GP Viane, National Event (No UCI Points)

Belgium, September 22, 1997

John Talen easily from De Buyst

This was a typical end of season kermesse race ridden at fast tempo, and also with 12 amateurs at the start in a field of 70 riders. Geert Verdeyen and Robbie Vandaele made the first attack, but after 20 kms they only had a gap of 20 seconds. Johan Bruyneel tried his number, after winning the Naamse Pijl on Sunday, but this time there was not going to be a free win. Then the quartet of Danny Baeyens, Bert Roesems, Davy Delmé and Giraldez Barrenechea, took a 15 second gap at the half way mark.

Then Tom Desmet, Franky De Buyst, John Talen, Rudy Vingerhoets and Matthew Allan went free. The 5 riders cleared out from the peloton and had a good two minute lead before the finale. The final lap saw the traditional games as each rider was waiting for the other to go. In the final kms the Dutch rider, John Talen and the Belgian Franky De Buyst slipped away. It was easy for Talen to take the sprint. Allan was the fastest of the rest taking 3rd place from Desmet and Vingerhoets.

Race distance - 164 kms:

 1. John Talen (Ned) Foreldorado-Golff               3.58.00
 2. Franky De Buyst (Bel) Tonissteiner-Saxon
 3. Matthew Allan (Australia) RDM-Asfra-Sitra		0.16
 4. Tom Desmet (Bel) Collstrop-Lystex
 5. Rudy Vingerhoets (Bel) elite
 6. Bart Heirewegh (Bel) Ipso				2.08
 7. Erwin Thijs (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002-E. Merckx
 8. Gunther Stockx (Bel) Collstrop-Lystex
 9. Ronny De Meuter (Bel) elite				2.15
10. Jan  Hordijk (Ned) Foreldorado-Golff
11. Davy Delmé (Bel) elite
12. Pascal Dufourni (Bel) Cedico-Ville de Charleroi
13. Franky Van Haesebroucke (Bel) Ipso
14. Eddy Torrekens (Bel) Tonissteiner-Saxon
15. Hans Redant (Bel) Ipso
16. Jean-Pierre Heynderickx (Bel) Cedico-Ville de Charleroi
17. Scott Sunderland (Aus) GAN
18. Koen Beeckman (Bel) Ipso
19. Masahiko Mifune (Jap) Tonissteiner-Saxon
20. Tim Lenaers (Bel) Collstrop-Lystex
21. Robby Van Daele (Bel) Ipso
22. Grégory Schoelens (Bel)
23. Brian Dalgaard (Den)
24. Lorenzo Lapage (Bel)
25. Bart Bosmans (Bel)
26. Rik Van Slijcke (Bel) RDM-Asfra-Sitra
27. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel)
28. Guy Van Broekhoven (Bel)
29. Eric De Clercq (Bel) Collstrop-Lystex
30. Jonas Emanuelsson (Swe)

70 Starters