Van Leijen rides out long break to win in Münster
By Susan Westemeyer published
Duo hangs on for 190 km
Joost van Leijen of Vacansoliel initiated a break only 18 km into the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro and stayed away to the end, winning a two-man sprint on the cobblestones of downtown Münster. Second place went to Dirk Müller (Team Nutrixxion), who had been the Dutchman's original break companion. Robert Wagner of Skil-Shimano won the sprint of the peloton to finish third, 11 seconds down.
The escape group dominated much of the race. Only 18km into the 208km long race, van Leijen and Müller took off, and were soon joined by Reto Hollenstein (Vorarlberg-Corretec). The peloton, led by German ProTour Team Milram, kept the three on a short line, not allowing the lead to get bigger than about three and a half minutes.
After the first ranked climb, Sander Armee (Topsport Vlaanderen), Mads Christensen (Glud & Martstrand) and Bart van Haaren (Van Vliet) took off in pursuit of the three leaders. By km 145 the six came together, with a three minute lead over the field. Van Haaren proved unable to keep up with the others and soon dropped back to the peloton.
With 20 km to go, van Leijen and Müller were able to pull away, and soon crossed the finish line 1:32 ahead of the peloton before heading off on the closing circuit course. They were easily able to hold on to their lead and sprint against one another for the win. The peloton crossed the finish line 11 seconds later.
1 | Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | 4:41:19 |
2 | Dirk Müller (Ger) Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse | |
3 | Robert Wagner (Ger) Skil - Shimano | 0:00:11 |
4 | Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Palmans - Cras | |
5 | Eric Baumann (Ger) Team Netapp | |
6 | Martin Reimer (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam | |
7 | René Weissinger (Ger) Vorarlberg - Corratec | |
8 | Johim Ariesen (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | |
9 | Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Rabobank Continental | |
10 | David Kopp (Ger) Team Kuota - Indeland | |
11 | Andrea Piechele (Ita) Carmiooro NGC | |
12 | Kevin Peeters (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | |
13 | Barry Markus (Ned) Rabobank Continental | |
14 | Wesley Kreder (Ned) Rabobank Continental | |
15 | Jetse Bol (Ned) Rabobank Continental | |
16 | Remco Te Brake (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
17 | Robert Förster (Ger) Team Milram | |
18 | Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Team HTC - Columbia | |
19 | Nicky Van Der Lijke (Ned) Rabobank Continental | |
20 | Harald Totschnig (Aut) Tyrol Team | |
21 | Felix Rinker (Ger) Team Heizomat | |
22 | Vytautas Kaupas (Ltu) Continental Team Differdange | |
23 | Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Continental Team Differdange | |
24 | Moreno Hofland (Ned) Rabobank Continental | |
25 | Nikola Aistrup (Den) Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland | |
26 | Troels Ronning Vinther (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO Radgivning | |
27 | Arnoud Van Groen (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | |
28 | Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil - Shimano | |
29 | Aristide Ratti (Ita) Carmiooro NGC | |
30 | Paul Voss (Ger) Team Milram | |
31 | Patrick Bercz (Ger) Seven Stones | |
32 | Sven Jodts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | |
33 | Robert Retschke (Ger) Continental Team Differdange | |
34 | Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Team Netapp | |
35 | David Rosch (Ger) Atlas Personal | |
36 | Grischa Janorschke (Ger) Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse | |
37 | Alexander Krieger (Ger) Team Heizomat | |
38 | Marius Bernatonis (Ltu) Atlas Personal | |
39 | Christian Patron (Bel) Team Kuota - Indeland | |
40 | Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Rabobank Continental | |
41 | Stefan Kirchmair (Aut) Tyrol Team | |
42 | Jack Vermeulen (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
43 | Bart Dockx (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | |
44 | Sander Oostlander (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
45 | Frank Scherzinger (Ger) Atlas Personal | |
46 | Josef Benetseder (Aut) Vorarlberg - Corratec | |
47 | Jasper Bovenhuis (Ned) Rabobank Continental | |
48 | Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Cervélo TestTeam | |
49 | Norbert Durauer (Aut) Tyrol Team | |
50 | Hakan Nilsson (Swe) Continental Team Differdange | |
51 | Davy De Scheemaeker (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | |
52 | Steven Caethoven (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | |
53 | Andreas Dietziker (Swi) Team Netapp | |
54 | Sjoerd Kouwenhoven (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
55 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram | |
56 | Andreas Henig (Ger) Seven Stones | |
57 | Tom Van Den Haute (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | |
58 | Björn Schröder (Ger) Team Milram | |
59 | Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | |
60 | Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia | |
61 | Daniel Westmattelmann (Ger) Team Kuota - Indeland | |
62 | Steffen Radochla (Ger) Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse | |
63 | Timothy Vangheel (Bel) Palmans - Cras | |
64 | Michael Berling (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO Radgivning | |
65 | Florian Salzinger (Ger) Atlas Personal | |
66 | Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia | |
67 | Sierk De Haan (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | 0:00:19 |
68 | Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | 0:00:20 |
69 | Enrico Peruffo (Ita) Carmiooro NGC | 0:00:22 |
70 | Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia | |
71 | Matthias Bertling (Ger) Team Kuota - Indeland | |
72 | Erik Mohs (Ger) Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse | |
73 | Alexander Schmitt (Ger) Team Kuota - Indeland | |
74 | Matteo Carrara (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | |
75 | Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam | |
76 | Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam | |
77 | Cyrille Heymans (Lux) Continental Team Differdange | |
78 | Stijn Joseph (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | 0:00:27 |
79 | Martin Hacecky (Cze) Atlas Personal | |
80 | Jan Barta (Cze) Team Netapp | |
81 | Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam | |
82 | Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Team Netapp | 0:00:37 |
83 | Nicolas Baldo (Fra) Atlas Personal | |
84 | Lasse Bochmann (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO Radgivning | |
85 | Michael Schweizer (Ger) Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse | 0:00:45 |
86 | Koen Barbe (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | 0:00:48 |
87 | Kristian Sobota (Den) Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland | 0:00:51 |
88 | Jimmy Janssens (Bel) Palmans - Cras | 0:00:58 |
89 | Rob Goris (Bel) Palmans - Cras | |
90 | Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Vorarlberg - Corratec | |
91 | Dominik Roels (Ger) Team Milram | |
92 | Kim Lachmann (Ger) Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse | 0:01:00 |
93 | Bas Krauwel (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
94 | Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team HTC - Columbia | |
95 | Jelle Posthuma (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | |
96 | Jonas Schmeiser (Ger) Team Heizomat | |
97 | Sander Armee (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | |
98 | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Team Netapp | 0:01:11 |
99 | Mitchell Docker (Aus) Skil - Shimano | 0:01:45 |
100 | Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervélo TestTeam | 0:02:27 |
101 | Luc Hagenaars (Ned) Team Kuota - Indeland | 0:02:54 |
102 | Mads Christensen (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO Radgivning | |
103 | Yannick Mayer (Ger) Team Heizomat | 0:03:29 |
104 | Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Team Netapp | 0:03:31 |
105 | Kasper Linde Jorgensen (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO Radgivning | |
106 | Peter Schulting (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | 0:06:49 |
107 | Emmanuel Van Ruitenbeek (Ned) Team Kuota - Indeland | 0:06:50 |

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