Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne 2012: Results

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World champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) wins in Dottignies for the second straight year. (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Marcel Meisen (BKCP-Powerplus) alone in the lead. (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Arnaud Jouffroy (Telenet-Fidea) (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Niels Albert ( BKCP-Powerplus) celebrates his win at the Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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French champion Aurelien Duval in action at the Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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2012 Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Gerben de Knegt (Orange Babies Cycling Team) hops a sector of barriers. (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Marcel Meisen (BKCP-Powerplus) digs deep (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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BKCP-Powerplus teammates Niels Albert and Marcel Meisen at the head of the race (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Thijs Al (Telenet-Fidea) (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Niels Albert wins the Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne for the third time in his career (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Rob Peeters (Telenet-Fidea) airs it out over a barrier. (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Jim Aernouts (Sunweb-Revor) scored an 8th place result (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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World champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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2012 Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne podium (L-R): Marcel Meisen, Niels Albert and Gerben de Knegt (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Philipp Walsleben (BKCP-Powerplus) (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Niels Albert bunny-hops a section of barriers (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Gerben de Knegt (Orange Babies Cycling Team_ en route to a third place finish. (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Niels Albert in action in Dottignies. (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Rob Peeters (Telenet-Fidea) would finish fifth on the day. (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Lubomir Petrus (BKCP-Powerplus) (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Francis Mourey (FDJ-BigMat) (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne runner-up Marcel Meisen (BKCP-Powerplus) (Image credit: Photopress.be)

For the third time in his career and the second year running, Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) has won the Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne. Albert's teammate Marcel Meisen finished second at six seconds while Gerben de Knegt (Orange Babies Cycling Team) won the sprint for third place, 26 seconds behind Albert.

Meisen was the early aggressor for BKCP-Powerplus and after approximately half the race was complete the German rode alone in the lead, albeit kept on a relatively tight leash. Reigning world champion Niels Albert then jumped from the chase group and bridged to Meisen alone.

On the penultimate lap the chasers were getting uncomfortably close to the leading BKCP-Powerplus duo, so Albert upped the pace to ensure they wouldn't be caught. Meisen, however, couldn't keep up with Albert but managed to hold on to second place on the day as the chasers became more concerned with the final podium position on the last lap than catching the German.

Full Results
1	Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus	1:03:24
2	Marcel Meisen (Ger) BKCP - Powerplus	0:00:06
3	Gerben de Knegt (Ned) Orange Babies Cycling Team	0:00:26
4	Aurelien Duval (Fra) UV Aube	0:00:27
5	Rob Peeters (Bel) Telenet - Fidea	0:00:28
6	Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus	0:00:30
7	Patrick van Leeuwen (Ned) Orange Babies Cycling Team	0:00:35
8	Jim Aernouts (Bel) Sunweb-Revor	0:00:43
9	Jonathan Page (USA)	0:00:45
10	Lubomir Petrus (Cze) BKCP - Powerplus	0:00:47
11	Mariusz Gil (Pol) Baboco	0:01:07
12	Matthias Bossuyt (Bel) Sunweb-Revor	0:01:32
13	Thijs Al (Ned) Telenet - Fidea	0:02:17
14	Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP - Powerplus	0:02:33
15	Yu Takenouchi (Jpn)
16	Stef Boden (Bel) Sunweb-Revor
17	Dany Lacroix (Bel)	0:02:39
18	Arnaud Jouffroy (Fra) Telenet - Fidea	0:02:46
19	Ritchie Denolf (Bel)	0:03:22
20	Gianni Denolf (Bel) Cyclingchamps	0:03:24
21	Alexander Revell (NZl) Revolution Bicycles	0:03:36
22	Marco Bianco (Ita)	0:04:52
23	Quentin Bertholet (Bel)	0:06:05
24	Ludovic Vande Velde (Bel)