53rd Ronde Van Limburg - 1.5Netherlands, June 3, 20012000 Results Results Past winners
Kees Jeurissen wins Ronde van LimburgBy Bert Saarloos/Dagblad de Limburger Preview The Ronde van Limburg is, except for the Amstel Gold Race, the toughest race in the Netherlands. The race is held in the same region as the AGR, in the south of the province of Limburg, with a lot of the same climbs, such as the Cauberg. The start and finish are in the town of Stein, also well known for its triathlon events (in 2000 the European Olympic Distance Championships). The Ronde van Limburg is part of the topcompetition of the Dutch cycling union (KNWU). Normally the division II trade team BankGiroLoterij would racec, but the organisers had an understanding with the team not to participate. The Stichting (foundation) Ronde van Limburg wants it to be a race for amateurs (elites without contract) and had only accepted the TT3 Axa Cycling team from the professional ranks. For the year 2002 the organisers have made a request to the UCI for it to be a World Cup race for espoirs (1.7.1). Race The 53rd edition was dogged by extremely bad weather (storms and wind bringing gusts of rain). After 20 km, four riders got away: Luuc Hutten (Rabobank amateurs), New-Zealander Glen Thompson (KED Bianchi Berlin), Wouter Mol (Topteam Cycling 2000, the Australian/Dutch-team which had also Australian champ Steve Williams, TDU stage winner Luke Roberts and Ashley Hutchinson in its ranks) and Frank Kwanten from the Belgian Eycken team (directed by former pro's Jelle Nijdam and Wilfried Nelissen). On the first climb of the Gulperberg (52 km) Hutten left the other three behind. The peloton followed at 1'40". The second time up the Gulperberg (79 km) three riders escaped from the peloton: Joost Posthuma (Löwik-Tegeltoko), Kees Jeurissen (MGI) and Camiel van den Bergh (Rabobank). The three picked the three fugitives behind Hutten - of whom Thompson got a flat tire - and eventually also Hutten (km 85). Just after the Cauberg (km 112) Jeurissen also got a flat tire, but he managed to return quickly to Van den Bergh and Posthuma. The others were left behind and they gave up soon afterwards. At km 125 the peloton - with only about 60 of the 190 started left - regrouped with three in front. The next to attack was Oliver Penney, with 70 km to go. The former pro (English father, Swiss mother, living in Belgium and riding for a Dutch team (MGI)) made a gap of 40 seconds to three counter-attackers: Danny Stam (Axa TT3), Marco Engels (Willebrord Wil Vooruit, a clubteam) and again Kees Jeurissen, a teamate of Penney. Penney rode the race of his life, as he stated after the race, but each kilometre the three behind him came a bit closer. With 5 km to go they finally caught Penney. He then launched the sprint for his team mate Kees Jeurissen. In a fierce wheel-to-wheel duel, the former professional (Batavus) held of TT3-pro Danny Stam. Engels was third, Penney, who won the KoM classification took fourth. Results - 204 km1 Kees Jeurissen (Ned) MGI 5.31.15 2 Danny Stam (Ned) Axa TT3 3 Marco Engels (Ned) Willebrord Wil Vooruit 4 Oliver Penney (GBr) MGI 0.01 5 Rene Obst (Ger) KED Bianchi Berlin 1.20 6 Morten Rejnhold (Den) Team Bornholm 7 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Löwik-Tegeltoko 1.21 8 Angelo van Melis (Ned) Bert Story-Piels 9 Lars Thomassen (Den) Team Bornholm 1.22 10 Henri Wemer (Ned) KED Bianchi Berlin 1.35 11 Tom Cordes (Ned) Bert Story-Piels 1.37 12 Ruud Aerts (Ned) Topteam Cycling 2000 13 Alain van Katwijk (Ned) MGI 1.41 14 Boris Shpilevsky (Rus) Olmpy. St. Petersburg 1.44 15 Bjorn Cornelissen (Ned) Axa TT3 16 Danny Van Looy (Bel) MGI 17 Patrick Koeman (Ned) Topteam Cycling 2000 18 Jeroen Boelen (Ned) MGI 19 Andre Kalfack (Ger) KED Bianchi Berlin 20 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank amateurs 21 Arno Bouten (Ned) Bert Story-Piels 22 Arno Wallaard (Ned) Löwik-Tegeltoko 1.45 23 Jorne Videler (Ned) Löwik-Tegeltoko 24 Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Olympique St. Petersburg 1.46 25 Andre van de Reep (Ned) Van Vliet-Weba 26 Thijs Zonneveld (Ned) HSK Trias 27 Edwin Wielink (Ned) Apac Eemland 28 Walter de Kok (Ned) Löwik-Tegeltoko 1.47 29 Theo Eltink (Ned) Rabobank 30 Gerben van de Reep (Ned) Van Vliet-Weba 1.50 31 Erwin Gijsbers (Ned) Modderkolk-Groenewoud 32 Aleksey Chtchebline (Ned) Olymp. St.Petersburg 33 Michiel Elijzen (Ned) Rabobank amateurs 1.58 34 Frank van Dulmen (Ned) Löwik-Tegeltoko 2.29 35 Konstantin Kliouev (Rus) Olymp. St.Petersburg 36 Bram de Waard (Ned) Bert Story-Piels 3.00 37 Martijn Stougje (Ned) Van Vliet-Weba 8.55 38 Edwin Zeekalvink (Ned) Apac-Eemland 39 Nils Heinis (Ned) WC De Bergklimmers 8.56 40 Bart Wolthuis (Ned) Willebrord Wil Vooruit 8.58 41 Coen Loos (Ned) Rabobank amateurs 8.59 42 Mart Louwers (Ned) Rabobank amateurs 9.41 43 Edward Dunning (Ned) Axa TT3 44 Stefan Cohnen (Ned) Löwik-Tegeltoko 10.12 45 Wally Buurstede (Ned) Bert Story-Piels 10.22 Courtesy of Bert Saarloos/Dagblad De Limburger Past Winners2000 Erwin Thijs (Ned) Vlaanderen 2002 202 kms in 5.03.45 1999 Michael Schlikau (Ger) Team Cologne 202 kms in 5.19.02 (38.990) 1998 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Rabobank 202 kms in 5.13.25 (38.670) |