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Giro finale
Photo ©: Bettini

47th Brabantse Pijl - 1.1

Belgium, April 1, 2007

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Clear hat-trick for Freire on the Alsemberg

Leukemans smells victory flowers but Rabobank spoils his party

By Brecht Decaluwé

Oscar Freire (Raboabnk)
Photo ©: AFP
(Click for larger image)

Triple world champion Oscar Freire (Rabobank) made it three-in-a-row at the Brabantse Pijl after teammate Michael Boogerd led out the sprint from a select group of six riders and with 100 metres to go Freire unleashed his forces to easily beat local favourite Nick Nuyens (Cofidis) and Luxembourg champion Kim Kirchen (T-Mobile). "It was a difficult sprint because there's a climb just before the finish and because I was a little bit tired from yesterday [E3-prijs Harelbeke]," Freire said. "Boogerd controlled and pulled the last ten kilometres making it a sprint. Gasparotto started the sprint with 300 metres to go and I stayed in the wheels until the final kilometre.

"This course suits me perfectly and I'm very happy with this win as a hat-trick isn't bad," the man from Torrelavega added in fluent English.

Local favourite Nick Nuyens skipped yesterday's race and publicly expressed his desire to win the Brabantse Pijl. The Belgian was always attentive following in the wheels but never attacked himself. "It's just like last year," Nuyens explained about the 2006 sprint with Freire, Kroon and Flecha. "We couldn't drop him [Freire] on the climbs and in the sprint I sat a bit too far. I'm disappointed although I was there in the finale."

One man tried to avoid the sprint by attacking the breakaway with only four kilometres to go: Bjorn Leukemans (Predictor) jumped away on the Lindenberg. The injury-plagued Belgian never had more than ten seconds as Boogerd kept pulling hard in front of the pursuing group. Leukemans' brave attack was undone in the final kilometre on the climb leading up to the finish line.

"It's not a good idea to wait for a sprint against Freire, so I gambled but lost," Leukemans said. "Jurgen Van Den Broeck was in every escape putting the team into a relaxed position. The team said I had to anticipate before the climbs as they expected me to drop back when the big guns attacked. I knew I could follow everybody on the Bruine Put climb and you saw I was there in the finale. Right now I will ride some more kilometres to get stronger for the Tour of Flanders."

How it unfolded

World champions past and present:
Photo ©: Bert Geerts
(Click for larger image)

At the start in sun-drenched Zaventem, near Brussels, last year's winner Oscar Freire handed world champion Paolo Bettini birthday flowers; the organisers offered him an Easter egg made from famous Belgian chocolate while the local brass band played 'Happy Birthday'. Negotiations are currently being held to host the start of the 2008 race, with Zaventem getting competition mainly from Leuven but also Haacht and Tervuren.

Jan Kuyckx (Tönisteiner) managed the first real attack of the day, nothing serious although it was strange to see Philippe Gilbert (Française Des Jeux) in the counter-attack. A compact peloton surged towards the local circuit through the historical market of the university city, Leuven. Finally, after eighty kilometres three riders managed to sneak away from the peloton: experienced Roberto Petito (Liquigas), Finnish champion Jussi Veikkanen (Française Des Jeux) and promising young Russian Sergey Kolesnikov (Unibet). The three had a maximum advantage of four minutes while world champion Paolo Bettini (Quickstep) decided to abandon the race, most probably to continue his birthday celebrations in Italy.

Finnish champion Jussi Veikkanen (Française Des Jeux)
Photo ©: Bert Geerts
(Click for larger image)

After 117 kilometres the peloton hit the local circuit - five laps of 17 kilometres each with Rabobank and Cofidis taking command. The local circuit featured three climbs: first the Bruine Put (800m, maxium gradient 14 percent), then the Lindenberg (600m, maximum gradient 7 percent) and finally the Alsemberg (400m, maximum gradient 10 percent) where the finish line was marked. The last hill is also known as Jacques' hill with Jacques being the former owner of the café on top of the hill.

The advantage of the leaders dropped quickly and with 56 kilometres to go they were brought back by six men: Elio Aggiano (Tinkoff), Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Predictor), Adam Hansen (T-Mobile), Nicholas Roche (Cofidis), Koos Moerenhout (Rabobank) and Anthony Charteau (Crédit Agricole). Veikkanen and Petito dropped back when Van Den Broeck led the group on the Alsemberg. In the peloton, there were some half-hearted attacks by Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Quickstep) and Luca Paolini (Liquigas) while favourites Oscar Freire (Rabobank) and Nick Nuyens (Cofidis) rode attentively near the front on the climbs.

Michael Boogerd (Rabobank)
Photo ©: Bert Geerts
(Click for larger image)

From then on in, the bunch was torn apart on every climb and each time the peloton passed the finish line many riders abandoned. With 38 kilometres to go, Gilbert and Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) joined the early finishers. At the same time Bingen Fernandez (Cofidis), Pierrick Fedrigo (Bouygues Telecom), Giovanni Visconti (Quickstep) and Jean-Marc Marino (Crédit Agricole) bridged up towards the leaders who were no more than 30" ahead of the peloton.

Just before the leaders hit the penultimate lap, they were brought back by the peloton that then totalled no more than 50 riders. Luca Paolini (Liquigas), Matteo Tossato (Quickstep), Marcus Ljunqvist (CSC) and Bart Dockx (Predictor) sneaked away just before the Bruine Put and quickly gathered 20 seconds. Young Belgian Dockx was quickly left behind on that climb and thanks to the efforts from Rabobank's Moerenhout and William Walker - who worked for Michael Boogerd and Freire - the gap never grew bigger than 35".

The podium
Photo ©: Bert Geerts
(Click for larger image)

With assistance from T-Mobile - for Kim Kirchen - the leaders were brought back on the final climb of the Bruine Put. Kirchen showed his teammates that their efforts were well appreciated as he immediately attacked with only Boogerd, Nuyens, Freire, Bjorn Leukemans (Predictor), Enrico Gasparotto (Liquigas) and Karsten Kroon (CSC) following in his wheels.

With four kilometres to go Leukemans - returning from injury - attacked the group from the front on the Lindenberg; behind him Boogerd worked hard for Freire and the gap never grew bigger than 10". Hitting the ascending last kilometre of the Alsemberg, Leukemans was brought back and left behind by the group of six. In the sprint, former world champion Freire proved to be far stronger than Nuyens, Kirchen and Gasparotto.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by AFP Photo

Images by DCP/Bert Geerts

Results - 200 km

1 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank                                        4.45.00 (40.650 km/h)
2 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                       
3 Kim Kirchen (Lux) T-Mobile Team                                           
4 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Liquigas                                          
5 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC                                              
6 Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank                                        0.08
7 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Predictor - Lotto                               0.25
8 Christian Murro (Ita) Tenax - Menikini                                0.28
9 Mario Aerts (Bel) Predictor - Lotto                                       
10 David Kopp (Ger) Gerolsteiner                                        0.35
11 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                          
12 Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner                       
13 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Crédit Agricole                                    
14 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Predictor - Lotto                            
15 Bram Tankink (Ned) Quickstep - Innergetic                                
16 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Team CSC                                         
17 Simone Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo                  
18 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner                                        
19 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Unibet.com                                         
20 Carlos Barredo (Spa) Quickstep - Innergetic                              
21 Axel Merckx (Bel) T-Mobile Team                                      1.47
22 Sven Renders (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen           2.33
23 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com                                          
24 Serge Pauwels (Ned) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen          2.44
25 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen        3.40
26 Geert Steurs (Bel) Predictor - Lotto                                     
27 Adam Hansen (Aus) T-Mobile Team                                          
28 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Predictor - Lotto                                 
29 Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC                                            
30 Thomas Ziegler (Ger) T-Mobile Team                                       
31 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Team Milram                                         
32 Johan Coenen (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen               
33 Michael Barry (Can) T-Mobile Team                                        
34 Benjamin Brooks (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team                  
35 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Lampre - Fondital                                   
36 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom                                    
37 Thomas Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner                                         
38 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Lampre - Fondital                                  
39 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bouygues Telecom                                  
40 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quickstep - Innergetic                              
41 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas                                            
42 Luca Paolini (Ita) Liquigas                                              
43 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Tenax - Menikini                                   
44 Aleksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Liquigas                                       
45 Anthony Charteau (Fra) Crédit Agricole                                   
46 Jean-Marc Marino (Fra) Crédit Agricole                                   
47 Gil Suray (Bel) Unibet.com                                           4.35
48 Victor Hugo Pena (Col) Unibet.com                                        
49 Sergey Kolesnikov (Rus) Unibet.com                                       
50 Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Bouygues Telecom                        4.40
51 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner                        
52 Ger Soepenberg (Ned) Fondas-P3Transfer Team                          4.52
53 Stéphane Augé (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                    
54 Nicholas Roche (Irl) Crédit Agricole                                     
55 Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Lampre - Fondital                            5.37
56 Bart Dockx (Bel) Predictor - Lotto                                   6.47
57 Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Unibet.com                                           
58 William Walker (Aus) Rabobank                                            
59 Roel Vanmuysen (Bel) Klaipeda - Splendid Cycling Team               10.05
60 Martin Pedersen (Den) Team CSC                                           
61 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Davitamon - Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen          
62 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC                                         
63 Glenn Bak (Den) Murphy & Gunn - Newlyn - M. Donnelly - Sean Kelly        
64 Steffen Weigold (Ger) Tinkoff Credit Systems                             
65 Marco Cavallari (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo                     
66 Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Klaipeda - Splendid Cycling Team                     
67 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram                                             
68 Kristian House (GBr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team                   
69 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                   
70 Paidi O'brien (Irl) Murphy & Gunn - Newlyn - M. Donnelly - Sean Kelly    
71 Alessandro Bertuola (Ita) Tenax - Menikini                               
72 Francis De Greef (Bel) Davitamon - Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen        
73 Bingen Fernandez Bustinza (Spa) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone        
74 Carlos Dacruz (Fra) Française des Jeux                                   
75 Kenny Van Braeckel (Bel) Jartazi Promo Fashion                           
76 Sven Nevens (Bel) Jartazi Promo Fashion                                  
77 Reinier Honig (Ned) Fondas-P3Transfer Team                               
78 Martin Müller (Ger) Team Milram                                          
79 Fabien Patanchon (Fra) Française des Jeux                                
80 Nicolas Crosbie (Fra) Bouygues Telecom                                   
81 Erwin Thijs (Bel) Unibet.com                                             
82 Yohan Cauquil (Fra) Jartazi Promo Fashion                                
83 Timothy Vangheel (Ned) Fondas-P3Transfer Team                            
84 Luke Roberts (Aus) Team CSC                                              
85 Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                   
86 Tyler Farrar (USA) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                     
87 Sebastian Siedler (Ger) Team Milram                                      
88 Rémy Di Grégorio (Fra) Française des Jeux                                
89 Matt Cooke (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team                       
90 Alexander Khatuntsev (Rus) Unibet.com                                    
91 Pieter Mertens (Bel) Predictor - Lotto                                   
92 Claudio Cucinotta (Ita) Tenax - Menikini                                 
93 Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Davitamon - Win for Life - Jong Vlaanderen         
94 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Crédit Agricole                                     
95 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom                                   
96 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo                   
97 Didier Rous (Fra) Bouygues Telecom          

Starters: 200
Classified: 97