Past Winners
Brief:For two years in the 1990s the race died, and then last year it was reborn with Tom Steels as the winner. This year, it has sprung to life with 200 riders starting in the Merskemse Bredabaan. For the Schaal Sels, which began in 1921, this is a great return after being nearly dead. 25 teams, 200 riders. And a top class field. The Italian team of Cantina Tollo, and the Danish teams of Jack and Jones and Acceptcard gave remained in the region after the Tour of the Netherlands and will be starting. But the local teams are also well represented with the two top teams of Vlaanderen 2002 and Lotto starting. Both rode in Plouay last Sunday and Ludo Dierckxsens took second place. He is also the favourite for the Schaal Sels. Tom Steels is not riding the Vuelta. He stated earlier on Tuesday that he would be starting.Steels has recently race in Germany in 3 criteriums. How did he feel? "After a short rest period I wanted to see how I was going. On Thursday I raced at Overijse, and then I rode for 3 days in Germany. They were short races but very fast. Sunday, I came third on the final race and I was second in the final GC (Coca Cola Cup). For each race I had already been training so that I would be in good shape for the rest of the season. In the Schaal Sels a team of 5 riders cannot control the race in a field of 200. So it will be a lottery at the end. After this I will go to the Meulebeke and Bavikhove, and then to Paris-Brussel. But I am really aiming fo Paris-Tours. That is the big race left for me and first I will go to Italy for some races and also the Ronde van Puglia." The 73rd edition of the Schaal Sels started with Johan Verstrepen attempting two times to get away in the company of Cees Hopmans. The duo built a lead at the halfway mark of around 6 minutes until the Rabobank and Mapei-Bricobi teams reacted. Tom Steels, winner last year, and Peeters, Leysen, Mattan and stagiairs Huvaere and Van Nueten were strong and it looked like it would finish in a mass sprint. With 45 kms to the go Michaelsen, Pauwels, De Buyst, Desmet and Van Slycke formed a group at the front. But Rabobank never gave the attackers more than a 30 second gap. The third real attack of the day proved to be the winning one. Jo Planckaert, Raymond Meys, Karl Pauwels and Danny Nelissen attacked and after 10 kms had a 20 second gap, and they knew in the final kms that this would be enough. "Nelissen must be given the credit for the attack", said Planckaert. "The Dutchman was clearly the strongest of the four. I was spent at the end and all I could do was follow. No wonder that I had no legs in the sprint. Conclusion: my condition is not as good as I could wish for. I will try myself at Paris-Brussel and Paris-Tours but it will only improve a little I think. Danny Nelissen, rode well yesterday and ended a black period. "After falling at the Ronde van Vlaanderen, I have suffered from a bad back. I have now given something back to my team Jack and Jones. It is a good team and this is a great signal for the new year." Merksem, 195 kms:1. Danny Nelissen (Ned) Team Home Jack and Jones 4.25.44 2. Jo Planckaert (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 3. Raymond Meijs (Ned) Team Gerolsteiner 0.02 4. Carl Pauwels (Bel) Palmans-Ideal 5. Hendrik Van Dijck (Bel) TVM 0.33 6. Jurgen Debuysscheere (Bel) 0.35 7. Danilo Hondo (Ger) Agro Adler-Brandenburg 8. Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi 9. Lars Michaelsen (Den) TVM 10. Chris Peers (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 11. Tom Desmet (Bel) Collstrop 12. Jan Hordijk (Ned) Tonnissteiner 0.35 13. Michel Cornelisse (Ned) Spar-RDM 14. Soren Petersen (Den) Accept Card Pro Cycling 15. Mario Gutte (Ned) Piels Elite 16. Jans Koerts (Ned) Rabobank 17. Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 18. Tim Lenaers (Bel) Collstrop 19. Sascha Henrix (Ger) Team Gerolsteiner 20. Brian Dalgaard Jensen (Den) Spar-RDM 0.35 21. Hans De Meester (Bel) Tonissteiner 22. Mirko Schlittchen (Ger) Nurnberger 23. Peter Van Hoof (Bel) Elite 24. Chris Deckers (Bel) Elite 25. Danny Daelman (Bel) Collstrop 26. James Canevet (Fra) Tonissteiner 27. Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Vlaanderen 200 28. Dimitri Weeland (Bel) Elite 29. Hans De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Ideal 30. Christophe Detilloux (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar Started: 167 Past Winners1921 René Vermandel (Bel) 1923 René Vermandel (Bel) 1924 Jules Matton (Bel) 1925 Georges Ronsse (Bel) 1926 Jan Mertens (Bel) 1927 Oscar Houtmans (Bel) 1928 Alex Maes (Bel) 1929 Alfred Haemerlinck (Bel) 1930 Frans Bonduel (Bel) 1931 Odile Van Hevel (Bel) 1932 Maurice Croon (Bel) 1933 Sylvaere Maes (Bel) 1934 Leopold De Rijck (Bel) 1935 Sylvain Grysolle (Bel) 1936 Sylvain Grysolle (Bel) 1937 Frans Bonduel (Bel) 1938 Frans Spiessens (Bel) 1941 Maurice Clautier (Bel) 1942 Gustave Van Overloop (Bel) 1943 André Defoort (Bel) 1946 Jérôme Dufromont (Bel) 1947 August Van Mierlo (Bel) 1948 Joseph Debeuckelaer (Bel) 1949 Edward Peeters (Bel) 1950 Ernest Sterckx (Bel) 1951 Lucien Matthijs (Bel) 1952 Marcel Dierckens (Bel) 1953 Gérard Buyl & R. Mertens (Bel) 1954 C. Ockers & H. Jochums (Bel) 1955 Joseph Marien (Bel) 1956 Joseph Schils (Bel) 1957 Rik Van Looy (Bel) 1958 Joseph Vloeberghs (Bel) 1959 Willy Vanderberghen (Bel) 1960 Gustave Desmet (Bel) 1961 Joseph Hoevenaers (Bel) 1962 Jan Lauwers (Bel) 1963 Victor Van Schil (Bel) 1964 Martin Vandenbossche (Bel) 1965 Roger Rosiers (Bel) 1966 Edward Sels (Bel) 1967 Joseph Boons (Bel) 1968 Edward Sels (Bel) 1969 Joseph Huysmans (Bel) 1970 Herman Vanspringel (Bel) 1971 Herman Vrijders (Bel) 1972 Noél Vantyghem (Bel) 1973 August Herrygers (Bel) 1974 Frans Van Looy (Bel) 1975 Joseph Jacobs (Bel) 1976 Marcel Van der Slagmolen (Bel) 1977 Emiel Gijsemans (Bel) 1978 Ludo Peeters (Bel) 1979 Joseph Jacobs (Bel) 1980 Benjamin Vermeulen (Bel) 1981 Walter Schoonjans (Bel) 1982 Jan Bogaert (Bel) 1983 René Martens (Bel) 1984 Gery Verlinden (Bel) 1985 Luz Govaerts (Bel) 1986 Frank Verleyen (Bel) 1987 Ludo De Keulenaér (Bel) 1988 Patrick Verschueren (Bel) 1989 ? 1990 Peter Spaenhoven (Bel) 1991 Edwig Van Hooydonck (Bel) 1992 Wilfried Peeters (Bel) 1993 Carl Roes (Bel) Amateur 1994 ? 1995 Bart Leysen (Bel) 1996 Glenn D'Hollander (Bel) 1997: 1. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei 4.19.44 2. Jo Planckaert (Bel) Lotto 3. Jans Koerts (Ned) RabobankPast Winners by Mario Stiehl, Berlin |