Ster Elektrotoer - 2.3

Netherlands, September 10-14, 2003

2002 results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners

The Stages

Stage 1 - September 10: Veldhoven ITT, 4.8 km
Stage 2 - September 11: Eindhoven - Nuth, 197 km
Stage 3 - September 12: Valkenburg a/d Geul - Valkenburg a/d Geul, 176 km
Stage 4 - September 13: Valkenburg a/d Geul - Verviers (Bel), 203 km
Stage 5 - September 14: Sittard/Geleen - Schijndel, 186 km

Last edition of Ster Elektrotoer in September

This year's Ster Elektrotoer (September 10-14, UCI 2.3) will be run for the last time in September. At the presentation yesterday in Eindhoven, the organisers announced that next year's race would take place in June, just before the European National Championships. The race is one of the toughest tours in the Netherlands, being concentrated in the hillier region of Limburg and typically making several excursions into the Belgian Ardennes.

The Ster Elektrotoer will start in Veldhoven on Wednesday with a 4.8 kilometre prologue time trial around a fairly non-technical circuit. Stage 1 takes the riders from Eindhoven down into the heart of Limburg, finishing in Nuth, with a number of climbs clustered in the latter half of the race. Stage 2 starts and finishes in Valkenburg, taking in the climbs of the Geulhemmerberg, Bemelerberg, and Cauberg, and several more besides.

These two stages merely serve as an aperitif to the 203 km third stage between Valkenburg and Verviers on Saturday. The Ardennes climbs feature heavily in this stage, including Haute Levee, Vecquee, Le Rosler, La Redoute, and Foret, and the winner should be determined here. The final stage from Sittard to Schijndel will give the sprinters something at last, with no climbs along the 186 kilometre parcours.

There will be 16 teams at the start, including Fassa Bortolo, Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, Gerolsteiner, Palmans-Collstrop, BankGiroLoterij, Mercatone Uno, Marlux, Flanders, Ed System VZZV. Rabobank TT3, AXA, Bert Story-Piels, Van Hemert Groep, Van Vliet and the Marco Polo Cycling team.

Start list

Coming!

Past winners

Year 1st                     2nd                        3rd
2002 Bart Voskamp (Ned)      Bram Schmitz (Ned)         Michael Boogerd (Ned)

2001 Xavier Jan (Fra)        Marcel Strauss (Swi)       René Haselbacher (Aut)
2000 Andy de Smet (Bel)      Bram Tankink (Ned)         Andrey Kaschechkin (Kaz)
1999 Ralf Grabsch (Ger)      Frank McCormack (USA)      Erwin Thijs (Bel)
1998 Karsten Kroon (Ned)     Ralf Grabsch (Ger)         Bjornar Vestol (Den)
1997 Eddy Bouwmans (Ned)     Bert Hiemstra (Ned)        Wim van de Meulenhof (Ned)
1996 Tyler Hamilton (USA)    Nate Reiss (USA)           Danny Nelissen (Ned)
1995 Bennie Gosink (Ned)     Lucien de Louw (Ned)       Jan Boven (Ned)
1994 Jos Wolfkamp (Ned)      Bennie Gosink (Ned)        Remigius Lupeikis (Ltu)
1993 Servais Knaven (Ned)    Wim van de Meulenhof (Ned) Patrick Jonker (Aus)
1992 Martin van Steen (Ned)  Robert de Poel (Ned)       Saulius Sarkauskas (Ltu)
1991 Tristan Hoffman (Ned)   Niels Boogaard (Ned)       Arno Ottevanger (Ned)
1990 John den Braber (Ned)   Servais Knaven (Ned)       Tonny Akkermans (Ned)
1989 Reem Kok (Ned)          Anthony Theus (Ned)        Lubos Lom (Cze)
1988 Arno Ottevanger (Ned)   Menno Vink (Ned)           Harry Rozendal (Ned)
1987 Theo Gevers (Ned)       Jos Bol (Ned)              Frank van Merwijk (Ned)

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