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65th GP Briek Schotte - NE
Belgium, September 11, 2007
De Jongh attacks to win GP Briek Schotte
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Steven De Jongh (Quick.Step - Innergetic) won the GP Briek Schotte in Desselgem at the amazing average speed of over 51 kilometres an hour. Attacking in the last of the 17-lap event disintegrated the 15-man break that had dominated most of the day. De Jongh was the one of the Quick.Step team who emerged victorious, but with four men in the break (De Jongh, Maarten Wynants, Wilfried Cretskens, Gert Steegmans) it was going to be hard for any other rider to win.
Not even fast man Robbie McEwen (Predictor-Lotto) could do it, as he was shelled out in the last lap of a very fast race. Johnny Hoogerland (Van Vliet - EBH Advocaten) could not repeat his win last year, but was still able to hang onto second place.
After the race De Jongh's celebration almost went unnoticed as most fans had come out to cheer on Peter van Petegem and Serge Baguet, who both did their last race as a professional.
After the initial two-man break, which had taken off in the first lap, got caught in round four, eight riders immediately counter attacked. The group contained two Quick.Step riders with Kevin Seeldraeyers and Sébastien Rosseler. This was going to be the picture of the day, as the Belgian outfit desperately wanted to win. The group never got more much than 30 seconds and was gobbled up in the ninth lap. In the aftermath of the junction, 15 riders got away and Predictor-Lotto with Robbie McEwen and Greg Van Avermaet was again outnumbered by Quick.Step with De Jongh, Wynants, Cretskens and Steegmans keeping their options open.
The will of the peloton was quickly broken and the gap kept increasing. The peloton was rewarded with being whistled off the course one lap earlier. While some may have hoped for 'local' hero Robbie McEwen (he lives near the race site during the European racing season) to win the sprint out of the front group, Quick.Step had other plans and their tactics worked perfectly as De Jongh emerged on the finishing straight with his rivals left behind.
Photography
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Images by Bjorn Haake/Cyclingnews.com
- Fans came prepared with Thank you banners.
- The flag of Flanders is never far away from the bike races.
- Mad house at the start.
- We are not sure why the broom wagon features the lettering Devolder. He is still 10th overall in the Vuelta.
- Little fans admire towels that feature their hero's picture.
- In-between laps it was time for the masses to move along the course, albeit in the opposite direction.
- Serge Baguet early in the race looking down to see if he has any higher gears left.
- Beer and bike racing. Belgium can be summed up in two words.
- Marco Pantani was there, too.
- The first break of the day racing by the fish stand.
- Quick.Step-Innergetic had everything under control throughout the race.
- A typical Belgian 'kermis' scene.
- Gert Steegmans (Quick.Step - Innergetic) was very attentive.
- Maarten Wynants (Quick.Step - Innergetic) racing in a strong team.
- Robbie McEwen (Predictor-Lotto) takes a turn at high speed.
- Peter Van Petegem (Quick.Step - Innergetic) with arm warmers rolled down as the rain vanished.
- Briek Schotte is watching you.
- Van Petegem (25) rides by the Briek Schotte memorial and the Quick.Stepper was true to his word that he would ride the event another time.
- The peloton rides by the name giver of the race.
- Briek Schotte plaza.
- Ah, yes. Eddy Merckx was of course there as well. Well, at least a look-alike.
- The memorial.
- So in which direction were they going?
- The eight-man break of the day.
- Serge Baguet (Bel) Quick.Step - Innergetic on the left in his last race as a professional.
- Drafting at its finest at over 50km/h
- Two greats of their time. A picture of Briek Schotte and a doppelganger of Eddy Merckx
- The event was well organized and when the whistle blew the spectators made way for the racers.
- Eventual winner Steven De Jongh (Quick.Step - Innergetic) early in the race.
- McEwen (2nd from right) in the break, leading his team-mate.
- Steegmans and De Jongh demonstrating the Quick.Step power.
- While the spectators had coffee and cake Sébastien Delfosse has to wolf down some energy bar.
- Sébastien Rosseler (Quick.Step - Innergetic)
- Aussie Robbie McEwen
- De Jongh wins after the break disintegrated in the last lap.
- De Jongh showed his jersey and emphasizes what strong a team it is.
- The winner in Vlaanderen is Steven De Jongh.
- Johnny Hoogerland got second, one place lower than last year.
- The sprint for third.
- McEwen was beaten by the attacking in the last lap.
- Quick.Step was happy.
- McEwen had only Coke on mind after the finish.
- But before that he hid his Australian champ stripes on his sleeves, but people recognized him anyway...
- Everybody wanted to hug Peter van Petegem.
- Serge Baguet smiles as he knows the toughness of bike racing is over.
- The fans were cheering loudly from all places.
- Van Petegem with his son.
- The winner Steven de Jongh
- got the traditional winner's kiss
- but then all eyes were on van Petegem.
- Baguet and van Petegem received lots of hand shakes.
- And champagne. Of course.
- Baguet, Lefevere, van Petegem
- Patrik Lefevere is the manager of Quick.Step
- Van Petegem received this shirt.
- Lefevere also congratulated his rider's win of the day
- There goes the jersey and the crowd goes nuts.
- A replacement shirt was quickly found.
- Tears roll down van Petegem's wife as she realizes her husband's career is over.
- One last race flower bouquet for her.
Results - 155 km
1 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick.Step - Innergetic 3.23.00 (51.099 km/h) 2 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Van Vliet - EBH Advocaten 0.07 3 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 0.36 4 Geert Omloop (Bel) Jartazi Promo Fashion 5 Maarten Wijnants (Bel) Quick.Step - Innergetic 6 James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner 7 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Quick.Step - Innergetic 8 Sven Renders (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen 9 Mindaugas Striska (Ltu) Jartazi Promo Fashion 10 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Predictor - Lotto 0.48 11 Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Team Wiesenhof Felt 12 Stefan Cohnen (Ned) Aurum Hotels 0.53 13 Jehudi Schoonacker (Bel) Sunweb Pro Job 14 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen 1.03 15 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quick.Step - Innergetic 16 Nick Ingels (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 6.20 17 David Boucher (Fra) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner 18 Reinier Honig (Ned) Fondas-P3Transfer Team 19 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Roubaix Lille Metropole 10.05 20 Denis Flahaut (Fra) Jartazi Promo Fashion 21 Benjamin Verraes (Bel) C.T. Keukens Buysse Knesselare 22 Ken De Vaere (Bel) Babes Only - Villapark Langemeer - Flanders 23 Koen Barbé (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen 24 Wesley Van Speybroeck (Bel) Foronex CT / Wielerpromotie Z-W 25 Detlef Moerman (Bel) Wielergroep Beveren 2000 VZW 26 Thomas Ongena (Bel) Yawadoo - ABM - TV Vlaanderen 27 Vytautas Kaupas (Ltu) Jartazi Promo Fashion 28 Jan Kuyckx (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner 29 Christophe Verhaegen (Bel) Foronex Ct / Wielerpromotie Z-W 30 Jurgen Van Loocke (Bel) Palmans Collstrop 31 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Maxbo Bianchi 32 Edwig Cammaerts (Bel) Pesant Club Liege 33 Kris Steyaert (Bel) KSV Deerlijk Gaverzicht 34 Björn Coomans (Bel) Rock Werchter-Chocolade Jacques C.T. 35 Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) Pôle Continental Wallon Bergasol - Euro Millions 36 Mario Ickx (Bel) Jartazi Promo Fashion 37 Stieven Galle (Bel) Cycling Center 38 Peter Möhlmann (Ned) Team Regiostrom - Senges 39 Kenny De Haes (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen 40 Jurgen François (Bel) Jartazi Promo Fashion 41 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner 42 Martin Vestby (Nor) Time - Van Hemert 43 Sven Nevens (Bel) Jartazi Promo Fashion 44 Aivaras Baranauskas (Ltu) Agritubel 45 Jan Soetens (Bel) Jartazi Promo Fashion 46 Benny De Schrooder (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen 47 Jarno Van Mingeroet (Bel) Jartazi Promo Fashion 48 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner 49 Steven De Neef (Bel) Davitamon - Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen 50 Frederik Penne (Bel) Palmans Collstrop 51 Mathieu Criquielion (Bel) Jartazi Promo Fashion 52 Marc Streel (Bel) Palmans Collstrop 53 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick.Step - Innergetic 54 Peter Wuyts (Bel) Palmans Collstrop 55 Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 56 Kevin Ista (Bel) Pôle Continental Wallon Bergasol - Euro Millions 57 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 58 Jens Mouris (Ned) DFL - Cyclingnews - Litespeed 59 David Harrigan (Aus) DFL - Cyclingnews - Litespeed 60 Serge Baguet (Bel) Quick.Step - Innergetic 61 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Quick.Step - Innergetic 62 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen 63 Wouter Van Mechelen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner 64 Stijn Hoornaert (Bel) DFL - Cyclingnews - Litespeed 65 Frederiek Nolf (Bel) Wielergroep Beveren 2000 VZW 66 Norbert Poels (Ned) Fondas-P3Transfer Team 67 Kevin Seeldrayers (Bel) Quick.Step - Innergetic 68 Bart Vanheule (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen 69 Ken Vanmarcke (Bel) Wielerploeg C.L.C - Team Ingelmunster 70 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Wielerploeg C.L.C - Team Ingelmunster
Past winners
2006 Johnny Hoogerland 2005 Wouter Weylandt 2004 Wilfried Cretskens 2003 Wilfried Cretskens 2002 Sven Vanthourenhout 2001 Wilfried Peeters 2000 Max van Heeswijk 1999 Johan Museeuw 1998 Jo Planckaert 1997 Wim Feys 1996 Wim Omloop 1995 Jans Koerts 1994 Hendrik Redant 1993 Bart Leysen 1992 Johan Verstrepen 1991 Patrick Eyk 1990 Gino De Backer 1989 Jean-Marie Vernie 1988 Johan Museeuw 1987 Dirk Demol 1986 Johan Capiot 1985 Dirk Heirweg 1984 Patrick Versluys 1983 Ivan Lamote 1982 Eddy Planckaert 1981 André Dierick 1980 Frans van Looy 1979 Johnny De Nul 1978 Willem Peeters 1977 Jos Schipper 1976 Willem Peeters 1975 Herman Van Springel 1974 Willy Van Malderghem 1973 Walter Godefroot 1972 Christian Callens 1971 Edward Janssens 1970 Eric Leman 1969 Rik Van Looy 1968 Jos Huysmans 1967 Rik Van Looy 1966 Daniel Van Ryckeghem 1965 Willy Planckaert 1964 Julien Gekiere 1963 Gilbert Desmet 1962 Norbert Kerckhove 1961 Arthur De Cabooter 1960 Gilbert Desmet 1959 Gilbert Desmet 1958 Paul Borremans 1957 Emile Severeyns 1956 Germain Derycke 1955 Gilbert Desmet 1954 Paul Borremans 1953 Emile Severeyns 1952 Germain Derycke 1951 Gilbert Desmet 1950 Georges De Craeye 1949 Henri Denijs 1948 André Maelbrancke 1947 Roger Decock 1946 André Maelbrancke 1945 Maurice Meersman 1944 Roger Desmet 1943 André Defoort 1942 Briek Schotte 1941 Briek Schotte
