Leukemans leads Vacansoleil 1-2

Björn Leukemans grabbed his first victory of the season, topping a Vacansoleil 1-2 along with teammate Marco Marcato in the Druivenkoers-Overijs.

The 33-year-old emerged victorious from a three-man breakaway which also included Topsport Vlaanderen's Preben Van Hecke, who claimed third.

The 200km race started out with a different three-man move. Sander Armee (Topsport-Vlaanderen), Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) and Sierk-Jan De Haan (Cycling Team Jo Piels) spent the first half of the race off the front, but were caught at the halfway mark..

12 riders immediately counter-attacked to make a new breakaway: Staf Scheirlinckx (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Benjamin Gourgue and Frédéric Amorison (Landbouwkrediet), Sander Armee (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator), Frederik Veuchelen (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling), Pieter Ghyllebert (An Post - Sean Kelly), Alain Van Der Velde (Qin Cycling Team), Fabio Polazzi and James Van Landschoot (Verandas Willems), Hakan Nilsson (Continental Team Differdange), Sebastian Forke (Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse) and Jasper Ockeloen (Rabobank Continental) had 38 seconds at the start of the 8 local laps, but the group did not stay together long.

Amorison, Gourgue and Vuechelen were the only three remaining off the front as a chase group of nine reshuffled from the peloton.

In the second group were three other Landbouwkrediet riders, Davy Commeyne, Geert Verheyen and Sébastien Delfosse along with Leukemans and Hoogerland (Vacansoleil), Andy Cappelle and Gregory Habeaux (Verandas Willems), David Boily (Spidertech p/b Planet Energy) and Huub Duyn (Team Netapp).

As the chasers caught the lead trio, riders jumped away from the peloton not far behind, forming a new group in the lead with Van Hecke, Enrico Franzoi, Amorison, Commeyne, Gourgue, Floris Goesinnen (Skil-Shimano), Leukemans, Vuechelen, Marcato and Hoogerland.

Coming into the final lap, Leukemans attacked the break and was joined by Van Hecke and Marcato to form the ultimate selection.

The Topsport Vlaanderen rider was severely outnumbered, but contributed to the work to create a gap of more than a minute coming into the line. Leukemans easily won the sprint and was followed across the line by his teammate, with Van Hecke satisfied with third.

Results