34th GP Wallonie - 1.2

Belgium, September 17, 2003

2002 Results Results Past winners

Dave Bruylandts wins on a flat tyre

By Jeff Jones

A puncture with two kilometres to go did not stop Dave Bruylandts from winning the GP Wallonie for the second time in a row. The Belgian Marlux rider attacked the leading break with eight kilometres to go, finally dropping Frederic Bessy (Cofidis) near the top of the Citadelle de Namur and soloing to victory over the final four kilometres. When he reached the bottom of the descent, his rear tyre began to lose air, but fortunately there were only two more corners to negotiate in the final two kilometres before he could claim victory over Marek Rutkiewicz (Cofidis) and Michael Pichon (FDJeux.com).

"The flat tyre came luckily with two corners from the finish," said a very satisfied Bruylandts. "The last I took at 5 km/h."

The Belgian also explained that he attacked in the same manner as last year. "The Citadelle is my sort of hill. I knew from last year how I could ride away from the rest. Tempo until the bridge and then flat out to the top."

Bruylandts first had to account for a 10 man breakaway that contained four Cofidis riders (Vasseur, Bessy, Rutkiewicz and Tombak) as well as Peter Van Petegem (Lotto-Domo), Christophe Rinero (MBK-Oktos), Walter Beneteau and Anthony Geslin (Brioches) and Michael Pichon (FDJeux.com). An acceleration by Bruylandts on the penultimate climb with around 20 km to go got rid of Geslin and Tombak, and Bruylandts placed his final attack just before the cobbled climb of the Citadelle. "I wasn't afraid of the four Cofidis riders," he said. "Last there were four from fakta and I also won."

Although Bessy managed to hold him for most of the way up the climb, near the top Bruylandts slowed momentarily then put in a powerful attack that shook off the Frenchman for good. After that there were just four kilometres left including a two kilometre descent before the finish in Namur, and Bruylandts made no mistakes en route to the finish.

Results

1 Dave Bruylandts (Bel) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf               4.36.56
2 Marek Rutkiewicz (Pol) Cofidis-Le Crédit par Téléphone       0.02
3 Mickael Pichon (Fra) FDJeux.com
4 Frédéric Bessy (Fra) Cofidis-Le Crédit par Téléphone         0.10
5 Christophe Rinero (Fra) MBK-Oktos-Saint-Quentin              0.23
6 Cédric Vasseur (Fra) Cofidis-Le Crédit par Téléphone         0.37
7 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Lotto-Domo
8 Walter Beneteau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
9 Janek Tombak (Est) Cofidis-Le Crédit par Téléphone           1.11
10 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
11 Luca Paolini (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon
12 Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) MBK-Oktos-Saint-Quentin              1.25
13 Franck Renier (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère                  1.37
14 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
15 Berny De Schrooder (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop
16 Andrey Mizourov (Kaz) MBK-Oktos-Saint-Quentin               1.41
17 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance                  1.49
18 Matthé Pronk (Ned) BankGiroLoterij Cycling Team
19 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Credit Agricole                      1.52
20 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) FDJeux.com                           2.02
21 Serge Baguet (Bel) Lotto-Domo                               2.05
22 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
23 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Credit Agricole
24 Bram Schmitz (Ned) BankGiroLoterij Cycling Team
25 Kurt-Asle Arvesen Nor) Team Fakta
26 Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJeux.com
27 Tom Stremersch (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
28 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
29 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova.com
30 Frederik Willems (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
31 Steven Kleynen (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
32 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
33 Tristan Hoffman (Ned) Team CSC
34 Bart Voskamp (Ned) BankGiroLoterij Cycling Team
35 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) FDJeux.com
36 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Lotto-Domo                             2.07
37 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
38 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Quick.Step-Davitamon
39 John Gadret (Fra) Cofidis-Le Crédit par Téléphone
40 Franck Pencole (Fra) MBK-Oktos-Saint-Quentin
41 Sergeï Krushevskiy (Uzb) MBK-Oktos-Saint-Quentin            2.09
42 Erwin Thijs (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop                         2.26
43 Marc Streel (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago                   2.42
44 Christophe Brandt (Bel) Lotto-Domo                          2.56
45 Heiko Szonn (Ger) Flanders-IteamNova.com                    3.01
46 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Lotto-Domo
47 Rudolf Wentzel (RSA) Vlaanderen-T Interim
48 Ludovic Turpin (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance                        3.04
49 Eddy Lembo (Fra) MBK-Oktos-Saint-Quentin                    3.13
50 Frédéric Amorison (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon
51 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
52 Roger Hammond (GBr) Palmans-Collstrop                       3.49
53 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Team fakta
54 Médéric Clain (Fra) Cofidis-Le Crédit par Téléphone         3.52
55 Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
56 Christian Poos (Lux) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf                  3.56
57 Baden Cooke (Aus) FDJeux.com                                4.09
58 Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Domo                           4.11
59 Christophe Detilloux (Bel) Lotto-Domo
60 Maxime Montfort (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago               4.48
61 Domenico Passuello (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon               7.20
62 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team fakta                            7.50
63 Jan Van Velzen (Ned) BankGiroLoterij Cycling Team
64 Mikel Astarloza (Spa) Ag2r-Prevoyance                      11.46
65 Christophe Oriol (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance
66 Ruslan Gryschenko (Ukr) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago

Past winners

2002 Dave Bruylandts (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites  196 kms in 4.33.00 (43.516 km/h)
2001 Axel Merckx (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites      196 kms in 4.34.00 (42.92 km/h)
2000 Alberto Elli (Ita) Deutsche Telekom     196 kms in 4.42.05 (41.732 km/h)
1999 Patrick Jonker (Aus) Rabobank           196 kms in 4.41.45 (41.737 km/h)
1998 Udo Bolts (Ger) Telekom                 201 kms in 5.08.35 (39.179 km/h)
1997 Dimitry Konychev (Rus) - Roslotto
1996 Franco Ballerini (Ita) - Mapei
1995 Andrea Chiurato (Ita) - Mapei
1994 Peter Farazijn (Bel) - Lotto
1993 Patrick Evenepoel (Bel) - Collstrop
1992 Danny Nelissen (Hol) - PDM
1991 Frank Van den Abeele (Bel) - Lotto
1990 Luc Leblanc (Fra) - Castorama
1989 Thomas Wegmüller (Sui) - Domex Weinmann
1988 Claude Criquielion (Bel) - Hitachi
1987 Pascal Poisson (Fra) - System U (Laurent Fignon (Fra) disq)
1986 Steven Rooks (Hol) - PDM
1985 Marc Madiot (Fra) - Renault
1984 Frank Hoste (Bel) - Europ Decor
1983 Stephen Roche (Irl) - Peugeot
1982 Hennie Kuiper (Hol) - DAF Trucks
1981 Walter Dalgal (Ita) -
1980 Willy De Geest (Bel) - Ijsboerke
1979 Leo Van Vliet (Hol) - Ti Raleigh
1978 Willem Peeters (Bel) - Ijsborke
1977 Walter Planckaert (Bel)
1976 Herman Vanspringel (Bel)
1975 André Dierickx (Bel)
1974 Frans Verbeeck (Bel)
1973 Albert Van Vlierberghe (Bel)
1972 Emiel Cambre (Bel)
1971 Felice Gimondi (Ita)
1970 Ferdinand Bracke (Bel)

1951 - 1969  no event

1950 Joseph Verhaert (Bel)
1949 Jacques Geus (Bel)
1944 Joseph Somers (Bel)
1943 Edouard Van Dyck (Bel)
1942 Maurice Van Herzele (Bel)
1941 -
1940 -
1939 Adolph Braeckeveldt (Bel)
1938 Adolph Braeckeveldt (Bel)
1937 Karel Tersago (Bel)
1936 Adolph Braeckeveldt (Bel)
1935 Gustave Degreef (Bel)


Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com