G.P. Ostenfenster - Cat. 1.5

Luxembourg, March 12, 2000

Results    Past Winners

Dessel in controversial win

By Daniel Schamps

Rather cold (but dry) weather on the 16th Ost Fenster GP today. 140 starters in 18 teams (GS2 : Fakta, Gerolsteiner, St Quentin-Oktos, Besson, Jean Delatour, Bonjour, Team Nürnberger and Tönissteiner (with J.Bo Pedersen from Ville de Charleroi) and GS3 De Nardi. Other teams were elite without contract teams from Luxembourg, Netherlands and Belgium). Eight 20km laps to cover on a very nice scenic railway circuit through the countryside between Echternach and Grevenmacher. There are some great names in the honours list of the race (Bjarne Riis as amateur in 1985 and as pro in 1996), Kim Kirchen (twice in 1998 and 1999) and Thomas Barth in 1989.

The race was clear but the finsh a bit confusing. Nothing happened for forty kilometres, but then 19 men broke free and were never caught by the bunch. Nicki Sorensen, Danny Jonasson, Jacob Gram Nielsen and Morten Sonne (from Fakta), Filip and Walzer (Gerolsteiner), Clain, Yakovlev and Dumont (Besson), André van de Reep (elite without contract from NL, team Van Vliet-Weba), Dessel (Jean Delatour), Chavanel, Gabriel, Lelarge and Perraudeau (Bonjour), Dietz and Liese (Nürnberger), Jan-Erik Ostergaard (CCI Differdange) and Jörgen Bo Pedersen (Ville de Charleroi), who won the event in 1994.

During the last lap (when the sun broke through the clouds at last), van de Reep first and then J. G. Nielsen were dropped, unable to follow the pace of the other 17 leaders. In the closing stage Clain tried his luck on his own ("I knew Perraudeau was fast because he beat me a week before in Lillers in the bunch sprint. That is why I tried my best to move clear"), as did Ostergaard with two kilometres to go but the Bonjour and Fakta riders were strong and the sprint unavoidable.

Perraudeau started his move at the 300m-to-go but Dessel was in close attendance and began to overtake him. Perraudeau moved from the right to the left side of the road, pressing Dessel on the barriers, forcing him to freewheel and begin a new sprint with 100m to go. Too late, the line was there and Perraudeau beat Dessel by one length. The three other Bonjour riders of the group already celebrated Perraudeau's victory as Dessel protested to the UCI commissaires. Fortunately for him (but unfortunately for Perraudeau) a film proved he was right and Perraudeau did not climb on the rostrum. Although it would have been his first pro victory, Perraudeau was placed at the end of the leading group (17th).

"Of course I would have preferred to cross the line in first place but after all I'm the victor," said Dessel afterwards.

Results

1 Cyril Dessel (Fra) Jean Delatour                          3.57.24
2 Médéric Clain (Fra) Besson Chaussures 
3 Jan Ostergaard (Den) CCI Differdange
4 Jorgen Bo Petersen (Den) Ville de Charleroi-Newsystems 
5 Danny Jonasson (Den) Fakta 
6 Andreas Walzer (Ger) Gerolsteiner 
7 Noan Lelarge (Fra) Bonjour-Toupargel 
8 Serguei Yakovlev (Kaz) Besson Chaussures 
9 Morten Sonne (Den) Fakta 
10 Nicki Sorensen (Den) Fakta
11 Branko Filip (Slo) Gerolsteiner
12 Nicolas Dumont (Fra) Besson Chaussures
13 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Bonjour-Toupargel
14 Bert Dietz (Ger) Team Nürnberger
15 Olivier Pereaudeau (Fra) Bonjour-Toupargel
16 Thomas Liese (Ger) Team Nürnberger                          0.10
17 Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) Bonjour-Toupargel                    0.13
18 André Van De Reep (Ned) Van Vliet-Weba                      5.18
19 Jakob Gram Nielsen (Den) Fakta
20 Christophe Gauthier (Fra) Besson Chaussures                 7.41
21 Jimmy Hansen (Den) Fakta                                    7.46
22 Claus Holm (Den) Fakta                                      7.46
23 Cédric Flasse (Bel)                                         8.09
24 Pascal Triebel (Lux) CCI Differdange
25 Klaus Diewald (Ger) Team Nürnberger                        11.08
26 Kim Kirchen (Lux) De Nardi-Pasta Montegrappa Cycling
27 Marc Vanacker (Lux)
28 Danny Swinnen (Bel) CCI Differdange
29 Henrik Oldin (Swe)
30 Niclas Ekström (Swe) Tönissteiner-Landbouwkrediet
31 Guido Mutsaars (Ned)
32 Filip Monsieurs (Fra)
33 Jonas Emmanuelson (Swe) Tönissteiner-Landbouwkrediet
34 Christophe Morel (Fra) Besson Chaussures                   11.16
35 Dirk Baldinger (Ger) Team Nürnberger
36 Jörn Reuss (Ger) Team Nürnberger
37 Franck Bouyer (Fra) Bonjour-Toupargel
38 Steve Fogen (Lux)
39 Michael Andersson (Swe) De Nardi-Montegrappa
40 Serguei Belousov (Kaz) Besson Chaussures
41 Camiel Soesbergen (Ned)
42 Christian Poos (Lux) Post Swiss Team
43 Andreas Sauerborn (Ger) Gerolsteiner
44 Francisque Teyssier (Fra) Jean Delatour
45 Christophe Faudot (Fra) Bonjour-Toupargel
46 Eddy Lembo (Fra) Jean Delatour
47 Heinrich Trumheller (Ger) Team Nürnberger
48 Lennie Kristensen (Den) Fakta
49 Sébastien Laroche (Fra) Besson Chaussures
50 Goran Jensen (Den) CCI Differdange
51 Freddy Ravaleu (Fra) VC Saint-Quentin-Oktos

Thanks to Thill Fernand for complete results
       

1985 Bjarne Riis (Den)
1986 Mezzapesa Enzo (Lux)
1987 Plambeck Frank (Lux)
1988 Dijkermann marco (Ned)
1989 Barth Thomas (Ger)
1990 Williams Dylan (GBr)
1991 Williams Dylan (GBr)
1992 Dulon Olivier (Bel)
1993 Buelens Johan (Bel)
1994 Jörgen Bo Petersen (Den)
1995 Triebel Pascal (Lux)
1996 Bjarne Riis (Den)
1997 Nico Strynckx (Bel)
1998 Kirchen Kim (Lux)
1999 Kirchen Kim (Lux)
2000 Cyril Dessel (Fra)

Past winners courtesy of Daniel Schamps