Hasselt-Spa-Hasselt, Cat 1.5

Report

"I won the Ronde van Vlaanderen for Juniors seven years ago. It is perhaps rare. A qualified engineer who is a bike racer. If I hadn't had gone to the Univerisity of Leuven I would have tried a professional career. I decided I wanted to earn more than most of the Belgian professionals. But I would have regretted it later if I had not have tried to be a professional. That is my ambition. Perhaps I will fail. That is in the future."

During the race, Dierckx had to ride like an engineer. "Certainly, I had to overcome the winning moves of the Vlaanderen 2002 and ASLK riders. They had 12 riders leading." There were also some Italian colours prominent. For Ivan Basso, no relation to the former World Champion Marino, was really hammering. He was away for 60 km, but he could not hold on to the end. At the climb of Mont Theux he tried again, this time with fellow Italian Di Luca. The two of them gained almost a minute on the peloton before being brought back. Then Cretskens and Baeyens provoked a dangerous break with Verdonck, Van Asten, Vurens, Omloop, De Smet and Lauk. There were no Italians in this move. At the Hallembaye there was a small break again. With 4 at the front and a group of 12 close behing. They never got more than 30 seconds with 20 kms left and in the end were brought back so that there was a mass sprint of around 50 riders.

Hasselt-Spa-Hasselt, 190 kms:

 1. Koen Dierickx (Bel) Elite			4.34.15 (avs 41.367 km)
 2. Nico Vuurens (Ned) Elite
 3. Erwin Bollen (Bel) Elite
 4. Danilo di Luca (Ita) Riso Scotti
 5. Geert Verdeyen (Bel) Elite
 6. Wim Omloop (Bel) Spar
 7. Tom Desmet (Bel) Collstrop
 8. Peter Peys (Bel) Elite
 9. Dimitri Bral (Bel) Elite
10. Bart Evraert (Bel) Elite
11. Karel Vereecke (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
12. Ronny Van Asten (Bel) Elite
13. Tom Eyckmans (Bel) Elite
14. Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
15. Koen Heremans (Bel) Elite
16. Pascal Lievens
17. Kristof Vancauteren
18. Leif Hoste (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
19. Kristof Trouvé (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
20. Filippo Perfetto (Ita)
21. Jurgen Van Roosbroeck 
22. Frédéric Sirjacobs 
23. Bert De Waele 
24. Ward De Clerck 
25. Goswin Laplasse 
26. Wesley Van Speybroeck
27. Stive Vermaut (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
28. Dany Bayens (Bel) Collstrop
29. Dimitri Weeland (Ned) 
30. Stijn De Schoenmaecker 
31. Olivier Penney (Swi) 
32. Oscar Pineda (USA) 
33. Jens Van Laer 
34. Rik Claeys (Bel) Spar
35. Kris De Coen 
36. Kenneth Mercken 
37. Joachim Poortmans 
38. Erik Lievens 
39. Danny Dierckx 
40. Andy Cappelle 
41. Jurgen Mestdagh 
42. Bart Vanstockstraeten 
43. Thierry De Groote 
44. Esa Skytt&aauml (Fin) 
45. Koen Das 
46. Andres Lauk (Est) 
47. Mario Appermans 
48. Sven Dury 
49. Glenn D'Hollander (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
50. Philip Vereecke (Bel) Collstrop

Started 135