54th Nokere Koerse, Cat 1.4

1998 Results     Race Distance - 192 kms: Last year Scott Sunderland won this 53rd edition of the Nokere Koerse. This year he is struggling to get back to racing after being hit by Cees Priem during the Amstel Gold Race last year. The Nokere Koerse is based around the cobbled Nokereberg in East Flanders. Indeed, the highest placed rider in this race who hails from East Flanders is awarded the Championship of the Province. Thousand of spectators usually crowd the Nokereberg to watch the action. A dull race but a great finale. That was the 1999 Nokere Koerse. The race really didn't come alive until the last 50 kms. Prior to that the action had come from the Ralf Grabsch-Bo Larsen duo. They attacked after only 24 kms. Grabsch was caught with 3 laps to go and former Danish Champion Bo Larsen was brought back a lap later. The peloton let the duo take a maximum lead of 8 minutes but only started to get serious in the last hour of the race. The riders of Rabobank were active on the front once things got moving. Hendrik Van Dyck clipped the wings off an attack by local rider Chris Peers and piloted Jeroen Blijlevens onto the wheel of Jo Planckaert. The rest was easy pickings for the top Dutch sprinter. 1. Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned) TVM-Farm Frites 4.37.00 2. Michel Van Haecke (Bel) Tönissteiner-Colnago 3. Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 4. Jo Planckaert (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 5. Ronny Assez (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi 6. Matthé Pronk (Ned) Rabobank 7. Andy De Smet (Bel) Ipso-Euroclean 8. Franky Van Haesebroucke (Bel) Collstrop 9. Soren Petersen (Den) Accept Card Pro Cycling 10. Johan Capiot (Bel) TVM-Farm Frites 11. Andy Vidts (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 12. Werner Van Dromme (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi 13. Danny Daelman (Bel) Collstrop 14. Bert Hiemstra (Ned) Rabobank 15. Hans De Clercq (Bel) Palmans-Ideal 16. Hans Redant (Bel) Collstrop 17. Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) La Française des Jeux 18. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 19. Michel Cornelisse (Ned) Spar-RDM 20. Angelo Van Melis (Ned) Axa Cycling Team 21. Tim Lenaers (Bel) Ipso-Euroclean 22. Danny Jonasson (Den) Accept Card Pro Cycling 23. Fabian De Waele (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 24. Thierry Masschelein (Bel) 25. John Den Braberr (Ned) Axa Cycling Team 26. Koen Beeckman (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 27. Jurgen De Buysschere (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi 28. Jimmy Casper (Fra) La Française des Jeux 29. Jürgen Vermeersch (Bel) Palmans-Ideal 30. Chris Pollin (Bel) s.t.