81st Paris-Brussels - 1.1

Belgium, September 15, 2001

2000 Results    Results     Past winners

Magnien wins Paris-Brussels

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Emmanuel Magnien
Photo: © AFP

French sprinter Emmanuel Magnien (Francaise des Jeux) surprised many of the favourites in today's 249 kilometre Paris-Brussels classic, winning the race in a bunch sprint ahead of Nico Eeckhout (Lotto) and Romans Vainsteins (Domo-Farm Frites). Magnien burst from the pack with 200 metres to go and Vainsteins was too far behind to make up the difference, even getting pipped by the in-form Eeckhout on the line.

The day began with a minute's silence for the victims of the New York tragedy, and the organiser asked Americans Bobby Julich, Jonathan Vaughters, Kevin Livingston and Fred Rodriguez to start the race on the front of the grid.

The main break of the day came from Anthony Langella (Credit Agricole) and Arturas Kasputis (Ag2r), lasting 185 kilometres, establishing a maximum lead before being caught with around 25 kilometres to go. The usual Belgian teams were active: Domo (in particular), Lotto, Collstrop, and Vlaanderen-T-Interim. Despite a headwind, some hills and wet roads near the finish, a few cobbled sections and plenty of attacks, nothing stuck and a big bunch came into Brussels to contest the finish next to Anderlecht stadium.

Domo looked to have things almost under control for their sprinter Vainsteins, but over the final few kilometres, the train disintegrated and it was a massive 'every man for himself' sprint. Pre-race favourites Jaan Kirsipuu and Romans Vainsteins couldn't quite get it together in the rush for the line, and were caught out by Magnien's impressive acceleration.
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Emmanuel Magnien
Photo: © AFP

"I had come to ride some kilometres," said Magnien afterwards. "I even had a moment where I thought of stopping after the first feed. I never thought I'd be there during the race, it is perhaps for that that I won."

"I allowed the sprinters to go at 500 metres. I preferred to make my effort at 250 metres. On the left-hand side, I did not see anybody jumping. I told myself: It is not possible. But the freshness paid off. I would be very happy to work for Laurent Jalabert during the World Championships."

Magnien is leaving the defunct Francaise des Jeux next season to ride for Bonjour for two seasons, and this win should significantly boost his morale.

Results - 249 km

1 Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux         5.47.00 (41.499 km/h)
2 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
3 Romans Vainsteins (Lat) Domo-Farm Frites
4 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
5 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis
6 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2r-Prevoyance
7 Bart Heirwegh (Bel) Ville de Charleroi-Newsystems
8 Arvis Piziks (Lat) CSC-Tiscali
9 Ludovic Cappelle (Bel) Ag2r-Prevoyance
10 Matteo Frutti (Ita) Lampre-Daikin
11 Stefano Zanini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step
12 Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Tacconi Sport-Vini Caldirola
13 Matthias Kessler (Ger) Team Deutsche Telekom
14 Andrej Hauptman (Slo) Tacconi Sport-Vini Caldirola
15 Gerben Löwik (Ned) Rabobank
16 Nico Mattan (Bel) Cofidis
17 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Mercury
18 Serge Baguet (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
19 Paolo Bossoni (Ita) Tacconi Sport-Vini Caldirola
20 Chris Peers (Bel) Cofidis
21 Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team Deutsche Telekom
22 Bruno Thibout (Fra) Jean Delatour
23 Erwin Thijs (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
24 Roger Hammond (GBr) Collstrop-Palmans
25 Rolf Sörensen (Den) CSC-Tiscali
26 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Mercury
27 Zbigniew Spruch (Pol) Lampre-Daikin
28 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Rabobank
29 Gert Vanderaerden (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
30 Mauro Radaelli (Ita) Tacconi Sport-Vini Caldirola
31 Franck Renier (Fra) Bonjour
32 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
33 Guennadi Mikhailov (Rus) Lotto-Adecco
34 Geert Van Bondt (Bel) Mercury
35 Andrea Tafi (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step
36 Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Lampre-Daikin
37 Axel Merckx (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites
38 Paul Van Hyfte (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
39 Piotr Wadecki (Pol) Domo-Farm Frites
40 Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) Bonjour
41 Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
42 Geert Omloop (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
43 Mickael Pichon (Fra) Bonjour
44 Jurgen Guns (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
45 Johan Museeuw (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites
46 Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Lampre-Daikin
47 Daniel Schnider (Swi) La Francaise des Jeux
48 Bobby Julich (USA) Credit Agricole
49 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank
50 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Jean Delatour
54 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Mercury-Viatel
...
55 Marc Chanoine (Bel) Ville de Charleroi-Newsystems        0.12
56 Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago              0.27
59 Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites                  0.49
66 Hans De Clercq (Bel) Lotto-Adecco                        2.42
67 Eric De Clercq (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans                   4.07
73 Koen Beeckman (Bel) CSC-Tiscali                          5.51
82 Michel Van Haecke (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
83 Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
84 Bert Roesems (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
85 Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
88 Ben Berden (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
90 Kris Matthijs (Bel) Flanders-Prefetex                    9.40
91 Tjarco Cuppens (Ned) Flanders-Prefetex                   9.04
92 Jürgen Landrie (Bel) Ville de Charleroi-Newsystems      11.32
97 Andy Vidts (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
99 Coen Boerman (Ned) Rabobank                             11.32
100 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
101 Danny Baeyens (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
104 Hans De Meester (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
105 Geoffrey Gremelpont (Bel) Ville de Charleroi-Newsystems
108 Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step
112 Patrick D'Hont (Bel) La Francaise des Jeux
115 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Rabobank
124 Renaud Boxus (Bel) Ville de Charleroi-Newsystems

Past winners

2000 Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Mapei-Quick Step
1999 Romans Vainsteins (Lat)
1998 Stefano Zanini (Ita)
1997 Alessandro Bertolini (Ita)
1996 Andrea Tafi (Ita)
1995 Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel)
1994 Rolf Sörensen (Den)
1993 Francis Moreau (Fra)
1992 Rolf Sörensen (Den)
1991 Brian Holm (Den)
1990 Franco Ballerini (Ita)
1989 Jelle Nijdam (Ned)
1988 Rolf Gölz (Ger)
1987 Wim Arras (Bel)
1986 Guido Bontempi (Ita)
1985 Adri Van der Poel (Ned)
1984 Eric Vanderaerden (Bel)
1983 Tommy Prim (Swe)
1982 Jacques Hanegraaf (Ned)
1981 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel)
1980 Pierino Gavazzi (Ita)
1979 Ludo Peeters (Bel)
1978 Jan Raas (Ned)
1977 Ludo Peeters (Bel)
1976 Felice Gimondi (Ita)
1975 Freddy Maertens (Bel)
1974 Marc Demeyer (Bel)
1973 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1966 Felice Gimondi (Ita)
1965 Edward Sels (Bel)
1964 Georges Van Coningsloo (Bel)
1963 Jean Stablinski (Fra)
1962 Joseph Wouters (Bel)
1961 Pino Cerami (Bel)
1960 Pierre Everaert (Bel)
1959 Frans Schoubben (Bel)
1958 Rik Van Looy (Bel)
1957 Leon Van Daele (Bel)
1956 Rik Van Looy (Bel)
1955 Marcel Hendrickx (Bel)
1954 Marcel Hendrickx (Bel)
1953 Loretto Petrucci (Ita)
1952 Alberic Schotte (Bel)
1951 Jean Gueguen (Fra)
1950 Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel)
1949 Maurice Diot (Fra)
1948 Lode Poels (Bel)
1947 Ernest Sterckx (Bel)
1946 Alberic Schotte (Bel)
1939 Frans Bonduel (Bel)
1938 Marcel Kint (Bel)
1937 Albert Beckaert (Bel)
1936 Eloi Meulenberg (Bel)
1935 Edgard De Caluwe (Bel)
1934 Frans Bonduel (Bel)
1933 Albert Barthelemy (Fra)
1932 Julien Vervaecke (Bel)
1931 Jean Aerts (Bel)
1930 Ernest Mottard (Bel)
1929 Pe Verhaegen (Bel)
1928 Georges Ronsse (Bel)
1927 Nicolas Frantz (Lux)
1926 Denis Verschueren (Bel)
1925 Gerard Debaets (Bel)
1924 Felix Sellier (Bel)
1923 Felix Sellier (Bel)
1922 Felix Sellier (Bel)
1921 Robert Raboul (Fra)
1920 Henri Pelissier (Fra)
1919 Alexis Michiels (Bel)
1914 Louis Mottiat (Bel)
1913 Octave Lapize (Fra)
1912 Octave Lapize (Fra)
1911 Octave Lapize (Fra)
1910 Maurice Brocco (Fra)
1909 Francois Faber (Lux)
1908 Lucien Petit-Breton (Fra) 
1907 Gusrave Garrigou (Fra)
1906 A. Dunlop (Fra)

Past winners by Mario Stiehl, Berlin