25th Grand Prix Pino Cerami - Cat. 1.3
Belgium, April 7, 2000
1999 results Past
winners
Bratkowski from Mercury
Mercury's success "across the pond" continues, after they recorded
another victory today in the Belgian 1.3 race, GP Pino Cerami. A reasonably
fast (43.00 km/h) 181 kilometre race ended in a six man sprint, which
was won by German Jan Bratkowski, from Tönnisteiner's Michel van Haecke
(6th Gent-Wevelgem) and Farm Frites' Miquel van Kessel.
The course was a 105 kilometre loop followed by 4.5 laps of a 16.7
kilometre finishing circuit, that included two steep climbs which were
instrumental in deciding the race. After a fast start where no-one could
get away, three riders attacked at the 80 kilometre point (Mondini,
Przydzail and Couffe). The trio gained up to four minutes before being
eventually being chased down on the finishing circuit.
The Italian teams initiated the chase, and then some of the other
teams took up the fight. Mercury's Jamie Drew (Aus) and Mike Sayers
(USA) managed to join a promising eight man break that gained 15 seconds,
but it was not enough. Cofidis' Niko Eeckhout (one of the pre-race favourites)
was also prominent in many moves, but wasted a lot of energy in being
a part of many of them.
With two laps to go, Linda McCartney's Max Sciandri attacked with
Chris Horner (Mercury) with six other riders to no avail. It was going
to come down to a sprint from a largely thinned peloton. The sprinters
teams massed at the front and Mercury were trying to set it up for Bratkowski,
as their other fast man, Gord Fraser had gone back to Canada.
It was essential to gain position for the sprint by the hill at 3.4
kilometres to go, and a winning break emerged over the top. Bratkowski,
Van Haecke, Eeckhout, Van Kessel, Nicky Sörensen (Fakta) and Michael
Lafis (Farm Frites). Two Farm Frites riders and that was the race, but
they didn't manage to win. Bratkowski was clearly the best sprinter,
beating Van Haecke and Van Kessel to the line, with Eeckhout taking
fourth.
Scott Sunderland (Palmans) rode the race as well, however he was still
clearly suffering from his efforts in the Ronde last weekend. He rode
120 kilometres before calling it quits, "a good training ride". In other
news, Farm Frites' Glenn Magnusson (Swe) was involved in a fall and
broke his collarbone.
Results - 181 kms
1. Jan Bratkowski (Ger) Mercury 4.12.00 (43.09 km/h)
2. Michel Van Haecke (Bel) Tönissteiner
3. Miguel Van Kessel (Ned) Farm Frites
4. Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Palmans
5. Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Fakta 0.01
6. M.Lafis (Swe) Farm Frites 0.02
7. Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Charleroi 0.08
8. Alexander Usov (Blr) Phonak
9. Emmanuele Negrini (Ita) Cantina Tollo
10. Sven Teutenberg (Ger) Team Gerolsteiner
11. Saulius Ruskys (Ltu) VC Saint-Quentin-Oktos
12. Danny Jonasson (Den) Fakta
13. Marco Antonio Di Renzo (Ita) Cantina Tollo-Regain
14. Ronny Assez (Bel) Flanders-Prefetex
15. Michael Barry (Can) Saturn Cycling Team
16. Piotr Wadecki (Pol) Mróz-Supradyn Witamin
17. Carlos Dacruz (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
18. Jens Zemke (Ger) Team Nürnberger
19. Steven Kleynen (Bel) Farm Frites
20. Pieter Vries (Ned) Farm Frites
21. Giancarlo Raimondi (Ita) Liquigas-Pata
22. Bert Dietz (Ger) Team Nürnberger
23. Oleg Pankov (Ukr) Collstrop
24. Paolo Bossoni (Ita) Cantina Tollo-Regain
25. Raymond Meijs (Hol) Team Cologne
26. Gianpaolo Mondini (Ita) Cantina Tollo-Regain
27. Artur Babaitsev (Rus) Team Nürnberger
28. Lukas Zumsteg (Swi) Team Phonak
29. Oleg Kozlitine (Kaz) Saint-Quentin Oktos
30. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat Auber 93
Past Winners
1964 André Noyelle (Bel)
1965 Jan Boonen (Bel)
1966 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1967 Willy Planckaert (Bel)
1968 Julien Stevens (Bel)
1969 Frans Mintjens (Bel)
1970 André Dierickx (Bel)
1971 Georges Van Coningsloo (Bel)
1972 Christian Callens (Bel)
1973 Ferdinand Bracke (Bel)
1974 Marc Demeyer (Bel)
1975 Eddy Verstraeten (Bel)
1976 Willy Teirlinck (Bel)
1977 Joseph Jacobs (Bel)
1978 Gerrie Knetemann (Ned)
1979 Daniel Verplancke (Bel)
1980 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned)
1981 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned)
1982 Ronny Van Holen (Ned)
1983 Bernard Hinault (Fra)
1984 Gerrie Knetemann (Ned)
1985 Paul Haghedooren (Bel)
1986 Urs Freuler (Swi)
1987 Rolf Sörensen (Den)
1988 John Talen (Ned)
1989 Stefan Joho (Swi)
1990 Maximilian Sciandri (Ita)
1991 Andrej Tchmil (Mol)
1992 Laurent Dufaux (Swi)
1994 Michele Bartoli (Ita)
1995 Fabiano Fontanelli (Ita)
1996 Marco Serpellini (Ita)
1997 Race Cancelled
1998 Marco Serpellini (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 199 kms in 4.43.00 (42.402)
1999 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Team Polti 199 kms in 4.50.00
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