Helchteren Kermis, Limburg Professional Title, NE

Belgium, June 4, 1998

Second win for the season for Wim Omloop

Johan Capiot races always with a lot of fire. He swore after the finish because he had missed the crucial break that saw Wim Omloop take his second win of the season and left Capiot to be content with his third Limburg professional title (Capiot was the first Limburger across the line). The race began with 83 riders.

Geert Omloop was very active as was Johan Capiot. At about the half way mark a group of 12 riders went away with Roesems, Verstrepen, Wuyts, Baeyens, De Neef, De Clercq, Dalgaard, Wim Omloop, Swinnen and Koerts. Delme, De Meester, Verbeken and Volar were chasing close behind. Then the front group exploded with Geert and Wim Omloop, Roesems and Wuyts, Baeyens and Koerts lifting the pace and breaking the bunch up. Capiot did not go with them and the "birds had flown".

Wim Omloop is a slim chap of 26-years. As an amateur he won the Ronde van Vlaanderen, but he has remained on the kermis racing circuit as a professional although the terrain doesn't suit him. His win was his second of the season. At the end of last season he was nearly finished. "I had a blood virus. No team was interested in me. But then luckily Gaspard Van Petegem came along with a contract and I am now repaying him."

Helchteren, 167.5 kms:

 1. Wim Omloop (Bel) Spar-RDM  			             3.37.00 (46.313)
 2. Jans Koerts (Ned) Rabobank 					0.52 
 3. Peter Wuyts (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
 4. Geert Omloop (Bel) Spar-RDM  
 5. Dany Baeyens (Bel) Collstrop 
 6. Bert Roesems (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
 7. Hans De Meester (Bel) Tonissteiner  			2.02  
 8. Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
 9. Steven De Neef (Bel) Collstrop 
10. Brian Dalgaard (Den) Spar-RDM  				2.21 
11. Peter Verbeken (Bel) Ipso 
12. Davy Delme (Bel) Tonissteiner
13. Eric De Clercq (Bel) Collstrop 
14. Danny Swinnen (Bel) 
15. Johan Capiot (Bel) TVM-Farm Frites 				2.37 
16. Bart Heirewegh (Bel) Ipso  					4.10 
17. Kris Gerits (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
18. Danny Van Looy (Bel) 
19. Jean-Pierre Heynderickx (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi 
20. Rolf Verhaegen (Bel) 
21. Christ Heyndryckx (Bel) Collstrop 
22. Geert Verheyen (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar  
23. Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 
24. Vadim Volar (Rus) Ispo
25. Johan De Geyter (Bel) Palmans-Ideal 			4.30 
26. Karel Vereecke (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 			5.30 
27. Gunther Cuylits (Bel) 					6.02 
28. Oleg Pankov (Ukr) Ispo
29. Tom Stremersch (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
30. Franky De Buyst (Bel) Tonissteiner				6.02