Profronde Heerlen - NE

Netherlands, August 2, 2008

2007 Results Results Past Winners The inside story of the post-TdF crits

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Elmar Krings

Ben Berden relies on the power of tattoos.
Dutch champ Lars Boom is fully concentrated as he storms along the course.
Mark Cavendish and Lars Boom checked out the course in a car first.
Cavendish rounds the course
Cavendish has all the necessary ingredients for riding crits to win.
Dutch rider Stefan Cohnen felt at home in Heerlen.
The Columbia team Knaven/Cavendish gets interviewed before the start.
Bjorn Cornelissen rides for the Cyclingnews team on his home soil.
The procession at the start gave the spectators one last chance to see the racers in slow motion.
Servais Knaven (Columbia) goes through a turn on the tight course.
Knaven pulled a break which constantly formed and reformed.
Martijn Maaskant takes a turn on sort of cobbles.
Rabobank wished CSC would have been as nice to them in the Tour, while Miss Superlativo smiles on.
Quick Step gets interviewed before the start with De Jongh (l) and Steegmans the only reps for the Belgian team.
Rabobank certainly had the numbers today.
Fränk Schleck explains how riding in yellow feels.
Schleck rounds a turn
Schlecks bike pays tribute to his captain Carlos Sastre winning the Tour de France.
Gert Steegmans pulls through the turn close to the finish.
Terpstra in his element
Wim Vansevenant (Silence-Lotto) secured last place in the Tour and gets extra invites to the post-Tour crits this way.
Boom is a brilliant time trialler and as such knows a bit about breaking away in a crit, too.
Cav, Schleck and Boom broke away from the rest earlier in the day – well, it was already late in the day, but earlier in the race...
Steven De Jongh (Quick Step) enjoyed the fast racing.
Martijn Maaskant (Garmin Chipotle - H30) pulls a three-man break.
The podium with winner Cavendish flanked by Gert Steegmans (left) and Bram Tanking (right)
Riders relax before the start.
Cav and Steegmans shook hands after they battled it out on the road.
It was still sunny and bright at the start.
Niki Terpstra (Team Milram) is asked if he ever thought about not attacking.
The trophy for the winner and Cav approved
Fränk Schleck won the Leiderprijs of 5,000 euro.
Cavendish with the trophy

Results

1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Columbia
2 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quick Step
3 Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank

Past winners

     1st                     2nd                           3rd
2007 Thomas Dekker (Ned)     Bram de Groot (Ned)           Steven De Jongh (Ned)
2006 Oscar Freire (Spa)      Robbie McEwen (Aus)           Joost Posthuma (Ned)
2005 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Oscar Periero (Spa)           Leon Van Bon (Ned)
2004 Marc Lotz (Ned)         Robbie McEwen (Aus)           Thor Hushovd (Nor)
2003 Servais Knaven (Ned)    Leon Van Bon (Ned)            Bradley McGee (Aus)
2002 Robbie McEwen (Aus)     Michael Boogerd (Ned)         Thorsten Schmidt (Ger)
2001 Jans Koerts (Ned)       Laurent Jalabert (Fra)        Marc Lotz (Ned)
2000 Erik Dekker (Ned)       Servais Knaven (Ned)          Geert Verheyen (Bel)
1999 Lance Amstrong (USA)    Kurt van de Wouwer (Bel)      Maarten den Bakker (Ned)
1998 Max van Heeswijk (Ned)  Jens Heppner (Ger)            Servais Knaven (Ned)
1997 Michael Boogerd (Ned)   Jan Ullrich (Ger)             Raymond Meys (Ned)
1996 Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned) John Talen (Ned)              Max van Heeswijk (Ned)
1995 Frans Maassen (Ned)     Erik Zabel (Ger)              Wiebren Veenstra (Ned)
1994 Adri van der Poel (Ned) Djamoladine Abdujaparov (Uzb) Silvio Martinello (Ita)
1993 Danny Nelissen (Ned)    Gert Jacobs (Ned)             Bo Hamburger (Den)
1992 Ad Wijnands (Ned)       Jelle Nijdam (Ned)            Guido Bontempi (Ita)
1991 Frans Maassen (Ned)     Henk Lubberding (Ned)         Uwe Raab (Ger)
1990 Peter Winnen (Ned)      Jelle Nijdam (Ned)            Erik Breukink (Ned)
 
Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com