cooke (Aus) FDJeux.com                                         
9 Servais Knaven (Ned) Quick.Step-Davitamon                        0.12
10 Gert Vanderaerden (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop                       1.27
11 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Lotto-Domo                                      
12 Jehudi Schoonacker (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim                       
13 Marco Bos (Ned) Cycling Team Löwik Meubelen - Tegeltoko             
14 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Team fakta                                   
15 Tom Steels (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago                        1.32
16 Rik Reinerink (Ned) Bankgiroloterij Cycling Team                9.57
17 Yuri Mitlushenko (Ukr) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago                 10.56
18 Paul Van Schalen (Ned) Axa Cycling Team                             
19 Thijs Zonneveld (Ned) Cycling Team Löwik Meubelen - Tegeltoko  10.57
 
Starters: 146                                                           
Classified: 19                                                       
 
1st sprint: Gert Vanderaereden (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop                   
2nd sprint: Marco Bos (Ned) Cycling Team Löwik Meubelen-Tegeltoko        
3rd sprint: Geert Omloop (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop                         
Most aggressive: Jans Koerts (Ned) BankGiroLoterij Cycling Team          
 
Courtesy of Reinier Meijer

Past winners

2002 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Adecco       199 kms in 4.26.35 (44.8 km/h)
2001 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Lotto-Adecco       194 kms in 4.28.56 (43.27 km/h)
2000 Leon van Bon (Ned) Rabobank            204 kms in 4.28.15
1999 Servais Knaven (Ned) TVM-Farm Frites   194 kms in 4.24.05
1998 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom               194 kms in 4.24.52
1997 Cancelled
1996 Jelle Nijdam (Ned)
1995 Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned)
1994 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned)
1993 Jo Planckaert (Bel)
1992 Johan Capiot (Bel)
1991 Wiebren Veenstra (Ned)
1990 Gerrit Solleveld (Ned)
1989 Jelle Nijdam (Ned)
1988 Peter Pieters (Ned)
1987 Jean-Paul Van Poppel (Ned)
1986 Gerrit Solleveld (Ned)
1985 Ferdinand Van den Haute (Bel)
1984 Luc Colijn (Bel)
1983 Jan Raas (Ned)
1982 Henk Lubberding (Ned)
1981 Eddy Planckaert (Bel)
1980 Gerrie Knetemann (Ned)
1979 Bert Oosterbosch (Ned)
1978 Gerrie Knetemann (Ned)
1977 Freddy Maertens (Bel)
1976 Fedor den Hartog
1975 Gerard Vianen
1974 Tino Tabak (Ned)


Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com