Het Volk, Cat 1.1

Het Volk Report

He crossed the line after five hours and eight minutes, narrowly defeating last year's winner, compatriot Tom Steels, by six seconds.

"Four kilometres from the end I decided to go for broke and for two kilometres I rode at more than 50, 55 kilometres per hour," said Van Petegem.

``At the end everything hurt, but I knew that if they wanted to catch me they had to bridge a gap of 100 metres...this is one of the most beautiful victories you can get in Belgium,'' he said.

The race came to life after just a few kilometres when Belgians Wim Omloop and Jan Poppe and Frenchman Jacky Durand broke free and carved out a lead of nearly 10 minutes.

But they faded in the second half of the race and were first caught by Frenchmen Richard Virenque and Sebastien Medan and later by Belgian Johan Capiot, Italian Franco Ballerini, Dane Jesper Skibby and German Marcel Wust.

Capiot, Skibby and Ballerini soon left the others behind but were caught again by Steels and world champion Johan Museeuw of Belgium.

Seven riders escaped at 30 kilometres from the finish, taking turns trying to break clear until Van Petegem made the decisive move to seize victory.

More Reporting

Jacky Durand (Fra, Casino), winner of the 1992 Ronde van Vlaanderen and therefore a marked man in a race that covers much of the same ground as its World Cup big brother, broke clear soon after the start in company with Jan Poppe (Bel, Ipso) and Wim Omloop (Bel, Palmans-Lystex). The trio were clear for 130km, taking them past almost all the main climbs of the day, building a maximum lead of almost 10 minutes. When the chase was taken up in earnest Mapei-GB were prominent but going over the Mur de Grammont (km85) there were twqo other riders away from the bunch and five minutes down on the lead trio -- Richard Virenque and Sebastian Medan, both Festina. "I thought that things would really get broken up on the climbs behind us," said Virenque. "We took up lead position in the hope that a little group would break clear of the peloton and join us. But the selection didn't turn out to be as significant as I'd imagined it would be." The end-game began on the Molenberg, 60km from the finish when Franco Ballerini (Ita, Mapei-GB) took off from the peloton with Jesper Skibby (Den, TVM) and Marcel Wust (Ger, Festina) who were then joined on the Berendries climb 7km later by Jo Planckaert (Bel, Lotto). The grouping wasn't particularly propitious for Mapei -- Ballerini is no sprinter and was in the company of three of them. So Mapei took chase with last year's winner Tom Steels in mind and a regrouping took place. Mapei seemed in control but Ballerini again took bad company with him when he attacked on the cobbled sector of Overme 16km from the finish. True he dragged along sprinter Steels in his wake but also three TVMs (Johan Capiot, Peter Van Petegem and the mighty Hendrik Redant, second last year) and two Lotto riders -- Planckaert and Andrei Tchmil. Planckaert got dropped but Tchmil hung in. TVM fired off a three-barrelled shotgun. Capiot attacked first, then Redant and finally and conclusively Van Petegem broke clear 4,500km from the line, leaving Steels to sprint for second place.

Belgian Peter Van Petegem (TVM) has won at Het Volk, the classic opening of the Belgian calendar by anticipating the sprint of his compatriot Steels, winner of the 1996. The big protagonist of the race has been Franco Ballerini, the Tuscan of Mapei-GB who won Het Volk in 1995. Ballerini launched a decisive attack at 16 kilometers from the finish, in the last piece of pavh which covers a lot of the same route of the Tour of FLanders. On the attack with Ballerini went teammate Tom Steels, Belgian Plankaert and Russian Tchmil of Team Lotto along witha trio from TVM: Van Petegem, Capiot and Redant.

Ballerini tried to surprise the company with another attack at 6 kilometers from the finish, but Redant and Tchmil closed on him. The decisive attack was by Van Petegem, who took off with 3Kms. to go, in anticipation of a sprint finish where Ton Steels would have the advantage. Belgian Peter Van Petegem, 27 years, has already won this year the third stage at the Tour of Mallorca.

Franco Ballerini's performance was good. "I'm sorry for the team, because if had been able to close the gap, Steels would have surely won, but I am very satisfied with my test -the Tuscan said-. I have found myself to be farther ahead that what I thought on the climbs and the pave. I have overcome my problems with chickenpox. My objectives remain Flanders and Roubaix".

Peter Van Petegem -- palmares

Born January 18 1970 at Opbrakel, Belgium

Amateur: Belgian national champion 1991

Professional 1992: PDM (1992), Lotto (1993), Trident (1994), TVM
(1995--)

1st Omloop Het Volk 1997
1st GP de l'Escaut 1994
1st Trofeo Luis Puig 1996
1st Fleche Cotiere a Knokke-Heist 1995
1st GP de Buggenhout 1996
1st Stage 1 of Tour of Denmark (Aarhus) 1996
1st in one race of Mallorca Trophy 1997 (Manacor)

Results, Het Volk, 200 kms:

 1. Peter Van Petegem (Belgium) TVM          	     5.08.00
 2. Tom Steels (Belgium) Mapei-GB               	0.06
 3. Johan Capiot (Belgium) TVM
 4. Hendrik Redant (Belgium) TVM
 5. Andrei Tchmil (Ukraine) Lotto
 6. Franco Ballerini (Italy) Mapei-GB        		s.t.
 7. Jann Kirsipuu (Estonia) Casino             		0.27
 8. Tristan Hoffman (Netherlands) TVM 
 9. Christophe Mengin (France) Francaise des Jeux 
10. Jo Planckaert (Belgium) Lotto 
11. Wim Feys (Belgium) Lotto 
12. Stephane Barthe (France) Casino 
13. Christophe Capelle (France) Cofidis 
14. Andreas Klier (Germany) Nurnberger 
15. Emmanuel Magnien (France) Festina 
16. Bruno Boscardin (Italy) Festina 
17. Rossano Brasi (Italy) Polti 
18. Tom Desmet (Belgium) Collstrop 
19. Peter Farazijn (Belgium) Lotto 
20. Jans Koerts (Netherlands) Rabobank 			all s.t.

Starting list

MAPEI GB
P. Lefevere

1. Johan Museeuw
2. Carlo Bomans
3. Bart Leysen
4. Nico Mattan
5. Wilfried Peeters
6. Gianluca Pianegonda
7. Tom Steels
8. Franco Ballerini

IPSO
P. De Baeremaeker

11. Koen Beeckman
12. Tony Bracke
13. Marnix Capelle
14. Jeanot De Riemaeker
15. Andy De Smet
16. Jan Poppe
17. Robbie Vandaele
18. Michel Van Haecke

TONISSTEINER - COLNAGO
G. Bulens

21. Ludo Dierckxsens
22. Stéphane Hennebert
23. Franky Debuyst
24. Willy Willems
25. Koen Van Hullebusch
26. Sören Petersen
27. Nicolas Coudray
28. Kees Hopmans

VLAANDEREN 2002 - E. MERCKX
R. Swerts

31. Mario Aerts
32. Glenn D'Hollander
33. Luc Roosen
34. Erwin Thijs
35. Geert Van Bondt
36. Kurt Van De Wouwer
37. Geert Verheyen
38. Wim Vansevenant

PALMANS - LYSTEX
Walter Planckaert

41. Danny Daelman
42. Wim Omloop
43. Hans De Meester
44. Hans De Clercq
45. Mario De Clercq
46. Magnus Bäckstedt
47. Gert Vanderaerden,
48. Steven Van Malderghem

LOTTO - MOBISTAR - ISOGLASS
J.-L. Vandenbroucke

51. Dj. Aboejaparov
52. Nico Eeckhout
53. Peter Farazijn
54. Wim Feys,
55. Jo Planckaert
56. Andre Tchmil
57. Marc Wauters
58. Ludwig Willems

CEDICO-VILLE DE CHARLEROI
D. Paindaveine

61. Marc Bouillon
62. Roméo Hernandez
63. J.-P. Heynderickx
64. Oleg Kozlitine
65. Thierry Marichal
66. Jean-L. Masdupuy
67. Michel Nottebart,
68. F. Van Den Abbeele

COLLSTROP
H. Van Der Schueren

71. Danny Baeyens
72. Rik Claeys
73. Erik De Clercq
74. Steven De Neef,
75. Peter Verbeken
76. Frank Hoj
77. Kaspars Ozers
78. Tom Desmet

RDM - ASFRA - SITRA
W. Teirlinck

81. Matthew Gilmore
82. Jakob Piil
83. Werner Vandromme
84. Ronny Assez
85. Matthew Allan
86. Rik Van Slycke
87. Marco Engels
88. Vital Timmermans

REFIN BERRY WOOD
D. Cavallo

91. Elio Aggiano
92. Mauro Bettin
93. Ivan Luna
94. Serguei Ouslamine,
95. Cristian Salvato
96. Jurgen Werner
97. Tobias Steinhauser
98. Marco Lietti

POLTI
L. Stanga

101. Dirk Baldingere
102. Rossano Brasi
103. Enrico Cassani
104. Sergei Outschakov
105. Gerrit de Vries
106. Jorg Jaksche
107. Ivan Quaranta
108. Fabio Sacchi

BRESCIALAT
F. Bordonali

111. Francesco Arazzi
112. Daniele Contrini
113. Cristiano Frattini
114. Marco Milesi
115. Frederico De Beni
116. Michele Zamboni
117. Marco Velo
118. Giancarlo Raimondi

FESTINA
M. Gros

121. Thierry Laurent
122. Jaime Hernandez
123. Bruno Boscardin
124. Laurent Brochard
125. Emmanuel Magnien
126. Sébastien Medan
127. Richard Virenque
128. Marcel Wust

LA FRANCAISE DES JEUX
M&Y. Madiot

131. Maximilian Sciandri
132. Frédéric Guesdon
133. Christophe Mengin,
134. Damien Nazon
135. Jean-Patrick Nazon
136. Franck Bouyer
137. Flavio Vanzella
138. Nicolas Vogondy

CASINO 'C'EST VOTRE EQUIPE'
V. Lavenu

141. Jacky Durand
142. Jann Kirsipuu
143. Lauri Aus
144. Stéphane Barthe
145. Dominique Bozzi
146. David Lefevre

GAN
R. Legeay

151. Anthony Langella
152. Arnaud Pretot
153. François Lemarchand
154. Frédéric Moncassin
155. Stuart O'Grady
156. François Simon
157. Cédric Vasseur
158. Henk Vogels

COFIDIS
C. Guimard

161. Frankie Andreu
162. Christophe Capelle
163. Laurent Desbiens
164. Philippe Gaumont
165. Nicolas Jalabert
166. Francis Moreau
167. Bruno Thibout
168. Jim Van De Laer

MUTUELLE SEINE ET MARNE
Y. Sanquer/J. Lachevre

171. J.-François Anti
172. Blaise Chauvière
173. Stéphane Cueff
174. Laurent Pillon
175. J.-Philippe Dojwa
176. Dominique Rault
177. Claude Lamour
178. Charles Guilbert

AUBER BIG MAT 93
S. Javalet

181. Ludovic Auger
182. Laurent Genty
183. Thierry Gouvenou
184. J.-Jacques Henry
185. Pascal Lino
186. Marek Lesnieuwski
187. Anthony Morin
188. Gilles Talmant

RABOBANK
T. Van Rooy

191. Rolf Sörensen
192. Michaël Blaudzun
193. Erik Dekker
194. Jans Koerts
195. Robbie Mc Ewen
196. Aart Vierhouten
197. Arvis Piziks
198. Leon van Bon

FORELDORADO GOLFF
P. Verbeek

201. John Talen
202. Mich. van der Wolff
203. Eddy Bouwmans
204. Casper van der Meer
205. Raymond Meys
206. Wim van de Meulenhof

TVM
C. Priem

211. Hendrik Redant
212. Maarten den Bakker
213. Johan Capiot
214. Tristan Hofman
215. Jesper Skibby
216. Servais Knaven
217. Lars Michaelsen
218. Peter Van Petegem

TEAM DEUTSCHE TELEKOM
W. Godefroot

221. Rolf Aldag
222. Frank Corvers
223. Bert Dietz
224. Brian Holm
225. Kai Hundertmarck
226. Giovanni Lombardi
227. Mario Kummer
228. Steffen Wesemann

PSV TEAM KOLN 1997
D. Koslar

231. Andreas Kappes
232. Ralf Grabsch
233. Rico Schmidt
234. Michael Skelde
235. Mikael Kyneb
236. Dennis Rasmussen
237. Jacques Jolidon,
238. Michael Schlickau

TEAM NURNBERGER
P. Robracker

241. Gerd Audehm
242. Roman Stoffel
243. Alex Kastenhuber
244. Andreas Klier
245. Steffen Rein
246. Frank Schinck
247. Mike Weissmann
248. Jens Zemke