Sluitingsprijs Oostmalle - C1

Oostmalle, Belgium, February 23, 2003

2002 Results Results Past winners

Berden wins season ender

Nijs takes Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee

Vlaanderen-T Interim rider Ben Berden has won the final cyclo-cross race of the season in Oostmalle, Belgium. On a beautifully sunny winter's day in front of thousands of spectators, Berden finished 7 seconds in front of World Champion Bart Wellens (Spaar Select), with Arne Daelmans (Vlaanderen) in third. Fourth was Sven Nijs (Rabobank), who gained enough points to keep the lead in the Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee, with Wellens finishing second overall.

Just as he did in yesterday's Superprestige race in Vorselaar, Bart Wellens attacked from the gun, hoping to give a knockout punch to the competition. But Wellens couldn't quite manage it today, as Ben Berden, Arne Daelmans, Sven Nijs and Richard Groenendaal could all follow him. But this five man leading group did not stay together for long, as Ben Berden quickly went on the attack, just as he did in Koksijde when he won his first big race of the season.

Berden could never get a big lead, but despite a concerted effort to chase by the others, the Vlaanderen rider did not give up. Wellens put in a big charge late in the race, but could not get closer than 50 metres, leaving Berden to take a very fine win and a well deserved won for his efforts this season, which saw him win six races.

Ben Berden was delighted with the win. "I have to thank more than my condition for this excellent day," he said. "More than anything the fact that we could ride in sand. That is really my speciality."

Berden is now looking at changing teams at the end of 2003, most probably to the new John Saey-Deschacht team run by Roger De Vlaeminck.

Results

Elite/U23
 
1 Ben Berden (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim               56.34
2 Bart Wellens (Bel) Spaar Select                      0.07
3 Arne Daelmans (Bel) Vlaanderen - T Interim           0.30
4 Sven Nijs (Bel) Rabobank                             1.31
5 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) Rabobank                   1.42
6 Mario De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop              2.01
7 Peter Van Santvliet (Bel) Spaar Select               2.24
8 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Quick Step-Davitamon       2.31
9 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Spaar Select                   3.23
10 Wim Jacobs (Bel)                                    3.32
11 Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank                        3.43
12 Cyrille Bonnand (Fra) ESP Persan                    3.48
13 David Seco (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                  3.51
14 Jonathan Page (USA) Richard Sachs                   3.51
15 Geert Wellens (Bel)                                 4.19
16 Petr Dlask (Cze) Author Praha                       4.22
17 Bert Vervecken (Bel)                                4.58
18 David Laenen (Bel) WSCJR Booischot                  5.14
19 Kris Wouters (Fra) WC Vorselaar                     5.23
20 Tom Vannoppen (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop               5.23
21 Maxime Lefebvre (Fra) CV Liévin                     5.30
22 Vaclav Jezek (Cze) Author Praha                     5.40
23 Paul Van Loon (Bel)                                 5.55
24 Eddy Van Bouwel (Bel)                               6.05
25 Tom De Kort (Bel)                                   6.05
26 Mike Thielemans (Bel)                               6.24
27 Christian Heule (Swi) Team Cologne                  6.31
28 Kevin Pauwels (Bel)                                 7.18
29 Tim Van Huffel (Bel)                                8.42
30 Radoslaw Czapla (Pol)                              1 lap
31 Kris Smits (Bel)
32 Dariusz Gil (Pol)
33 Jorn Van der Veken (Bel)
34 Nick Sels (Bel)
35 Tadeusz Korzeniewski (Pol)
36 Jan Geerts (Bel)
37 Kevin Bossaerts (Bel)
38 Steven Sluyts (Bel)
39 Dirk Bertels (Bel)
40 Bart Thielemans (Bel)
41 Frank van Grootel (Ned)
42 Stig Geerts (Bel)
43 Tim Goris (Bel)
44 Peter Janssens (Bel)
45 Guy Bertels (Bel)
 
Women
 
1 Daphny van den Brand (Ned)                          41.11
2 Reza Hormes-Ravenstijn (Ned)                         0.25
3 Anja Nobus (Bel)                                     0.30
4 Loes Sels (Bel)                                      0.53
5 Nicole De Bie-Leyten (Bel)                           1.56
6 Nancy Bollansee (Bel)                                2.16
7 Marianne Vos (Ned)                                   2.23
8 Nicole Kampeter (Ger)
9 Marianne Gall (Ned)                                  3.00
10 Greetje De Vos (Bel)                                6.08
11 Christine Vardaros (USA)
12 Katrien Aerts (Bel)
13 Lieselot Sels (Bel)
14 Kelly Greefs (Bel)
15 Kim Winkelmans (Bel)
16 Ann Van Rechem (Bel)
17 Sandie Verriest (Bel)
18 Cori Page (USA)
 
18 starters
 
Juniors
 
1 Niels Albert (Bel)                                  36.20
2 Slawomir Pituch (Pol)                                0.52
3 Jeroen Dingemans (Bel)                               1.00
4 Tom Van den Bosch (Bel)                              1.12
5 Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel)
6 Maxim Debusschere (Bel)                              1.37
7 Harm Vandekerckhove (Bel)                            2.38
8 Quincy Vens (Bel)                                    3.00
9 Kenn Geluykens (Bel)                                 3.40
10 Giljan Jacobs (Bel)                                 5.54
11 Koen Bertels (Bel)
12 Tim Milis (Bel)
13 Steffen Vanderhoydonck (Bel)
14 Carlo Kempeneers (Bel)
15 Dave Schuurmans (Bel)
 
15 starters
 
Novices
 
1 Patrick Vliegen (Ned)                               30.35
2 Jan Verhaagh (Ned)                                   0.17
3 Ben Arnouts (Bel)                                    0.30
4 Bart Senders (Ned)                                   0.42
5 Tom Meeusen (Bel)                                    0.55
6 Jan Arnouts (Bel)                                    1.07
7 Dries Pauwels (Bel)
8 Dennis Verhoeven (Bel)                               1.35
9 Koen van Grootel (Ned)                               2.47
10 Tom Lambrechts (Bel)
11 Jeffrey Maes (Bel)
12 Maarten Verherstraeten (Bel)
13 Dave De Cleyn (Bel)
14 Thomas Boeckx (Bel)
15 Bart Wouters (Bel)
16 Lorenzo Van Slycke (Bel)
17 Tom Oerlemans (Bel)
18 Kenny Van Heck (Bel)
19 Kevin Cant (Bel)
 
21 starters
 
Cyclosportifs
 
1 Mario Lammens (Bel)
2 Jef Verbraeken (Bel)
3 Dirk Mertens (Bel)
4 Ronny Housen (Bel)
5 Sven Raeymakers (Bel)
6 Benny Van Staeyen (Bel)
7 Tom Wilmsen (Bel)
8 Ronny Couliez (Bel)
9 Nico Schroyen (Bel)
10 Jeroen Van Ham (Bel)
11 Patrick Wynants (Bel)
12 Benny De Busser (Bel)
13 Chris Maurien (Bel)
14 Gijs Jongeling (Ned)
15 Ken Smets (Bel)
 
25 starters
 
Masters
 
1 Dirk Pauwels (Bel)
2 Walter Marijnissen (Bel)
3 Patrick Sluyts (Bel)
4 Johan Vanderaerden (Bel)
5 Danny Verherstraeten (Bel)
6 Ronny Lambrechts (Bel)
7 Mark Verloo (Bel)
8 Ronny Mertens (Bel)
9 François Mertens (Bel)
10 Wim Van den Bergh (Bel)
11 Jos Sas (Bel)
12 José Declercq (Bel)
13 Rudy Sels (Bel)
14 Edward Lievens (Bel)
15 Guy Geudens (Bel)
 
27 starters

Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee final standings

Elite
 
1 Sven Nijs (Bel) Rabobank                              219 pts
2 Bart Wellens (Bel) Spaar Select                       211
3 Mario De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop               194
4 Peter Van Santvliet (Bel) Spaar Select                180
5 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) Rabobank                    147
6 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Spaar Select                    144
7 Tom Vannoppen (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop                 134
8 Arne Daelmans (Bel) Vlaanderen - T Interim            127
9 Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabobank                        111
10 Ben Berden (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim                108
11 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Quick Step-Davitamon        95
12 Christian Heule (Swi) Team Cologne                    36
13 Davy Commeyne (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop                 24
14 Roger Hammond (GBr) Palmans-Collstrop                 19
 
Elite without contract/U23
 
1 Wim Jacobs                                            124 pts
2 Tim Van Nuffel                                         90
3 Tom De Kort                                            69
4 Eddy Van Bouwel                                        64
5 Jonathan Page (USA) Richard Sachs                      63
6 Geert Wellens                                          63
7 David Laenen (Bel) WSCJR Booischot                     59
8 Kris Wouters (Fra) WC Vorselaar                        56
9 Kevin Pauwels                                          40
10 Kevin Bossaerts                                       23
11 Jan Geerts                                             9

Past winners

Men

2002 Arne Daelmans (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim
2001 Bart Wellens (Bel) Spaar Select
2000 Arne Daelmens (Bel)