36th Hel van het Mergelland - 1.1

Netherlands, April 4, 2009

2008 Results Results Past winners

Finetto takes first in Hel van het Mergelland

By Gregor Brown

Italy's Mauro Finetto took his first professional win Saturday in Netherlands' Hel van het Mergelland. He joined his teammate Federico Canuti in a break to seal a CSF Group-Navigare one-two, 31 seconds ahead of Wouter Mol (Vacansoleil) and Koos Moerenhout (Rabobank).

The two CSF Group-Navigare riders were able to escape off the front, eventually ending up alone until the finish. After cramping in the final kilometers, Canuti did not sprint against his teammate Finetto.

Finetto, 23, a professional since 2008, finished 10th overall in Driedaagse De Panne last week and fifth in Giro del Friuli.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Patang

The Giant bike of Stef Clement.
Guiseppe de Maria from Amica Chips.
Bobbie Traksel was momentarily unfocused as he waved to spectators.
Rabobank took the lead on one of the 30 steep hills.
Niko Eeckhout had to abandon soon as the hills in Limburg do not suit him.

Results - 190km

1 Mauro Finetto (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare          4.40.16 (40.675km/h)
2 Federico Canuti (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare               
3 Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team        0.31
4 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank                           
5 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Skil-Shimano                   0.39
6 Borut Bozic (Slo) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team       0.53
7 Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Rabobank                           
8 Marco Frapporti (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare               
9 Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Rabobank                     1.00
10 Dirk Bellemakers (Ned) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago    3.09
11 Andy Cappelle (Bel) Palmans - Cras                  3.11
12 Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano                 3.16
13 Mauro Abel Richeze (Arg) CSF Group - Navigare           
14 Marcello Pavarin (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare         3.18
15 Grega Bole (Slo) Amica Chips - Knauf                    
16 Geert Omloop (Bel) Palmans Cras                         
17 Michael Reihs (Den) Team Designa Kokken                 
18 Benny De Schrooder (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly Team      
19 Bastiaan Giling (Ned) Team Designa Køkken               
20 Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Silence-Lotto                       
21 Robert Retschke (Ger) Continental Team Differdange      
22 Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil-Shimano                        
23 Michal Golas (Pol) Amica Chips - Knauf                  
24 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Silence-Lotto                     
25 Robin Chaigneau (Ned) Cycling Team Jo Piels             
26 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Vacansoleil                          
27 Thierry Hupond (Fra) Skil-Shimano                       
28 Reinier Honig (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team        
29 Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago      
30 Kenny Van Der Schueren (Bel) Palmans Cras               
31 Ivor Bruin (Ned) Krolstone Continental Team             
32 Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                         
33 Geert Van Der Sanden (Ned) Cycling Team Jo Piels        
34 Dominik Roels (Ger) Team Milram                         
35 Christophe Brandt (Bel) Silence-Lotto                   
36 Vitaliy Popkov (Ukr) ISD-Sport-Donetsk                  
37 Gregory Brenes (CRc) Differdange                        
38 Marcel Beima (Ned) Krolstone Continental Team           
39 Arnoud Van Groen (Ned) Vacansoleil                      
40 Alexander Gottfried (Ger) Team Kuota - Indeland         
41 Jakobsen Mathias Gade (Den) Glud & Marstrand Horsens    
42 Matija Kvasina (Cro) Amica Chips - Knauf                
43 Alan Marangoni (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare               
44 Steve Houanard (Fra) Skil-Shimano                       
45 Thom Van Dulmen (Ned) Cycling Team Jo Piels             
46 Paul Sneeboer (Ned) Krolstone Continental Team          
47 Yegor Dementyev (Ukr) ISD-Sport-Donetsk                 
48 Markus Fothen (Ger) Milram                              
49 Anatoliy Pakhtusov (Ukr) ISD-Sport-Donetsk          3.42

Past winners

2008 Tony Martin (Ger) Team High Road
2007 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner
2006 Mihaylo Khalilov (Ukr) Team LPR
2005 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago
2004 Allan Johansen (Den) Bankgiroloterij Cycling Team
2003 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim
2002 Corey Sweet (Aus) Bankgiroloterij-Batavus
2001 Not held
2000 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Cologne
1999 (4) Raymond Meijs (Ned) Team Cologne
1998 (3) Raymond Meijs (Ned) Team Gerolsteiner
1997 (2) Raymond Meijs (Ned) Foreldorado Golff
1996 Lucien De Louw (Ned) Foreldorado Golff
1995 Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola
1994 John Van den Akker (Ned) Collstrop
1993 Erwin Thijs (BEL) Collstrop
1992 Martin Van Steen (Ned) Amateur
1991 Rob Compas (Ned) Amateur
1990 Raymond Meijs (Ned) Amateur
 
Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com