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KBC Driedaagse van De Panne-Koksijde - 2.HC
Belgium, March 29-31, 2005
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Stage 4 - March 31: De Panne - De Panne ITT, 13.7 km
Discovery double with Devolder in De Panne
By Jeff Jones
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In De Panne, before the start of the final 13.7 km time trial stage of the Driedaagse, Discovery Channel's director Dirk Demol gave his top man Stijn Devolder a "fifty-fifty" chance of holding off his rivals to win the overall classification. Demol obviously rolled the dice right today, as not only did Devolder ride 20 seconds faster than race leader Alessandro Ballan to clinch the GC, Discovery's warhorse Viatcheslav Ekimov finished in 16'48.32 to win the stage, giving his team a nice double celebration on the day.
All alliteration aside, Stijn Devolder's victory was proof that he is coming of age, and confirmed his excellent form over the past six weeks. "I'm unbelievably happy," Devolder said to VRT amidst being swamped by his well-wishing family and friends. "This is my first big win. The victory here is a burden off my shoulders. During the stage I heard Dirk yelling in my radio, but I couldn't understand him because of the wind."
Demol described himself as "extremely happy" with Devolder's win, as Demol oversaw Devolder's development in the Kortrijkse Groeninge Spurters team when he was younger. "He has already done a good season," said Demol. "If it didn't go well, I would have had to have really cheered him up for the Ronde van Vlaanderen. But it is a nice double here with Ekimov who won the closing stage. He is an unbelievably good time trialist."
Ekimov has won this stage three times now, and admitted afterwards, "Well, it looks like today is my day for the time trial. I've been thinking about this race for a long time. I had a bet with George Hincapie to win the time trial. Unfortunately he was a bit sick in the last few days. Now he's getting better, but he didn't start today."
Ekimov finished just a few hundredths of a second faster than Bert Roesems, who held the quickest time for a long while. "I was pretty solid the whole way," said Ekimov. "I had a bit of trouble in the U-turn with the cars. I think I did everything in the final straight along the beach."
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Other notable performances on the day included Nico Mattan's third place in the stage, which moved him up to third overall behind Devolder and Ballan. Although a lot was expected from Luis Sanchez (Liberty Seguros), the young Spaniard conceded 32 seconds to Eki and 25 to Devolder, dropping from third to fourth overall.
Without a doubt, the honours went to the Discovery team today, and they successfully defended George Hincapie's win here a year ago. Next up: the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Luc Claessen/www.actiefotos.be
- Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) gives it his all
- Barloworld riders weren't that prominent in the results today
- The Barloworld boys put the hard yards in
- Phonak looked ok, but didn't feature today
- Salvatore Commesso (Lampre) had a real go today
- Wilfried Cretskens (Quick Step)
- Antonio Cruz (Discovery Channel) in a good trialling mood
- Belgian Stjin Devolder (Discovery Channel)
- In form Nico Eeckhout (Chocolade Jacques-T Interim)
- Ekimov - the man's still got it!
- Brazilian Luciano Pagliarini (Liquigas-Bianchi) in the green jersey
- Australian Mathew Hayman (Rabobank) really excelled throughout the four stages
- Leif Hoste (Discovery Channel)
- Quick Step rider Kevin Hulsmans
- Servais Knaven (Quick Step) finished sixth on final GC
- La Francaise de Jeux riders didn't feature at the pointy end today
- Liquigas had a good outing in De Panne
- Tom Steels (Davitamon-Lotto) gets stronger by the day after coming back from a long layoff
- Talented young rider Thomas Dekker is proving he's worthy of the top ranks
Results
1 Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) Discovery Channel 16.48 2 Bert Roesems (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto 3 Nico Mattan (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto 0.06 4 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Liquigas - Bianchi 5 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Discovery Channel 0.08 6 Leif Hoste (Bel) Discovery Channel 0.11 7 Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank 0.13 8 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.17 9 Roberto Petito (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.22 10 Thomas Ziegler (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.26 11 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 0.28 12 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Liberty Seguros 0.31 13 Alessandro Cortinovis (Ita) Domina Vacanze 0.32 14 Sean Sullivan (Aus) Barloworld - Valsir 0.33 15 Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Spa) Rabobank 0.38 16 Servais Knaven (Ned) Quickstep 0.41 17 Frank Hoj (Den) Gerolsteiner 18 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.47 19 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 20 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim 0.49 21 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Liquigas - Bianchi 0.50 22 David Boucher (Fra) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech 0.51 23 Niels Scheuneman (Ned) Rabobank 0.53 24 Jochen Summer (Aut) Elk Haus - Simplon 0.56 25 Stefan Adamsson (Swe) Barloworld - Valsir 0.57 26 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Liberty Seguros 27 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Liberty Seguros 28 Sebastian Siedler (Ger) Wiesenhof 0.59 29 Denys Kostyuk (Ukr) Jartazi Granville Team 1.01 30 Robert Hunter (RSA) Phonak Hearing Systems 1.02 31 Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas - Bianchi 1.03 32 Matej Jurco (Svk) Domina Vacanze 1.06 33 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Davitamon - Lotto 1.08 34 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Française des Jeux 1.09 35 Unai Yus Kerejeta (Spa) Bouygues Telecom 36 Raimondas Vilcinskas (Ltu) Jartazi Granville Team 1.10 37 Ronald Mutsaars (Ned) Rabobank 1.11 38 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 39 Roger Hammond (GBr) Discovery Channel 1.12 40 Grégory Rast (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 1.13 41 Francis Mourey (Fra) Française des Jeux 1.14 42 Roy Sentjens (Ned) Rabobank 43 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Barloworld - Valsir 1.16 44 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Quickstep 1.17 45 André Greipel (Ger) Wiesenhof 1.18 46 Rafael Nuritdinov (Uzb) Domina Vacanze 1.21 47 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Fassa Bortolo 1.23 48 Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago 49 Angel Castresana Del Val (Spa) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTec 1.24 50 Dimitri De Fauw (Bel) Quickstep 51 Aaron Kemps (Aus) Liberty Seguros 1.25 52 Angelo Furlan (Ita) Domina Vacanze 53 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quickstep 1.27 54 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 1.28 55 Antonio Cruz (USA) Discovery Channel 1.32 56 Mads Christensen (Den) Quickstep 1.34 57 Dean Podgornik (Slo) Tenax 1.37 58 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 1.39 59 Frederik Willems (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim 60 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) T-Mobile 61 Stefan Van Dijck (Ned) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech 1.40 62 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Domina Vacanze 1.42 63 Jan Valach (Svk) eD'system - ZVVZ 1.43 64 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Française des Jeux 1.44 65 Nicola Loda (Ita) Liquigas - Bianchi 1.45 66 Rony Martias (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 1.47 67 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Domina Vacanze 1.48 68 Peter Ronsse (Bel) Jartazi Granville Team 1.49 69 Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 1.52 70 Ludovic Auger (Fra) Française des Jeux 71 Mathieu Criquielion (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago 72 Christophe Detilloux (Bel) Française des Jeux 73 Wim De Vocht (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto 1.53 74 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto 75 Luciano André Pagliarini Mendonca (Bra) Liquigas - Bianchi 1.56 76 Daniel Musiol (Ger) Wiesenhof 1.57 77 René Obst (Ger) Wiesenhof 1.58 78 Leonardo Duque (Col) Jartazi Granville Team 1.59 79 Erwin Thijs (Bel) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech 2.01 80 Martin Müller (Ger) Wiesenhof 2.03 81 Steven De Neef (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaander 82 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders 2.09 83 Florian Stalder (Swi) eD'system - ZVVZ 2.12 84 Tom Steels (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto 2.14 85 Marco Righetto (Ita) Liquigas - Bianchi 2.15 86 Frédéric Mainguenaud (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 2.16 87 Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 2.17 88 Wesley Van Speybroeck (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim 2.20 89 Claudio Corioni (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 2.23 90 Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim 91 Andrus Aug (Est) Fassa Bortolo 2.26 92 Giosuè Bonomi (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 2.28 93 Michal Precechtel (Cze) eD'system - ZVVZ 2.30 94 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 95 Wesley Van Der Linden (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim 2.34 96 Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française des Jeux 2.38 97 Allan Davis (Aus) Liberty Seguros 98 Simone Cadamuro (Ita) Domina Vacanze 2.50 Final general classification 1 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Discovery Channel 13.15.16 2 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 0.16 3 Nico Mattan (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto 0.24 4 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Liberty Seguros 0.44 5 Roberto Petito (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.45 6 Servais Knaven (Ned) Quickstep 1.01 7 Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas - Bianchi 1.25 8 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 1.31 9 Roy Sentjens (Ned) Rabobank 1.34 10 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Domina Vacanze 2.04 11 Christophe Detilloux (Bel) Française des Jeux 2.15 12 Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) Discovery Channel 4.48 13 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Liquigas - Bianchi 4.59 14 Leif Hoste (Bel) Discovery Channel 5.09 15 Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank 5.11 16 Thomas Ziegler (Ger) Gerolsteiner 5.24 17 Sean Sullivan (Aus) Barloworld - Valsir 5.31 18 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim 5.32 19 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 5.46 20 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Liquigas - Bianchi 5.49 21 Stefan Adamsson (Swe) Barloworld - Valsir 22 David Boucher (Fra) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech 5.50 23 Niels Scheuneman (Ned) Rabobank 5.51 24 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Davitamon - Lotto 6.01 25 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Française des Jeux 6.02 26 Unai Yus Kerejeta (Spa) Bouygues Telecom 6.08 27 Roger Hammond (GBr) Discovery Channel 6.11 28 Grégory Rast (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 6.12 29 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Barloworld - Valsir 6.15 30 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Quickstep 6.16 31 Angel Castresana Del Val (Spa) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech 6.17 32 Dimitri De Fauw (Bel) Quickstep 6.23 33 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 6.26 34 Antonio Cruz (USA) Discovery Channel 35 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Fassa Bortolo 6.31 36 Dean Podgornik (Slo) Tenax 6.33 37 Nicola Loda (Ita) Liquigas - Bianchi 6.36 38 Frederik Willems (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim 6.37 39 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Française des Jeux 6.38 40 Luciano André Pagliarini Mendonca (Bra) Liquigas - Bianchi 6.43 41 Daniel Musiol (Ger) Wiesenhof 6.45 42 Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 6.50 43 Ludovic Auger (Fra) Française des Jeux 6.51 44 Erwin Thijs (Bel) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech 45 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quickstep 6.58 46 Angelo Furlan (Ita) Domina Vacanze 6.59 47 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders 7.00 48 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto 7.06 49 Wesley Van Der Linden (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim 7.12 50 Simone Cadamuro (Ita) Domina Vacanze 7.32 51 Francis Mourey (Fra) Française des Jeux 7.45 52 Andrus Aug (Est) Fassa Bortolo 8.01 53 Frank Hoj (Den) Gerolsteiner 8.35 54 Frédéric Mainguenaud (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 9.04 55 Claudio Corioni (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 9.43 56 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Liberty Seguros 10.44 57 Jochen Summer (Aut) Elk Haus - Simplon 10.48 58 Giosuè Bonomi (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 11.02 59 Mads Christensen (Den) Quickstep 14.04 60 Bert Roesems (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto 18.10 61 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner 18.26 62 Alessandro Cortinovis (Ita) Domina Vacanze 18.47 63 Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Spa) Rabobank 18.52 64 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 19.02 65 Sebastian Siedler (Ger) Wiesenhof 19.14 66 Denys Kostyuk (Ukr) Jartazi Granville Team 19.16 67 Robert Hunter (RSA) Phonak Hearing Systems 19.17 68 Raimondas Vilcinskas (Ltu) Jartazi Granville Team 19.25 69 Ronald Mutsaars (Ned) Rabobank 19.26 70 André Greipel (Ger) Wiesenhof 19.33 71 Aaron Kemps (Aus) Liberty Seguros 19.40 72 Stefan Van Dijck (Ned) MrBookmaker.com - SportsTech 19.53 73 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 19.54 74 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) T-Mobile 19.54 75 Jan Valach (Svk) eD'system - ZVVZ 19.58 76 Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago 20.07 77 Wim De Vocht (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto 20.08 78 René Obst (Ger) Wiesenhof 20.13 79 Steven De Neef (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen 80 Tom Steels (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto 20.22 81 Marco Righetto (Ita) Liquigas - Bianchi 20.29 82 Michal Precechtel (Cze) eD'system - ZVVZ 20.40 83 Rafael Nuritdinov (Uzb) Domina Vacanze 20.44 84 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Domina Vacanze 20.45 85 Allan Davis (Aus) Liberty Seguros 20.47 86 Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 21.06 87 Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française des Jeux 21.17 88 Wesley Van Speybroeck (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim 21.18 89 Zoran Klemencic (Slo) Tenax 21.52 90 Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - T Interim 22.00 91 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 22.15 92 Mathieu Criquielion (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago 22.29 93 Christophe Mengin (Fra) Française des Jeux 23.01 94 Peter Ronsse (Bel) Jartazi Granville Team 23.34 95 Jeroen Van Rij (Bel) Bodysol- Win for Life - Jong Vlaander 23.44 96 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 24.20 97 Johan Svensson (Swe) Jartazi Granville Team 25.05 98 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Flanders 25.09 99 Martin Müller (Ger) Wiesenhof 25.11 100 David Kupka (Cze) eD'system - ZVVZ 25.14 101 Leonardo Duque (Col) Jartazi Granville Team 25.35 102 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Liberty Seguros 26.43 103 Matej Jurco (Svk) Domina Vacanze 26.51 104 Rony Martias (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 27.33
