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62nd Nokere Koerse - 1.1
Belgium, March 21, 2007
2006 Results Results Past winners
Experienced Dutch dominance in Belgian semi-classic
Van Bon grabs first win after leaving pink army
By Brecht Decaluwé
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Dutchman Leon Van Bon (Rabobank) won Nokere Koerse - the first in a long series of Flemish classic - from a small group that splintered from the large breakaway of the day. The 35 year-old Dutchman rode in solo after dropping his two year older compatriot Aart Vierhouten (Skil – Shimano) and Belgian neo-pro Geert Steurs (Predictor – Lotto) in the ultimate lap.
The three riders were the only survivors of the big breakaway that dominated the 62th edition of the semi-classic. The three managed to get away from the group on the local circuit of 15km around Nokere, which the riders completed ten times. Each lap featured the cobbled Nokereberg climb, and neo-pro Steurs had to let go of his more experienced colleagues on this typical Flemish climb by the end of the penultimate lap.
Van Bon attacked Vierhouten in the final lap and easily grabbed his first win of the season. With this victory in a semi-classic, Van Bon is able to thank his new team for the confidence they had in him. Van Bon left the Belgian Lotto team after not being selected for the 1996 edition of the Tour de France. Van Bon is showing that he can still turn his experience into valuable wins and he will be looking forward to his real goal of the season, Paris-Roubaix. Steurs managed to hold on to his third place with the chasing group right on his wheel. The uphill sprint for fourth place was won by his team-mate and fellow neo-pro Greg Van Avermaet, winner of stage five of the Tour of Qatar.
How it unfolded
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Vierhouten and Cedric Vasseur joined the Belgian, but the three didn't get far and were joined by a part of the former breakaway group. With 35 kilometres to go Vierhouten was in the attack again together with Steurs. Van Bon, wisely seeing the move as the decisive split, bridged up to the pair.
With 15 kilometres to go the trio had 50” on a group of ten riders, but by then Steurs had to let go of the two experienced Dutch riders. Van Bon didn't wait for the ultimate Nokereberg climb towards the finish, and attacked Vierhouten with a blistering acceleration. Van Bon kept the furious pace, and was able to rack up the victory in Nokere. Vierhouten finished second ahead of Steurs who had to work hard to save his third place ahead of team-mate Greg Van Avermaet.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Luc Claessen/www.ctm-images.com
- Greg Van Avermaet (Predictor-Lotto) powers to the finish.
- Leon Van Bon (Rabobank) takes first win of the season.
- Leon Van Bon takes win for Rabobank after being with Lotto for six years.
- Podium (l-r) Aart Vierhouten (Skil-Shimano), Leon Van Bon (Rabobank) and Geert Steurs (Predictor-Lotto)
Results - 197 km
1 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank 2 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Skil - Shimano 0.18 3 Geert Steurs (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 0.35 4 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 0.37 5 Markus Eichler (Ger) Unibet.com 6 Geert Omloop (Bel) Jartazi Promo Fashion 7 Konstantin Schubert (Ger) Team Regiostrom - Senges 8 James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner 9 Roy Curvers (Ned) Time - Van Hemert 10 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Skil - Shimano 0.55 11 René Weissinger (Ger) Team Volksbank 1.31 12 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 1.41 13 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Unibet.com 1.57 14 Artur Gajek (Ger) Team Wiesenhof Felt 3.16 15 Johan Coenen (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen 16 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Quickstep - Innergetic 17 Albert Timmer (Ned) Skil - Shimano 18 Tom Steels (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 19 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Unibet.com 20 Tobias Erler (Ger) Team 3C - Gruppe Lamonta 21 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen 3.30 22 Cédric Vasseur (Fra) Quickstep - Innergetic 23 Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Team Regiostrom - Senges 5.27
Past winners
1st 2nd 3rd 2006 Bert Roesems (Bel) Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Jeremy Hunt (GBr) 2005 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Igor Abakoumov (Bel) Geert Omloop (Bel) 2004 Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Rudi Kemna (Ned) Jo Planckaert (Bel) 2003 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Hendrik Van Dijck (Bel) 2002 Aurélien Clerc (Swi) Jans Koerts (Ned) Steven De Jongh (Ned) 2001 Michel Van Haecke Bart Voskamp (Ned) Nico Eeckhout (Bel) 2000 Hendrik Van Dyck Nico Mattan Jan Koerts (Ned) 1999 Jeroen Blijlevens Michel Van Haecke Wielfried Cretskens 1998 Scott Sunderland (Aus) Leon Van Bon (Ned) Chris Peers 1997 Hendrik Van Dyck Wim Feys Bart Voskamp (Ned) 1996 Hendrik Van Dyck Jelle Nydam (Ned) Michel Cornelisse (Ned) 1995 Jo Planckaert Michel Vermote Geert Van Bondt 1994 Peter De Clercq Michel Cornelisse Chris Peers 1993 Michel Cornelisse (Ned) Jan Bogaert Mario De Clercq 1992 Johan Capiot Peter De Clercq Benjamin Van Itterbeeck 1991 Koen Van Rooy Johan Capiot Martin Koekelhoren (Ned) 1990 Herman Frison Roger Vandenbossche Filip Van Vooren 1989 Rik Van Slycke André Mierzejewski Peter Spanhoven 1988 Patrick Versluys Yves Godimus Danny Janssens 1987 Etienne De Wilde Francky Van Oyen Ludo Giesberts 1986 Luc Colyn Jan Van Camp Rony Van Holen 1985 Didier Foubert Patrick Versluys Jan Bogaert 1984 Jan Bogaert Patrick Versluys Eric Stevens 1983 Walter Schoonjans Patrick Cocquyt Gerald Veldschoten (Ned) 1982 William Tackaert Ludo De Keulenaer Rudi Matthys 1981 Gerrit Knetemann (Ned) Herman Van Springel Claude Criquelion 1980 Jos Van De Poel Johan Vandevelde (Ned) Paul Jesson (NZl) 1979 Hendrik De Vos William Tackaert Tony Houbrechts 1978 Gustaaf Van Roosbroeck Jan Aling (Ned) Jos Jacobs 1977 Frans Van Looy Gerrit Knetemann (Ned) Roberto Cerieto (Ita) 1976 Luc Leman Lucien De Brauwere Geert Malfait 1975 Marc De Meyer Willy Teirlinck Jan Raas (Ned) 1974 Freddy Maertens Pierrino Gavazzi (Ita) Ronald De Witte 1973 Noël Van Tieghem Claude Magni (Ita Gerard Vianen (Ned) 1972 Tony Houbrechts Rony Van Marcke Willy Planckaert 1971 Herman Van Springel Eric Leman Maurice Eyers 1970 Andre Dierick Patrick Sercu Bernard Van De Kerkhove 1969 Roger Rosiers Frans Mintjes Michel Jacquemin 1968 Frans Brands Roger Cooreman Michel Jacquemin 1967 Walter Godefroot Jacques De Boever Roger Blockx 1966 Jacques De Boever Oswald De Clercq Reindert De Jongh (Ned) 1965 Arthuur De Cabooter Jos Mathy Gustaaf De Smet 1964 Robert De Middeleir Leon Van Daele André Noyelle 1963 Frans De Mulder Daniël Doom Norbert Kerckbove 1961 Leon Van Daele Jozef Vloeberghs Gilbert Maes 1960 Gilbert De Smet Louis Troonbeeckx Pol Rosseel 1959 No race 1958 Arthuur De Cabooter Gilbert Desmet Julien Schepens 1957 André Aucquier Pino Cerami Francis Kemplaire 1956 Marcel Ryckaert Roger Declerck Lucien Mathijs 1955 Jozef Schils Briek Schotte Henri Denijs 1954 Jan Zagers Roger Decock Roger Desmet 1953 Baziel Wambeke Rik Jochums Julien Pascal 1952 Wim Van Est André Pieters Rafaël Jonckheere 1951 Gerard Buyl Maurice Blomme Valeer
