Rolf Sorensen 11th becomes 9th Gabriele Missaglia 9th becomes 11th
The Tour of Flanders starts in Sint-Niklaas 09.55 CET, with the first climb, the Tiegemberg, at approximately 12.45; the last climb, the Bosberg, at approx 16.10, and the finish at Meerbeke at approximately 16.30.
1. TIEGEMBERG (km125) 750m long (tarred) 5.6% average, 5.6% maximum 2. KLUISBERG (km140) 1,800m long (tarred) 6.3% average, 15% maximum 3. COTE DE TRIEU (km147) 1,100m long (tarred) 8% average, 13% maximum 4. OUDE KWAREMONT (km153) 2,200m long (1,600m cobbled) 4.2% average, 11% maximum 5. PATERSBERG (km158) 375m long (all cobbled) 12.8% average, 20% maximum 6. KORTEKEER (km163) 1,000m long (tarred) 6.6% average, 15% maximum 7. TAAIENBERG (km173) 800m long (600m cobbled) 7.1% average, 18% maximum 8. EIKENBERG (km177) 1,200m long (all cobbled) 5% average, 11% maximum 9. VOLKEGEMBERG (km180) 800m (tarred) 9.9% average, 16% maximum 10. VARENTBERG (km192) 700m (tarred) 4.6% average, 15% maximum 11. LEBERG (km 197) 700m (tarred) 7.2% average, 14% maximum 12. MOLENBERG (km203) 500m (400m cobbled) 9.8% average, 17% maximum 13. BERENDRIES (km228) 900m (tarred) 7.2% average, 14% maximum 14. VALKENBERG (km???) 15. MUUR-KAPELMUUR (GERAARDSBERGEN) (km246) 1,000m (500m cobbled) 9.3% average, 20% maximum 16. BOSBERG (km250) 1,350m (500m cobbled) 5% average, 11% maximum
Dream on. All Banesto's bikes were stolen yesterday and the team has scratched from the race.
They are not going to win Paris--Roubaix either, but I expect they'll drool over that next week (it's the centenary year and it's a national institution).
Life's too short, I'm off out for a ride. I'll post a result as soon as I get one...
1. Michele Bartoli (Ita) MG-Technogym 6.31.29 (40,92 km/h) 2. Fabio Baldato (Ita) MG-Technogym + 0.55 3. Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei-GB 4. Vjatjeslav Ekimov (Rus) Rabobank 5. Fabiano Fontanelli (Ita) MG-Technogym 6. Andrej Tchmil (Ukr) Lotto 7. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina 8. Alexander Gontchenkov (Ukr) Roslotto 9. RolfSorensen (Den) Rabobank 10. Peter van Petegem (Bel) TVM 11. Gabriele Missaglia (Ita) San Marco Group 12. Gianluca Pianegonda (Ita) Team Polti 13. Beat Zberg (Sch) Carrera 14. Gabriele Colombo (Ita) Gewiss 15. Andrea Tafi (Ita) Mapei-GB 16. Max Sciandri (GB, Motorola) 17. Cedric Vasseur (Fr, GAN) all s.t. 18. Franco Ballerini (It, Mapei-GB) + 0.57 19. Maurizio Fondriest (It, Roslotto-ZG Mobili) + 1.00 20. Erik Zabel (Ger, Telekom) + 2:25 21. Marco Serpellini (Ita) Panaria 22. Mario Scirea (Ita) Saeco 23. Johan Capiot (Bel) Collstrop 24. Rolf Jarmann (Sch) MG-Technogym 25. Fabio Roscioli (Ita) Refin + 2.28 26. Edwig van Hooydonck (Bel) Rabobank + 2.30 27. Carlo Bomans (Bel) Mapei-GB 28. Lance Armstrong (USA) Motorola + 4.03 29. Brian Holm (Den) Telekom 30. Rolf Aldag (Ger) Telekom 31. Mario Cipollini (Ita) Saeco
1. Michele Bartoli (Ita) MG-Technogym 55 pts
2. Fabio Baldato (Ita) MG-Technogym 51
3. Gabriele Colombo (Ita) Gewiss 50
4. Alexander Gontchenkov (Ukr) Roslotto 47
5. Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei-GB 37
6. Michele Coppolillo (Ita) MG-Technogym 25
7. Andrej Tchmil (Ukr) Lotto 24
Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina 24
9. Vjatjeslav Ekimov (Rus) Rabobank 20
Maximilian Sciandri (Eng) Motorola 20
11. Fabiano Fontanelli (Ita) MG-Technogym 18
Stefano Zanini (Ita) Gewiss 18
13. Mario Cipollini (Ita) Saeco 14
14. Gabriele Missaglia (Ita) San Marco Group 10
15. Peter van Petegem (Bel) TVM 8
16. Lance Armstrong (USA) Motorola 6
Rolf Sorensen (Den) Rabobank 6
18. Gianluca Pianegonda (Ita) Team Polti 5
Team standings:
1. MG Technogym (Ita) 24 pts
2. Mapei-GB (Ita) 16
3. Festina (And) 13
4. Motorola (USA) 11
5. Gewiss (Ita) 9
Rabobank (Ned) 9
7. Roslotto (Rus) 7
8. Lotto (Bel) 6
9. Once (Spa) 5
Telekom (Ger) 5
11. Team Polti (Ita) 4
12. Saeco (Smr) 3
13. Gan (Fra) 2
Next World Cup-race: Paris-Roubaix, 14 April
I missed Monday's L'Equipe so cannot give my customary full Classics result listing. But I understand 121 riders crossed the finish line. Only 111, however, were classified, the final 10 (Claeys, Van der Meer, Knaven, Heynderickx, Vierhouten, Thijs, Renders, Ozers, Verstrepen and Galletti) having finished -- at 24 minutes -- outside the time limit. The last finisher inside the limit -- at 17.47 -- was Davide Bramati (It, Ceramica Panaria-Vinavil).
Don't Blame the Belgians
Banesto's bikes, stolen Saturday forcing (their no doubt regretful) withdrawal from the race, were spirited away at Orly Airport in France en route between Spain and Belgium -- not in Belgium.
Bartoli Could Have Been Happier
Some of the shine was taken off Michele Bartoli's victory celebrations by his worrying about what ahd happened to his neo-pro team-mate Fabio Colombini. Only at eight in the evening was Colombini tracked down to a hospital in Oudenaarde, 50km from the finish, where he was being treated for a triple fracture of the pelvis after having crashed. Directeur-sportif Giancarlo Ferretti immediately set off for his bed-side. Forza Fabio!
Drop-out Makes Good
Michele Bartoli's father Graziano is a carpenter and former amateur cyclist. He gave Michele his first bike when the lad was three. "I did my first sprints in the street opposite our house," Bartoli recalled. "The guy I had to beat was my cousin. My brother Mauro, who's an amateur rider now, was too young. As for school, I was pretty well out of sorts with it. Things panned out well. School wasn't very pleased with me either. I followed the compulsory courses up to 14 then I left to work with my father who gave me a lot of encouragement to take up racing. You know, you won't find many books in my house."
God on the Grammont
"When I was climbing {the Grammont -- the Muur at Geraardsbergen]," said Bartoli, "I even asked a little help from the good God. 'Make it so that I hold out to the end,' I prayed." He explained this after making the sign of the cross at the finish and seeing people around him smiling. "Yes, I know, I know. God's got more important things to do than to give a bike race to a bloke like me. But when your legs are burning, when you've given everything, who are you going to run to, who can you ask for help?"
Finally...
Does anyone know if Frederic Moncassin started the race? He was listed in the GAN team and L'Equipe had it that he'd been cleared for action earlier than expected after his post-finish crash in the Three Days of De Panne, when he was diagnosed as having a fracture in the bony structure around one ear. GAN team doctor Patrick Nedelec said: "Today modern techniques enable us to accelerate the healing process, and all pain has also disappeared." Whatever, it's all good news looking forward to next weekend's Paris-Roubaix, which Moncassin had down as his main early-season objective.