Internationale Cyclo-Cross Koppenberg - C1

Oudenaarde, Belgium, November 1, 2002

2001 Results Results Past winners

Groenendaal and Nijs conquer the Koppenberg

Rabobank's Richard Groenendaal and Sven Nijs combined to destroy a top class field in the first round of the Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee, held at the Koppenberg near Oudenaarde. Groenendaal won the race with a 9 second advantage over Nijs, with third placed Bart Wellens (Spaar Select) finishing 1'38 back. In the women's race, French Laurence Leboucher won in front of Belgian Hilde Quintens and Dutch Marianna Vos, while Dieter Vanthourenhout and Stijn Joseph triumphed in the Junior and Beginner classes respectively.

The start was fast and aggressive, with Erwin Vervecken (Spaar Select) attacking the first time up the Koppenberg. However it didn't take long for the World Champion Mario De Clercq to show his colours, and then Richard Groenendaal, who set such a high tempo that De Clercq was forced to follow at a distance by the end of the first lap.

By the halfway point, Sven Nijs had caught and overtaken De Clercq to move into second position, trying to close the 25 second gap to his experienced Rabobank teammate. Nijs cut the gap to 12 seconds in just one lap, and it looked as though it would come together at the front. However the remaining distance proved to be too great for Nijs to cross.

"At the beginning of the race the tempo was too high for me," said Nijs. "I thought that De Clercq would try and keep the gap to Groenendaal as small as possible, but he couldn't do it any better. Therefore the gap was too big to ride across to Groenendaal. But I am still satisfied. I will go home with a good feeling after this hard race. It gives me confidence for Sunday in Sint-Michielsgestel, the second Superprestigecross of the season."

De Clercq was eventually overtaken by Bart Wellens for third. "In the first two laps I thought of giving up," said Wellens. "My legs were completely blocked after my fast start. By the second half I came through, so that I could finish third."

Winner Richard Groenendaal was very satisfied with his performance. "I had problems. To go alone on the first lap was much too early with the wind, but of course I could not go back. I had to keep going alone. I had to grit my teeth, but I rode well. A good omen for Sunday, which is a wholly different race. So much quicker and more technical than today. I think that other riders than today will perform well. But my morale is naturally at its zenith now."

Results

Elite/Espoirs
 
1 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) Rabobank                 1.00.39
2 Sven Nys (Bel) Rabobank                               0.09
3 Bart Wellens (Bel) Spaar Select                       1.38
4 Mario De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop               2.06
5 Peter Van Santvliet (Bel) Spaar Select                3.02
6 Vaclav Jezek (Cze)                                    3.33
7 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites            3.58
8 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Spaar Select                    4.01
9 Gerben de Knegt (Ned) Rabobank                        4.03
10 Wim Jacobs (Bel)                                     4.40
11 Ben Berden (Bel) Spaar Select                        4.44
12 Klaas Vantornout (Bel)                               4.54
13 Arne Daelmans (Bel) Vlaanderen - T Interim           5.24
14 Thijs Verhagen (Ned)                                 5.41
15 Matthew Ellis (GBr)                                  5.47
16 Christian Heule (Swi) Team Cologne                   5.56
17 Tadeusz Korzeniewski (Pol)                           6.04
18 Isaac Suarez (Spa)                                   6.34
19 Tim Van Nuffel (Bel)                                 7.10
20 Davy Commeyne (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop                7.15
21 Tom De Kort (Bel)                                    7.15
22 Pedro Baelen (Bel)
23 Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank                        1 lap
24 Jonathan Page (USA)
 
61 starters
 
Women
 
1 Laurence Leboucher (Fra)                             39.00
2 Hilde Quintens (Bel)                                  0.33
3 Marianna Vos (Ned)                                    1.35
4 Loes Sels (Bel)                                       1.44
5 Anja Nobus (Bel)                                      2.13
6 Ilona Meter (Ned)                                     2.43
7 Nicole Leijten (Ned)                                  3.31
8 Katrin Helmcke (Ger)                                  3.58
9 Katleen Vermeiren (Bel)                               4.31
10 Elly van Boxmeer (Ned)                               6.10
11 Greetje De Vos (Bel)                                 7.12
12 Katrien Aerts (Bel)                                  7.58
13 Natasja van Loon (Ned)                              1 lap
14 Kelly Greefs (Bel)
15 Natasja Nobels (Bel)
16 Ann Van Rechem (Bel)
17 Sandie Verriest (Bel)
18 Cori Page (USA)
19 Lieselot Sels (Bel)
 
19 starters
 
Juniors
 
1 Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel)                          42.02
2 Sebastiaan Langveld (Ned)                             0.08
3 Quincy Vens (Bel)                                     0.30
4 Bart Verschueren (Bel)
5 Eddy Van IJzendoorn (Ned)
6 Frantisek Kloucek (Cze)                               0.54
7 Albert Niels (Bel)
8 Joris Wijnen (Bel)                                    1.06
9 Jeroen Thielemans (Bel)                               2.01
10 Kevin Van Lierde (Bel)
11 Jeroen Dingemans (Bel)
12 Kay Van den Brande (Bel)                             2.30
13 Benjamin Hill (GBr)                                  2.38
14 Slawomir Pituch (Pol)
15 Niels Ferlin (Bel)
16 Maxime Debusschere (Bel)                             3.23
17 Ladislav Sulc (Cze)
18 Ward Demets (Bel)                                    4.15
19 Bart Veyt (Bel)
20 Wesley Roos (Bel)
21 Harm Vandekerckhove (Bel)                            4.34
22 Maarten de Jonge (Ned)
23 Maarten Himpens (Bel)
24 Roel Volckaerts (Bel)
25 Jeremy Van Parys (Bel)                               5.06
26 Daan de Jonge (Ned)
27 Stijn Hebben (Bel)
28 Stein Posthuma (Bel)
29 Steven Van Vooren (Bel)
30 Bert Van Erdeghem (Bel)
31 Roman Kreuziger (Cze)
 
44 starters

Beginners
 
1 Stijn Joseph (Bel)                                   30.03
2 Ricardo van der Velde (Ned)                           0.29
3 Jan Aernouts (Bel)                                    0.37
4 Quentin Bertholet (Bel)                               1.12
5 Philippe Pauwels (Bel)                                1.22
6 Stijn Van Looveren (Bel)                              1.53
7 Ben Arnouts (Bel)                                     2.13
8 Lorenzo Van Slycke (Bel)                              2.58
9 Rik Van IJzendoorn (Bel)                              3.15
10 Dries Govaerts (Bel)                                 3.52
11 Jan Van Zeebroeck (Bel)                              4.21
12 Tom Meeusen (Bel)                                    4.32
13 Dennis Verhoeven (Bel)                               4.48
14 Sam Solia (Bel)                                      4.52
15 Jeffrey Maes (Bel)                                   4.55
16 Brecht Lippens (Bel)                                 5.34
17 Jan Van Aert (Bel)                                   5.47
18 Kenny Declercq (Bel)                                 5.52
19 Tom Lambrechts (Bel)                                 6.08
20 Fabrice Naert (Bel)                                  7.14
21 Nivard Van Acker (Bel)                               7.52
22 Tim Pels (Bel)                                       8.13
23 Jelle De Cubber (Bel)                                8.13
24 Thomas Demets (Bel)                                  8.50
25 Matthias Minnaert (Bel)                              8.56
26 Timothy De Jonghe (Bel)                              9.03
27 Kenny Van Heck (Bel)                                 9.26
28 Baptiste Planckaert (Bel)                            9.29
29 John Schotsaert (Bel)                                9.58
30 Matthieu Holvoet (Bel)                              1 lap
31 Wim Vandewalle (Bel)
32 Joachim De Maesschalck (Bel)
33 Ruben Depoortere (Bel)
 
37 starters

Gazet Van Antwerpen Trofee standings after round 1

Elites
 
1 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) Rabobank                      35 pts
2 Sven Nys (Bel) Rabobank                                 32
3 Bart Wellens (Bel) Spaar Select                         29
4 Mario De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop                 27
5 Peter Van Santvliet (Bel) Spaar Select                  26
6 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites              24
7 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Spaar Select                      23
8 Gerben de Knegt (Ned) Rabobank                          22
9 Ben Berden (Bel) Spaar Select                           20
10 Arne Daelmans (Bel) Vlaanderen - T Interim             18
11 Christian Heule (Swi) Team Cologne                     15
12 Davy Commeyne (Bel) Palmans - Collstrop                11
 
Elite Without Contract & Espoirs
 
1 Vaclav Jezek (Cze)                                      25 pts
2 Wim Jacobs (Bel)                                        21
3 Klaas Vantornout (Bel)                                  19
4 Thijs Verhagen (Ned)                                    17
5 Matthew Ellis (GBr)                                     16
6 Tadeusz Korzeniewski (Pol)                              14
7 Isaac Suarez (Spa)                                      13
8 Tim Van Nuffel (Bel)                                    12
9 Tom De Kort (Bel)                                       10
10 Pedro Baelen (Bel)                                      9
11 Bart Aernouts (Bel)                                     9
12 Jonathan Page (USA)                                     7

Past winners

2001 Sven Nys (Bel) Rabobank  
2000 Mario De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Ideal
1999 Mario de Clercq (Bel)