11th Heuvelland Tweedaagse - SC

Netherlands, August 25-26, 2001

Stage 1 - August 25: Klimmen to Klimmen, 106 km

Jukka does it again

By Bert Saarloos, Dagblad de Limburger

Although the little fellow from Finland was under a lot of pressure, Jukka Vastaranta lived up to his role as top favourite in the Heuvelland Tweedaagse, the seventh World Cup race (or officially Super Calendar) for juniors. Vastaranta won the first stage after an almost start to finish breakaway.

He had never such a fuss about his person in his life. Today he featured in a half a page covering interview in one of the biggest newspapers in the Netherlands, the local Dagblad De Limburger (The same interview you will find on Cyclingnews soon). As a result a lot of people and reporters came to see this wonder on wheels, already winner of three out of six WC races, and that as a first year junior (17 years of ago). Also a lot of riders were curious and were watching him very closely in the race. Vastaranta didn't bother about both. He stayed relaxed and friendly under all the attention and in the race he let his legs speak.

The race was barely on the road and the young Fin already took command. It was after only 4 km that he reacted when the Estonian Risto Usin sprinted for the GPM points on the Fromberg and Vastaranta, guest rider for the local TWC Maaslandster team, pulled through after the top. Only Usin, Belgian Michael van Poucke (Kortrijk-Groeninge Spurters), German Christoph Meschenmoser (Württemberg) and the Dutch riders Tom Veelers (District East Netherlands), Johnny Hoogerland, Martijn Maaskant (both Rabobank) and Bart Oegema (District Noord-Holland) could follow.

The group quickly built a lead of 50 seconds, but since quite a lot of teams were not represented in the break, the peloton did not let go. When the lead had shrunk to 25 seconds three riders jumped to the leading group: Steven Schevenels (Bel, Kortrijk), Kor Steenbergen (Ned, Rabobank) and Onno Gerristen (Ned, District South West).

Steenbergen immediately tried it on his own. He took 1'00 with the help of his team mates Hoogerland and Maaskant, breaking the pace in the chasing group. Then Vastaranta countered. With Van Poucke in his wheel he quickly bridged the gap in the last lap of 21.2 km. Although Steenbergen and Van Poucke did barely or no leading work, Vastaranta outsprinted both of them on the finish uphill in Klimmen. The first of the chasers arrived at 2'32" and behind the field was completely scattered as a result of the hot weather (34 degrees) and the hilly terrain.

Tomorrow there are two stages: a road race of 84 km and an individual time trial of 9.8 km.

Results

1 Jukka Vastaranta (Fin) TWC Maaslandster                3.03.27 (34.7 km/h)
2 Kor Steenbergen (Ned) Rabobank                            0.03
3 Michael Van Poucke (Bel) Kortrijk Groenige Spurters       0.10
4 Johnny Hoogerland, (Ned) Rabobank                         2.32
5 Reinier Honig (Ned) District Zuid West
6 Risto Usin (Est) Estonian National Team                   3.31
7 Onno Gerritsen (Ned) District Zuid West
8 Marcel Beima (Ned) District Noord Bional                  3.34
9 Ries van der Sanden (Ned) District Zuid-Oost              3.37
10 Erwin den Hollander (Ned) District Zuid West             4.27
11 Christoph Meschenmoser (Ger) Wurttemberg
12 Johan Sermon (Bel) Think Media Cycling Team              7.03
13 Bart Oegema (Ned) District Noord Holland                 7.09
14 Norbert Poels (Ned) Rabobank                             7.12
15 Jules Bremers (Ned) TWC Maaslandster                     7.13
16 Dumitru Creciun (Mda) Moldavian National Team            7.15
17 Dirk Hoorelbeke (Bel) KSV Deerlijk                       7.18
18 Steven Schevenels (Bel) Kortrijk Groenige Spurters       7.21
19Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Kortrijk Groenige Spurters    7.22
20 Aloys van Duuren (Ned) District Noord Bional             7.26
21 Tom Veelers (Ned) District Oost                          7.59
22 Christoph Janssens (Bel) Sweet Paradise Cycling Team     8.04
23 Olivier Maertens (Bel) KSV Deerlijk                      8.06
24 Maikel Paas (Ned) TWC Maaslandster                       8.11
25 Jochem Beernaert (Bel) KSV Deerlijk                      8.14
26 Evghenii Gutalov (Mda) Moldavian National Team           8.19
27 Anton Wouters (Bel) Sweet Paradise Cycling Team          8.23
28 Kenny Latomme (Bel) Think Media Cycling Team             8.34
29 Niek Asbroek (Ned) District Oost                         8.40
30 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Rabobank                          9.12
31 Steven Peters (Ned) Rabobank                            10.01
32 Bart Dirks (Ned) District Zuid-Oost                     10.02
33 Remco Siebring (Ned) District Noord Bional              10.07
34 Zjef Janssen (Bel) Sport & Steun Leopoldsburg           11.55
35 Gill Suray (Bel) Kortrijk Groenige Spurters             11.57
36 Gregor Kodric (Slo) Slovenian National Team             11.58
37 Ruslan Sambrisi (Mda) Moldavian National Team           12.04
38 Rick Flens (Ned) District Noord Holland                 12.09
39 Marco Briers (Bel) Sweet Paradise Cycling Team          12.31
40 Jens Petrol (Ger) German National Team                  14.37
41 Jochen Uhrig (Ger) German National Team                 14.54
42 Thorsten Struch (Ger) Wurttemberg                       14.58
43 Sven Krauss (Ger) Wurttemberg                           15.05
44 Julian Siemens (Ned) District Noord Bional              16.04
45 Camiel Denis (Ned) District Zuid-Oost
46 Erwin Goenga (Ned) District Noord Holland 
47 Constantin Barcaci (Mda) Moldavian National Team
48 Hareld Guttink (Ned) District Noord Bional 
49 Tom Vastmans (Bel) Sport & Steun Leopoldsburg
50 Gasper Pilar (Slo) Slovenian National Team
51 Jan Vanhoutte (Bel) KSV Deerlijk 
52 Dieter Cappelle (Bel) Kortrijk Groenige Spurters 
53 Job Vissers (Ned) District Zuid-Oost 
54 Wim Van Moer (Bel) Think Media Cycling Team
55 Bert Van der Hasselt (Bel) Sweet Paradise Cycling Team 
56 Niki Terpstra (Ned) District Noord-Holland
57 Romet Puuram (Est) Estonian National Team
58 Mark Aarts (Ned) District Zuid-West
59 Frank Mutschler (Ger) Wurttemberg                       16.48
60 Nicolas Bassdorf (Ger) German National Team             17.18
61 Tom Willems (Bel) Sport en Steun Leopoldsburg           17.23
62 Jef Van Dijck (Bel) Sweet Paradise Cycling Team         17.47
 
85 starters
 
Points
 
1 Jukka Vastaranta (Fin) TWC Maaslandster                     15 pts
2 Kor Steenbergen (Ned) Rabobank                              12
3 Michael Van Poucke (Bel) Kortrijk Groenige Spurters         10
 
Mountains
 
1 Kor Steenbergen (Ned) Rabobank                              24
2 Risto Usin (Est) Estonian National Team                     21
3 Michael Van Poucke (Bel) Kortrijk Groenige Spurters         19
4 Jukka Vastaranta (Fin) TWC Maaslandster                     18
 
Sprints
 
1 Risto Usin (Est) Estonian National Team                     13
2 Jukka Vastaranta (Fin) TWC Maaslandster                     8
3 Kor Steenbergen (Ned) Rabobank                              8
 
Teams
 
1 Rabobank Wielerploeg                                   9.20.08
2 District Zuid West                                        0.43
3 Kortrijk Groenige Spurters                                5.06
4 TWC Maaslandster (Ned)                                    5.37