Circuit Franco-Belge, Cat 2.5

Belgium, June 26-28, 1998

Riders

Stage 1 - Toufflers (Fra) - Kluisberg, 172 kms:
Stage 2 - Doornik - Lys-Lez-Lannoy (Fra), 184 kms:
Stage 3 - Moeskroen - Pipaix, 174 kms:

Brief

The Franco-Belge, previously a top competition for amateurs has become better this season. Last year it started cautiously with 2 stages but has expanded this year to 3 days. An ambitious Louis Cousaert of Cazeau-Pedale Templeuve said: "Next year we aim to get a 4th category race. This year there are 11 elite teams with starting contracts and that is motivating further development." So now the race which is in staged on the Walloon-French border is open to elite riders with and without contracts and also under-23 riders (Espoirs).

Among the 11 professional teams is Vlaanderen 2002. Roger Swerts, team manager said: "We have six riders at the Franco-Belge, with 6 others riding in the Rheinland-Phalz. We are chasing UCI points. The team is halved this year. The better riders have gone. But the team is excellent. The older riders are doing their work well, and I have some strong young riders. Cretskens, Vereecke and Vermaut are our hopefuls. It is true that last winter I was pessimistic, but now I am a happy team manager. The coming weekend we will be looking to a tandem effort from Gerits and Hoste. Kris is a rider who in principal has only a small motor. But he has all the qualities of a great rider."

Stage 1, Toufflers (Fra) - Kluisberg, 172 kms:

 1. Cyril Saugrain (Fra) Cofidis			     4.16.12
 2. Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Pol) Cofidis				s.t.
 3. Frank Hoj (Den) Palmans-Ideal          			0.22
 4. Eddy Torrekens (Bel) Tönnisteiner-Colnago       		0.25
 5. Koen Beeckman (Bel) Ipso-Eurosoap                		0.29
 6. Kristof Trouve (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 			1.33 
 7. Arnaud Auguste (Fra) VC Roubaix				1.52 
 8. Laurent Genty (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 s.t. 
 9. Eric De Clercq (Bel) Collstrop 				2.45 
10. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Austria					2.48 
11. Karl Pauwels (Bel) Palmans-Ideal  				2.51 
12. Karel Vereecke (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 			2.59 
13. Gianpaolo Mondini (Ita) Kross-Selle Italia			s.t. 
14. Hans De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Ideal
15. Danny Van Looy (Bel) Turnhout 
16. Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
17. Stefan van Dijk (Ned) Rabobank Elite
18. Claude Lamour (Fra) Mutuelle/Festina 
19. Geert Omloop (Bel) Spar-RDM
20. David Plaza (Spa) Cofidis
21. Bart Everaert (Bel) WSC Merelbeke
22. Marco Gili (Ita) Kross-Selle Italia  			3.05 
23. Rudy Verdonck (Bel) WIK Tielen Mapei Rolupo			s.t. 
24. Paul van Schalen (Ned) Giant-Lowik-P&O			3.11 
25. Stephane Hennebert (Bel) Ipso
26. Davy Delme (Bel) Tönnisteiner-Colnago 			3.16 
27. Thierry De Groote (Bel) KSV Deerlijk
28. Hans De Meester (Bel) Tonissteiner-Colnago 			3.46 
29. Mathias Buxhofer (Aut)  Austria
30. Brian Dalgaard Jensen (Den) Spar-RDM
31. Johan Van Nueten (Bel) WIK Tielen Mapei Rolupo
32. Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
33. Christoph Roodhooft (Bel) Groeninghe Spurters Kortrijk 
34. Casper van der Meer (Ned) Groeninghe Spurters Kortrijk
35. Pedro Rubrecht (Bel) KSV Deerlijk
36. Marcel Duijn (Ned) Rabobank Elite
37. Olivier Penny (Swi) WSC Merelbeke
38. Carlo Meneghetti (Ita) VC Roubaix
39. Edwin Dunning (Ned) Topteam Tegeltoko
40. Thomas Uhr (Ger) Switzerland
41. Jochen Summer (Aut) Austria
42. Sebastien Demarbaix (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi
43. Bart Brentjens (Ned) (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi
44. Andrei Moukhine (Rus)
45. Carlo Bomans (Bel) Palmans-Ideal
46. Kris Gerits (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
47. Laurent Pillon (Fra) Mutuelle/Festina
48. Mario De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Ideal
49. Franky De Buyst (Bel) Tönnisteiner-Colnago
50. Jerôme Bernard (Fra) Mutuelle/Festina

Brief:

In the sprint on top of the Kluisberg, Cyril Saugrain beat his young Polish teammate, Gregorz Gwiadowski to win the first stage of the Henegouwse 3-day race. Saugrain, who 2 years ago won the Gazet van Antwerpen sprint in the second Tour de France stage (in Belgium) and then two days later won a real Tour stage was in top form. The French rider said after taking his third win for 1998 said: "This last year I have been struggling with illness. The doctors have not been able to find anything. So I have had to help myself. My biggest ambition now is the French National Championship. The stage today was tough and guaranteed a final selection."

At the half-way mark of the race, Saugrain went away with 11 riders in the move that would decide the stage. Another 20 kms further on he attacked the breakaway. The second half of the stage was dominated by some tough hills and it was a logical move. In the finale, there were around a 6 riders left, with two Cofidis rider and also Belgians Kristof Trouve, Eddy Torrekens, Koen Beeckman and Danish rider Frank Hoj (Palmans-Ideal). With 12 kms to go, the Hoj and Saugrain attacked with the Belgians chasing. Trouve suffered on the climbs but the other three were in touch. Then Gwiasdowski with Saugrain took their chances and went clear.

Stage 2, Doornik - Lys-Lez-Lannoy (Fra), 184 kms:

 1. Hans De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Ideal 			     4.17.10 
 2. Carlos Da Cruz (Fra) Big Mat-Auber
 3. Kris Gerits (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
 4. Rudy Verdonck (Bel) WIK Tielen Mapei Rolupo 		0.06
 5. Hans De Meester (Bel) Tonissteiner-Colnago
 6. Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
 7. Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi
 8. Gianpaolo Mondini (Ita) Kross-Selle Italia 
 9. Oleg Pankov (Ukr) Ipso-Eurosoap 
10. Andy Flickinger (Fra) France Track
11. Eric De Clercq (Bel) Collstrop 
12. Laurent Pillon (Fra) Mutuelle/Festina 
13. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Austria 				0.25
14. Koen Beeckman (Bel) Ipso-Eurosoap
15. Leif Hoste (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
16. Bart Everaert (Bel) WSC Merelbeke 
17. Frank Hoj (Den) Palmans-Ideal
18. Geert Omloop (Bel) Spar-RDM 
19. Karl Pauwels (Bel) Palmans-Ideal 				0.51 
20. Carlo Meneghetti (Ita) VC Roubaix 				1.38 
21. Etienne De Wilde (Bel) Spar-RDM 				2.27 
22. Christoph Roodhooft (Bel) Groeninghe Spurters Kortrijk
23. Karel Vereecke (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
24. Thiery Masschelein (Bel) Groeningen Spurters Kortrijk  
25. Danny Van Looy (Bel) Turnhout 
26. Ronald Mutsaars (Ned) 
27. Pedro Rubrecht (Bel) KSV Deerlijk 
28. Marco Gili (Ita) Kross-Selle Italia 
29. Goswin Laplasse (Bel) ITC Baardegem 
30. Stefan van Dijk (Ned) Rabobank Elite 
31. Mario De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Ideal 
32. Gert Vanderaerden (Bel) Palmans-Ideal 
33. Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
34. Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Pol) Cofidis 
35. Thierry De Groote (Bel) KSV Deerlijk 
36. Eddy Torrekens (Bel) Tönnisteiner-Colnago
37. Inaki Barrenechea (Spa) 
38. Matthe Pronk (Ned) Rabobank Elite
39. Marcel Duijn (Ned) Rabobank Elite 
40. Stephane Hennebert (Bel) Ipso
41. Laurent Genty (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 
42. Johan Van Nueten (Bel) WIK Tielen Mapei Rolupo 
43. Tom Desmet (Bel) Collstrop
44. Mathias Buxhofer (Aut)  Austria 
45. Dany Baeyens (Bel) Collstrop 
46. Arnaud Auguste (Fra) VC Roubaix 
47. Claude Lamour (Fra) Mutuelle/Festina 
48. Rudi Kemna (Ned) Giant
49. Bart Brentjens (Ned) (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi 
50. Vincent Moreels (Fra) VC Roubaix				s.t.

Stage 3, Moeskroen - Pipaix, 178.4 kms:

 1. Kris Gerits (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002			     4.14.20
 2. Marco Gili (Ita) Kross-Selle Italia 			0.01 
 3. Claude Lamour (Fra) Mutuelle/Festina 			0.02 
 4. Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi 		0.04
 5. Carlos De Cruz (Fra) Big Mat-Auber
 6. Frank Hoj (Den) Palmans-Ideal
 7. Johan Van Nueten (Bel) WIK Tielen Mapei Rolupo
 8. Gianpaolo Mondini (Ita) Kross-Selle Italia 
 9. Mathias Buxhofer (Aut)  Austria 
10. Etienne De Wilde (Bel) Spar-RDM 
11. Stefan van Dijk (Ned) Rabobank Elite 
12. Christoph Roodhooft (Bel) Groeninghe Spurters Kortrijk 
13. Leif Hoste (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
14. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Austria 
15. Eddy Torrekens (Bel) Tönnisteiner-Colnago 
16. Kris Matthijs (Bel) 
17. Eric De Clercq (Bel) Collstrop 
18. Koen Beeckman (Bel) Ipso-Eurosoap 
19. Werner Riebenbauer (Aut) 
20. Rudy Verdonck (Bel) WIK Tielen Mapei Rolupo 
21. Laurent Pillon (Fra) Mutuelle/Festina 
22. Andy Flickinger (Fra) France Track
23. Hans De Meester (Bel) Tönnisteiner-Colnago 
24. Pavel Khamidoulin (Rus) Lada-Vizir 
25. Carlo Meneghetti (Ita) VC Roubaix 
26. Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
27. Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Pol) Cofidis 
28. Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
29. Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
30. Jochen Summer (Aut) Austria 
31. Jurgen Landrie (Bel) ITC Baardegem
32. Tom Desmet (Bel) Collstrop 
33. Danny In 't Ven (Bel) Turnhout 
34. Danny Van Looy (Bel) Turnhout 
35. Yoeri Beyens (Bel)
36. Pedro Rubrecht (Bel) KSV Deerlijk 
37. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 
38. Hans De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Ideal 
39. Thierry De Groote (Bel) KSV Deerlijk 
40. Goswin Laplasse (Bel) ITC Baardegem 
41. Matthe Pronk (Ned) Rabobank Elite 
42. Davy Delme (Bel) Tönnisteiner-Colnago
43. Stephane Hennebert (Bel) Ipso 
44. Olivier Penny (Swi) WSC Merelbeke 
45. Brian Dalgaard Jensen (Den) Spar-RDM 
46. Casper van der Meer (Ned) Groeninghe Spurters Kortrijk 
47. Geert Omloop (Bel) Spar-RDM
48. Bart Brentjens (Ned) (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi 
49. Marcel Duijn (Ned) Rabobank Elite 
50. David Plaza (Spa) Cofidis					s.t.

Final GC

 1. Frank Hoj (Den) Palmans-Ideal				     12.48.27
 2. Koen Beeckman (Bel) Ipso-Eurosoap					 0.32
 3. Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Pol) Cofidis					 1.40 
 4. Hans De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Ideal					 2.03 
 5. Eddy Torrekens (Bel) Tönnisteiner-Colnago				 2.10 
 6. Eric De Clercq (Bel) Collstrop
 7. Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002				 2.24 
 8. Gianpaolo Mondini (Ita) Kross-Selle Italia
 9. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Austria						 2.29 
10. Rudy Verdonck (Bel) WIK Tielen Mapei Rolupo				 2.30 
11. Bart Everaert (Bel) WSC Merelbeke					 2.43 
12. Kris Gerits (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002					 2.46 
13. Geert Omloop (Bel) Spar-RDM						 2.47 
14. Carlos Da Cruz (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93				 2.59 
15. Hans De Meester (Bel) Tonissteiner-Colnago				 3.08 
16. Laurent Pillon (Fra) Mutuelle/Festina				 3.11 
17. Karl Pauwels (Bel) Palmans-Ideal					 3.17 
18. Claude Lamour (Fra) Mutuelle/Festina				 4.39 
19. Marco Gili (Ita) Kross-Selle Italia					 4.42 
20. Carlo Meneghetti (Ita) VC Roubaix					 4.43 
21. Stefan van Dijk (Ned) Rabobank Elite				 4.44 
22. Danny Van Looy (Bel) Turnhout					 4.45 
23. Stephane Hennebert (Bel) Ipso					 4.57 
24. Thierry De Groote (Bel) KSV Deerlijk				 5.02 
25. Mathias Buxhofer (Aut) Austria					 5.29 
26. Johan Van Nueten (Bel) WIK Tielen Mapei Rolupo			 5.32 
27. Christoph Roodhooft (Bel) Groeninghe Spurters Kortrijk 
28. Pedro Rubrecht (Bel) KSV Deerlijk 
29. Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
30. Marcel Duijn (Ned) Rabobank Elite 
31. Bart Brentjens (Ned) (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi 
32. Rudi Kemna (Ned) Giant						 5.53 
33. Gert Vanderaerden (Bel) Palmans-Ideal				 6.34 
34. Andy Flickinger (Fra) France Track					 6.51 
35. Kristof Trouve (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002				 7.44 
36. Davy Delme (Bel) Tönnisteiner-Colnago				 9.05 
37. Goswin Laplasse (Bel) ITC Baardegem 				 9.06 
38. Jochen Summer (Aut) Austria 					 9.35 
39. Casper van der Meer (Ned) Groeninghe Spurters Kortrijk 
40. Olivier Penny (Swi) WSC Merelbeke 
41. Inaki Barrenechea (Spa) 
42. Jerôme Bernard (Fra) Mutuelle/Festina 
43. Franky De Buyst (Bel) Tönnisteiner-Colnago 				10.00 
44. Edwin Dunning (Ned) Topteam Tegeltoko 				10.03 
45. Wim Omloop (Bel) Spar-RDM 						10.06 
46. Maarten Nijland (Ned) Giant 					10.09 
47. Carlo Bomans (Bel) Palmans-Ideal 					10.13 
48. Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi 			11.39 
49. Brian Dalgaard Jensen (Den) Spar-RDM 				11.55 
50. Leif Hoste (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 					11.57

Complete Starting List

Vlaanderen 2002			Kross-Selle Italia
(Bel-Pro)			(Ita-Pro)

1. Cretskens Wilfried		7. Pulnikov Vladimir
2. Gerits Kris			8. Mondini Gianpaolo
3. Trouvé Kristof		9. Frigo Fulvio
4. Hoste Leif			10. Citracca Angelo
5. Verstrepen Johan		11. Gili Marco
6. Vereecke Karel		12. Vergnani Marco

Collstrop			Mutuelle/Festina (Mix)
(Bel-Pro)			(Fra-Pro)

13. Baeyens Danny		19. Bernard Jerôme
14. Bracke Tony			20. Lamour Claude
15. Chanoine Marc		21. Pillon Laurent
16. Daelman Danny		22. Talmant Gilles
17. De Clercq Eric		23. Korff André
18. Desmet Tom			24. Wüst Marcel

Palmans-Ideal			Home Market-Charleroi
(Bel-Pro)			(Bel-Pro)

25. Bomans Carlo		31. Assez Ronny
26. De Clercq Hans		32. Capelle Ludovic
27. Hammond Roger		33. Debuysschere Jürgen
28. Hoj Frank			34. Demarbaix Sebastien
29. De Clercq Mario		35. Hernandez Romeo
30. Vermeersch Jürgen		36. Heynderickx Jean-Pierre

Spar-RDM			Tönnisteiner-Colnago
(Bel-Pro)			(Bel-Pro)

37. Omloop Wim			43. De Meester Hans
38. Omloop Geert		44. De Buyst Franky
39. Van Slycke Rik		45. Torrekens Eddy
40. De Wilde Etienne		46. Herijgers Paul
41. Claeys Rik			47. Delme Davy
42. Polansky Roman		48. Hordijk Jan

Lada-Vizir			Big Mat-Auber 93
(Rus-Pro)			(Fra-Pro)

49. Khamidouline Pavel		55. Auger Guillaume
50. Kornatov Aleksandr		56. Auger Ludovic
51. Koudriavtsev Nikolai	57. Dacruz Carlos
52. Kravtsov Ivan		58. Hatton Sebastien
53. Mikhailov Guennadi		59. Ravaleu Stéphane
54. Zakirov Faat		60. Sivakov Alexei

France (Track)			Rabobank
(Fra-Elite)			(Ned-Elite)

61. Anquetil Sylvain		67. Van Dijk Stefan
62. Ermenault Philippe		68. Duijn Marcel
63. Neuville Jerôme		69. Hayman Mathieu
64. Flickinger Andy		70. Pronk Mathé
65. Monin Jean. Michel		71. Veenstra Wopke
66. Merciris Fabrice		72. Schep Peter

Austria				Switzerland
(Aut-Elite)			(Swi-Elite)

73. Buxhofer Mathias		79. Piraino Adriano
74. Müller Dietmar		80. Struby Adrian
75. Mühlbacher Thomas		81. Uhr Thomas
76. Riedesser Patrick		82. Leuenberg Samuel
77. Summer Jochen		83. Bergmann Reto
78. Wrolich Peter		84. Grass Frederic

WIK Tielen Mapei Rolupo		Giant
(Bel-Elite)			(Ned) Elite

85. Verdonck Rudy		91. Boom Bart
86. Patry Marc			92. Kemna Rudy
87. Matthys Kris		93. Van Schalen Paul
88. Theunis Wesley		94. De Louw Lucien
89. Verstraeten Jan		95. Nijland Marteen
90. Van Nueten Johan		96. Ribbers Arjan

Groeninghe Spurters Kortrijk	Turnhout
(Bel) Elite			(Bel-Elite)

97. Strynckx Nico		103. In’t Ven Danny
98. De Waele Bert		104. Freyne Kristof
99. Vandermeer Casper (NL)	105. Goettschalckx Marc
100. Peys Peter			106. Grimon Stéphane
101. Roodhooft Christophe	107. Millen Michaël
102. Van Stockstraeten Bart	108. Vranckx Jef

ITC Baardegem			VC Roubaix
(Bel-Elite)			(Fra-Elite)

109. Laplasse Goswin		115. Dedoncker Cedric
110. Landrie Jürgen		116. Laloux Guillaume
111. Naessens Michael		117. L’Hote Nicolas
112. Keppens Joran		118. Meneghetti Carlo
113. Theuws Bart		119. Moreels Vincent
114. Wynant Davy		120. Vasseur Loïc

Topteam Tegeltoko		WSC Merelbeke
(Ned-Elite)			(Bel) Elite

121. Cordes Tom			127. Everaert Bart
122. Dunning Edwin		128. Penney Oliver
123. Gosink Bennie		129. Cornette Giovanni
124. Slagter Jeroen		130. Deduytsche Luc
125. Van den Steen Niels	131. Godefroot Christ
126. De Koning Louis		132. D’Hauwe Garry

Ipso-Eurosoap			Cofidis
(Bel-Pro)			(Fra-Pro)

133. Beeckman Koen		139. Delbove Jerôme
134. De Smet Andy		140. Gwiazdowski Grzegorz
135. Heirwegh Bart		141. Moreau Francis
136. Pankov Oleg		142. Plouhinec Samuel
137. Verbeken Peter		143. Saugrain Cyril
138. Hennebert Stéphane		144. Plaza David

KSV Deerlijk 			MGI Fietsen Elite
(Bel-Elite)			(Ned-Elite)

145. De Clerck Ward		151.   ?
146. Bral Dimitri		152.   ?
147. De Groote Thierry		153.   ?
148. Mestdagh Jürgen		154.   ?
149. Rubrecht Pedro		155.   ?
150. Boerjan Kurt		156.   ?
Complete starting list from Daniel Schamps, Paris