5th GP Rudy Dhaenens - 1.3

Belgium, March 23, 2003

2002 Results Results Past winners

Kern takes first win

French neo-pro Christophe Kern (Brioches La Boulangère) has taken his first professional victory in the 1.3 classed GP Rudy Dhaenens, finishing ahead of teammate Anthony Geslin after the pair broke away with 35 km to go. Kern and Geslin just managed to hold off the charge of the peloton, which was led home by Dutch champion Stefan van Dijk (Lotto-Domo) three seconds later.

The 5th edition of the race, named in memory of the 1990 World Champion, was run in warm spring sunshine in Nevele, not far from Gent in Belgium. After eight kilometres of racing, 11 riders escaped including Nokere Koerse winner Matthé Pronk (BankGiroLoterij), his teammate Jeroen Blijlevens, Kevin Van Impe (Lotto-Domo) and Emmanuel Magnien (Brioches La Boulangère). The break was not allowed to go clear however, and the peloton regrouped after 20 km.

Although there was little wind to split the peloton, the climbs in the middle of the race managed to cause some damage. However by the time the race reached the four finishing laps, the peloton came back together. Local rider Kristof Trouvé (Palmans) broke away for a crowd pleasing attack, but was quickly caught by the massive bunch. Then Brioches La Boulangere went on the attack with Sébastien Chavanel forcing a selection of 31 riders, including Tom Steels, Ludovic Capelle, Stefan Van Dijk, Geert Omloop, Raivis Belohvosciks, Jeroen Blijlevens and Matthé Pronk.

Despite the quality of this group, the Marlux team rode hard to recapture them, and it came back together. Brioches La Boulangere tried again with 35 km to go with Anthony Geslin and Christophe Kern attacking, quickly building a lead of just under a minute. Vlaanderen's Stijn Devolder attempted to close the gap, but failed, as the two leaders began to come back to the bunch.

With 15 kilometres remaining, the gap was 15 seconds and it looked inevitable that they would be caught. But somehow the motivation went out of the chase, and the pair stayed away to win by just three seconds, with Kern taking a very satisfying victory.

Results

1 Christophe Kern (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère        4.16.00
2 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
3 Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Lotto-Domo                       0.03
4 Saulius Ruskys (Ltu) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
5 Allan Bo Andresen (Den) Team fakta
6 Eric Baumann (Ger) Team Wiesenhof
7 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
8 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Rabobank
9 Danny Daelman (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop
10 Andy De Smet (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop
11 Roger Hammond (GBr) Palmans-Collstrop
12 Werner Riebenbauer (Aut) Team fakta
13 James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
14 Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned) BankGiroLoterij Cycling Team
15 Tom Steels (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
16 Julien Smink (Ned) Van Hemert Groep
17 Igor Abakoumov (Bel) Van Hemert Groep
18 Kristof Trouve (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop
19 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova.com
20 Roy Sentjens (Ned) Rabobank
21 Pascal Hermes (Ned) Axa Cycling Team
22 Enrico Poitschke (Ger) Team Wiesenhof
23 Matthé Pronk (Ned) BankGiroLoterij Cycling Team
24 David Harrigan (Aus) Team Down Under
25 Fabian De Waele (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop
26 Geert Omloop (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop
27 David McKenzie (Aus) Flanders-IteamNova.com
28 Bart Oegema (Ned) Bert Story-Piels
29 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
30 Andy Cappelle (Bel) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
31 Robert Van Der Stelt (Ned) Van Hemert Groep
32 Wim De Vocht (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon-Latexco
33 Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
34 Michel Van Haecke (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop
35 Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team Wiesenhof
36 Jacob Moe Rasmussen (Den) Team fakta
37 Matthew Yates (NZl) Team Down Under
38 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
39 Jan Jespersen (Den) Glud & Marstrand Horsens
40 Rik Reinerink (Ned) BankGiroLoterij Cycling Team
41 Kasper Klostergaard (Den) Glud & Marstrand Horsens
42 Jeremy Yates (NZl) Quick.Step-Davitamon-Latexco
43 Thomas Ziegler (Ger) Team Wiesenhof
44 Frank Dressler (Ger) Team ComNet-Senges
45 Arkadiusz Wojtas (Pol) CCC-Polsat
46 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Rabobank
47 Martijn Maaskant NEd Van Vliet-EBH-Gazelle
48 Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
49 Jehudi Schoonacker (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
50 Johan Dekkers (Bel) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
51 Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
52 Daniel Van Elven (Ned) Axa Cycling Team
53 Ruud Verbakel (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
54 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
55 Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) Rabobank
56 Jens Heppner (Ger) Team Wiesenhof
57 Slawomir Kohut (Pol) CCC-Polsat
58 Rudy Vriend (Ned) Van Vliet-EBH-Gazelle
59 Christophe Detilloux (Bel) Lotto-Domo
60 Wouter Van Mechelen (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
61 Bjarke Nielsen (Den) Team fakta
62 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova.com
63 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
64 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Nippon Hodo
65 Mashahiro Shinagawa (Jpn) Nippon Hodo
66 Bert Hiemstra (Ned) BankGiroLoterij Cycling Team
67 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Team fakta
68 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Lotto-Domo
69 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank
70 Yannick Petersen (Den)
71 Martin Müller (Ger) Team Wiesenhof
72 Bram De Waard (Ned) Van Vliet-EBH-Gazelle
73 Sven De Weert (Bel) Team Down Under
74 Cameron Jennings (Aus) Team Down Under
75 Pieter Vries (Ned) BankGiroLoterij Cycling Team
76 Vincent Van Der Kooij (Ned) BankGiroLoterij Cycling Team
77 Anthony Charteau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
78 Edward Dunning (Ned) Van Hemert Groep
79 Angelo Van Melis (Ned) Van Vliet-EBH-Gazelle
80 Tom Cordes (Ned) Bert Story-Piels
81 Martin Van Steen (Ned) Van Hemert Groep               0.40
82 Fulco Van Gulik (Ned) Bert Story-Piels                1.05
83 Scott Guyton (NZl) Flanders-IteamNova.com             1.20
84 Tony Bracke (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago             1.50
85 Tom Stremersch (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
86 Göran Jensen (Den) Glud & Marstrand Horsens
87 Germ Van De Burg (Ned) Bert Story-Piels
88 Bas Waayer (Ned) Stichting Wieleront-Wikkeling Espoirs
89 Marc Streel (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
90 Bart De Spieghelaere (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
91 Jürgen Landrie (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova.com
92 Jaroslaw Zarebski (Pol) CCC-Polsat
93 Steven De Neef (Bel) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
94 Leif Hoste (Bel) Lotto-Domo
95 Glenn D'hollander (Bel) Lotto-Domo
96 Kevin Van Der Slagmolen (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
97 Robert Bartko (Ger) Rabobank
98 Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
99 Anton Wouters (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon-Latexco
100 Nico Indekeu (Bel) Team Down Under
101 Bart Bastiaens (Bel) Team Down Under
102 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon-Latexco
103 Jeroen Boelen (Ned) Van Hemert Groep
104 Rudi Kemna (Ned) BankGiroLoterij Cycling Team

Starters: 188

Past winners

2002 Wesley Van Speybroeck (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
2001 Geert Omloop (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
2000 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Palmans-Ideal
1999 Hendrik Van Dyck (Bel) TVM

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