Maarten Wynants (Quick Step) takes the lead of the peloton on the Kemmelberg.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Silence-Lotto's Jurgen Van Den Broeck looks composed in the sand.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Quick Step veteran Matteo Tossato gives his steed a little touch up.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Alessandro Ballan gets busy with the high pressure cleaner.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Tom Boonen seems to master the sandy conditions in Mol.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Jan Bakelants takes a tumble and has a laugh.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Filippo Pozzato rides along the lake on his way to 36th.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Quick Step rider Stijn Devolder didn't set the world on fire.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Alessandro Ballan (left) and Matteo Tossato looked pleased with their efforts.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
The day's podium (l-r): Jelle Vanendert, Maarten Wijnants and Dries Devenyns.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Some of the day's stars are presented, including local boy Tom Boonen (far right).(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Maarten Wijnants wins the Move to Improve charity race.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Tom Boonen shows his Belgian pedigree with a strong performance out front.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
It's a little different to the bitumen, fellas...(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Maarten Wynants won the charity race in Mol, Belgium, on Saturday ahead of Jelle Vanendert and Dries Devenyns. The race was organized by Tom Boonen and his sports director at Quick Step, Wilfried "Fiete" Peeters. Boonen created the cyclo-cross to continue his long-time support of a Belgian charity association that helps children suffering from motricity diseases.
After winning the race, Wynants said to Sporza.be, "It was difficult to follow the track in the sand." The sand seemed to magnify the effects of each little mistake.
"It was very difficult," said Tom Boonen, who said before the event that he hoped to make it a yearly fundraiser. "Will I do this again? Maybe. Otherwise, next year we'll chose an activity like billiards."
