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Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen - 2.1
Belgium, March 6-8, 2009
2008 results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners
The Stages
- Stage 1 - March 6: Kortrijk - Bellegem, 176 km
- Stage 2 - March 7: Torhout - Handzame, 184 km
- Stage 3 - March 8: Ichtegem - Ichtegem, 145 km
A stage race for one-day specialists
By Bjorn Haake
The Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen is once again a perfect opportunity for riders to prepare for the Spring Classics, with rain, wind and cobble stones during the distance of almost 550 kilometres over three stages. The race, now also known as the Johan Museeuw Classic, has kept its traditional start in Kortrijk.
One change for this year's event comes on stage one from Kortrijk to Bellegem, with the addition of a new section of cobble stones in Varent te Anzegem during the 176 kilometre stage. The section will be sector number two of five, at kilometre 42. The other kasseien sections are Wielsbeke (km 18), Spiere (km 60), Beiaardhelling (km 68) and Jacquet Bosstraat (km 96).
The second day is a 184 kilometre route from Torhout to Handzame, with the riders passing the beautiful city of Brugge after 50 kilometres. After looping towards the coast and then south, the riders arrive in Handzame, where they still need to complete an 11-kilometre loop three times.
The last stage starts and ends in Ichtegem, also with an initial loop through the Belgian countryside. The 145 kilometre stage features a final 40-kilometre 'circuit race' - four loops of a 10 kilometre course.
The players
Defending champion,Bobbie Traksel (Vacansoleil) will proudly wear number one at this year's race. The Dutch rider will get a run from his money from several ProTour teams, including Quick Step who has Australian Allan Davis in its ranks. Silence-Lotto needs to prove that its preparation wasn't a complete disaster, but the team isn't built around its strongest riders.
Katusha is sending Danilo Napolitano for potential sprint victories. The Astana team faces some question marks, as its strong classics rider, Tomas Vaitkus, crashed heavily at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Vaitkus' injury is a big blow to the Kazakh team.
The Milram outfit also has a sprinter-classics mix in its roster with Robert Förster and Markus Eichler. From the French teams, watch out for Loyd Mondory (AG2R La Mondiale) and Brice Feillu (Agritubel).
The Dutch and Belgian squads are always a force to be reckoned with, even if they are 'just' Continental teams. Topsport Vlaanderen, Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, Jong Vlaanderen – Bauknecht, Verandas Willems, Palmans - Cras, Skil - Shimano and the Rabobank Continental team will certainly try to be in breaks and it could be the successful one.
Anglophone teams are also in the race, with the American BMC Racing team sending riders such as Stewart Jackson, Ian McKissick and Danilo Wyss. The Irish An Post Sean Kelly team uses the Belgian weather approved Niko Eeckhout and Benny de Schrooder as its back bone.
And Frank Vandenbroucke will continue his comeback number... is anybody still counting? He will be riding for the Australia-registered team Cinelli-Down Under.
Start list
Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team Quick Step 1 Bobbie Traksel (Ned) 11 Dario Cataldo (Ita) 2 Arnoud van Groen (Ned) 12 Allan Davis (Aus) 3 Reinier Honig (Ned) 13 Addy Engels (Ned) 4 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) 14 Mauro Facci (Ita) 5 Wouter Mol (Ned) 15 Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) 6 Martin Mortensen (Den) 16 Davide Malacarne (Ita) 7 Matthé Pronk (Ned) 17 Hubert Schwab (Swi) 8 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) 18 Thomas Vedel Kvist (Den) Silence-Lotto Team Katusha 21 Glenn D Hollander (Bel) 31 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) 22 Bart Dockx (Bel) 32 Serguei Klimov (Rus) 23 Michiel Elijzen (Ned) 33 Alexei Markov (Rus) 24 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) 34 Gennady Mikhaylov (Rus) 25 Pieter Jacobs (Bel) 35 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) 26 Olivier Kaisen (Bel) 36 Ivan Rovny (Rus) 27 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) 37 Ben Swift (GBr) 28 Tom Stubbe (Bel) 38 Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Astana Team Milram 41 Valeriy Dmitriyev (Kaz) 51 Luca Barla (Ita) 42 Alexandr Dyachenko (Kaz) 52 Markus Eichler (Ger) 43 Jesús Hernández (Spa) 53 Robert Forster (Ger) 44 Roman Kireyev (Kaz) 54 Artur Gajek (Ger) 45 Berik Kupeshov (Kaz) 55 Christian Kux (Ger) 46 Bolat Raimbekov (Kaz) 56 Martin Muller (Ger) 47 Sergey Renev (Kaz) 57 Wim Stroetinga (Ned) 48 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) 58 Paul Voss (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale BBox Bouygues Telecom 61 Renaud Dion (Fra) 71 Julien Belgy (Fra) 62 Blel Kadri (Fra) 72 Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) 63 Tanel Kangert (Est) 73 Franck Bouyer (Fra) 64 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) 74 Steve Chainel (Fra) 65 Cederic Pineau (Fra) 75 Mathieu Claude (Fra) 66 Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) 76 Damien Gaudin (Fra) 67 Nicolas Rousseau (Fra) 77 Yohann Gene (Fra) 68 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) 78 Floch Guillaume Le (Fra) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator Landbouwkrediet - Colnago 81 Johan Coenen (Bel) 91 Frederic Amorison (Bel) 82 Gendt Thomas De (Bel) 92 Koen Barbé (Bel) 83 Kristof Goddaert (Bel) 93 David Boucher (Fra) 84 Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) 94 Waele Bert De (Bel) 85 Geert Steurs (Bel) 95 Denis Flahaut (Fra) 86 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) 96 Philip Meirhaeghe (Bel) 87 Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) 97 Kevin Neirynck (Bel) 88 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) 98 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Agritubel Skil-Shimano 101 Emilien Benoît Berges (Fra) 111 Roy Curvers (Ned) 102 Steven Caethoven (Bel) 112 Backer Bert De (Bel) 103 Remi Cusin (Fra) 113 David Deroo (Fra) 104 Brice Feillu (Fra) 114 Mitchell Docker (Aus) 105 Kevin Ista (Bel) 115 Steve Houanard (Fra) 106 Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) 116 Chen Ji (Chn) 107 Christophe Laurent (Fra) 117 Long Jin (Chn) 108 Anthony Ravard (Fra) 118 Kenny Van Hummel (Ned) BMC Racing Team ELK Haus 121 Brent Bookwalters (USA) 131 Wolfgang Murer (Aut) 122 Antonio Cruz (USA) 132 Steffen Radochla (Ger) 123 Thomas Frei (Swi) 133 Stefan Rucker (Aut) 124 Martin Kohler (Swi) 134 Daniel Schorn (Aut) 125 Ian Mc Kissick (USA) 135 Harald Starzengruber (Aut) 126 Florian Stalder (Swi) 136 Jochen Summer (Aut) 127 Jackson Stewart (USA) 137 Bjorn Thurau (Ger) 128 Danilo Wyss (Swi) 138 Jan Valach (Svk) Jong Vlaanderen - Bauknecht Verandas Willems 141 Joeri Calleeuw (Bel) 151 Nicolas Baiolet (Bel) 142 Mooij Jaryd De (Bel) 152 Olivier Pardini (Bel) 143 Neef Steven De (Bel) 153 Sven Van Den Houte (Bel) 144 Ken Devaere (Bel) 154 Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) 145 Gregory Joseph (Bel) 155 Justin Van Hoecke (Bel) 146 Steve Schets (Bel) 156 Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) 147 Sven Vandousselaere (Bel) 157 Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) 148 Ken Vanmarcke (Bel) 158 James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Palmans Cras An Post - Sean Kelly Team 161 Bjorn Coomans (Bel) 171 Matt Brammeier (GBr) 162 Wilde Sjef De (Bel) 172 Mark Cassidy (Irl) 163 Francois Jurgen (Bel) 173 Schrooder Benny De (Bel) 164 Geert Omloop (Bel) 174 Niko Eeckhout (Bel) 165 Kenny Van Der Schueren (Bel) 175 Stephen Gallagher (Irl) 166 Tom Vanbecelaere (Bel) 176 Kenny Lisabeth (Bel) 167 Timothy Vangheel (Bel) 177 Laughlin Ronan Mc (Irl) 168 Jean Zen (Fra) 178 David Oloughlin (Irl) Rabobank Continental Cycling Club Bourgas 181 Thomas Berkhout (Ned) 191 Yohan Cauquil (Fra) 182 Mats Boeve (Ned) 192 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) 183 Jetse Bol (Ned) 193 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) 184 Theo Bos (Ned) 194 Normunds Lasis (Lat) 185 Sergej Fuchs (Ger) 195 Mart Ojavee (Est) 186 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) 196 Daniel Petrov (Bul) 187 Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) 197 Erki Pütsep (Est) 188 Maurice Vrijmoed (Ned) 198 Janek Tombak (Est) Cinelli-Down Under 201 Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) 202 Matt Green (GBr) 203 Logan Hutchings (NZl) 204 Nick Mitchell (Aus) 205 Fabio Polazzi (Bel) 206 Bert Roesems (Bel) 207 Peter Ronsse (Bel) 208 Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel)
Past winners
Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen (Cat 2.3) 2008 Bobbie Traksel (Ned) P3Transfer - Batavus 2007 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Unibet.com 2006 Niko Eeckhout (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport 2005 Cancelled 2004 Robert Bartko (Ger) Rabobank 2003 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2r Guldensporentweedaagse (Cat 2.3/2.4) 2002 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 2001 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 2000 Servais Knaven (Ned) 1999 Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Omloop der Vlaamse Ardennen (Cat 1.4) 1998 Jesper Skippy (Den) 1997 Léon Van Bon (Ned) 1996 Wilfried Peeters (Bel) 1995 Johan Museeuw (Bel) 1994 Bo Hamburger (Den) 1993 Niko Eeckhout (Bel) 1992 Nico Verhoeven (Ned) 1991 Hendrik Redant (Bel) 1990 Dirk Demol (Bel) 1989 Luc Colijens (Bel) 1988 Michel Cornelisse (Ned) 1987 Franky Van Oyen (Bel) 1986 Josef Lieckens (Bel) 1985 Hans Daams (Ned) 1984 William Tackaert (Bel) 1983 Ludo Peeters (Bel) 1982 Dirk Heirweg (Bel) 1981 Fer-Dinand Van Den Haute (Bel) 1980 Johan Wellens (Bel) 1979 Piet Van Katwijk (Ned) 1978 Leo Van Thielen (Bel) 1977 Herman Beysens (Bel) 1976 Christian Debuysschere (Bel) 1975 (2) Patrick Sercu (Bel) 1974 Patrick Sercu (Bel) 1973 Frans Verbeeck (Bel) 1972 Tino Tabak (Ned) 1971 Eric Leman (Bel) 1969 Eric De Vlaeminck (Bel) 1968 Willy Vanneste (Bel) 1967 (2) Gustave Desmet (Bel) 1966 Noél Van Clooster (Bel) 1965 Bernard Van de Kerckhove (Bel) 1964 Julien Gaelens (Bel) 1963 Gustave Desmet (Bel) 1962 Gustave Van Vaerenbergh (Bel) 1961 Gabriel Borra (Bel) 1960 Florent Vanpollaert (Bel) 1959 Daniel Denys (Bel) 1958 Cyriel Vanbossel (Bel) 1957 Noél Foré (Bel) 1956 Frans Van Looveren (Bel) 1955 René Mertens (Bel) 1954 Maurice Blomme (Bel) 1953 Marcel Dierckens (Bel) 1952 Henri Van Kerckhove (Bel) 1951 Valeer Ollivier (Bel) 1950 Arseen Ryckaert (Bel) 1949 Norbert Callens (Bel) 1948 Raymond Impanis (Bel) 1947 Michel Remue (Bel) 1946 Joseph Sommers (Bel) 1945 Marcel Kint (Bel) Grote Prijs Westkredit/Omloop der Vlaamse Bergen 1944 (2) Joseph Moerenhout (Bel) 1943 Joseph Moerenhout (Bel) 1942 Prosper Depredomme (Bel) Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com
