Netherlands Road Championships 2012: Elite Men Road Race Results

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Niki Terpstra celebrates his new title (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Terpstra hammers on through the rain (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) leads the chase (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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The early breakaway in the Dutch championships (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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Stef Clement, Johnny Hoogerland, Albert Timmer and Vluik in the break (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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The rain didn't make it pleasant for the riders (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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Hoogerland leads Timmer in the breakaway (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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Johnny Hoogerland and Albert Timmer (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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Niki Terpstra celebrates on the podium (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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The entire Rabobank team couldn't pull Terpstra back (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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Lars Boom attacks with one lap to go (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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Boom, Terpstra and Lindeman on the podium (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) on his heroic escape (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Robert Gesink (Rabobank) puts in a dig (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Lars Boom in the downpour (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Sebastien Langeveld (Orica-GreenEdge) in the chase group (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Lars Boom (Rabobank) is impervious to the weather (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Niki Tepstra (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) celebrates his hard-earned victory (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Niki Tepstra (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) off the front in the Dutch championship (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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The Dutch national championship podium: Boom, Terpstra and Lindeman (Image credit: Photopress.be)

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Niki Terpstra on the top step with Lars Boom and Bertjan Lindeman (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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Terpstra was away solo for a very long time before winning the Dutch title (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) wins the Dutch road title (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

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Lars Boom (Rabobank) not satisfied with second place (Image credit: Elmar Krings)

Niki Terpstra of Omega Pharma-QuickStep won his second Dutch road title. He soloed in to the finish in Kerkrade in the heavy rain, which had reduced the field to only a handful. Lars Boom (Rabobank) and Bert-Jan Lindeman (Vacansoleil-DCM) broke from the small group of chasers in the final lap of the circuit to take second and third respectively, about two minutes later.

Omega Pharma-QuickStep takes eight national championships

Terpstra, who had previously won the title in 2010, took off with about 40km to go. The race was marked by exceptionally bad weather and multiple crashes resulting in fewer than 20 finishers.

Full Results
1	Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)	6:09:33
2	Lars Boom (Rabobank Cycling Team)	0:01:59
3	Bertjan Lindeman (Vacansoleil-DCM)	0:02:02
4	Michel Kreder (Garmin - Barracuda)	0:02:50
5	Sebastian Langeveld (Orica GreenEdge)	0:02:59
6	Robert Gesink (Rabobank Cycling Team)
7	Tom Dumoulin (Argos - Shimano)	0:08:32
8	Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM)	0:08:41
9	Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank Cycling Team)	0:08:47
10	Koen De Kort (Argos - Shimano)
11	Tom Vermeer (Nutrixxion Abus)	0:08:49
12	Wilco Kelderman (Rabobank Cycling Team)
13	Roy Curvers (Argos - Shimano)	0:26:01
14	Bart Van Haaren (Koga Cycling Team)
15	Dirk Bellemakers (Landbouwkrediet-Euphony)
16	Ronan Van Zandbeek (Argos - Shimano)