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87th Kampioenschap Van Vlaanderen - 1.3
Koolskamp, Belgium, September 20, 2002
2001 Results Results Past winners
Casper wins Kampioenschap Van Vlaanderen
By Jeff Jones
French sprinter Jimmy Casper (FDJeux.com) has won the 87th edition of the Kampioenschap Van Vlaanderen, a 183 km circuit race held in Koolskamp in the western part of Belgium. Casper was the fastest in the nine man breakaway which got away on the final 11 km lap. The break contained several sprinters, including Baden Cooke (FDJeux.com), Jans Koerts (Domo) and Tom Boonen (USPS), but in the end it was Marc Streel (Landbouwkrediet) and Andy Cappelle (Marlux) who took the minor placings behind Casper.
The KVV was first held in 1908, and while there is nothing remarkable about the parcours (a flat 11 km loop with one cobbled section), or even the location (a fairly small town in West Flanders), tradition has kept the race going for nearly a century. It has, save for one occasion, always been held in the middle of September, mostly on Thursday save for the last 14 years when it has been moved to a Friday. Casper's win today was the first ever by a Frenchman, and only the sixth by a foreign rider.
The crowd in attendance was very much from the local area, and some of them had no doubt seen most of the editions of this race. It was also a fairly serious affair - not a 'kermis koers' despite the nature of the circuit. The field was good too, as the KVV was being used as a selection race for the Belgian World Championships team. Museeuw, Van Petegem, Boonen, Mattan, Planckaert, Steels and Capelle were all there, along with foreigners such as Cooke, Koerts and Van Bon.
The racing was therefore quite fast and aggressive, with attacks commencing on the second lap and not ceasing until the finish. Throughout the first part of the race, small groups would get 10-20 seconds lead, before being recaptured by the peloton. The weather was conducive to a fast race, with almost no wind, overcast conditions with temperatures just under 20 degrees.
By halfway, a group of seven riders including Nico Mattan (Cofidis), Nico Eeckhout (Lotto), Steffen Radochla (Team Coast), Geert Omloop (Palmans), Steven De Neef (Marlux), Rik Reinerink (BankGiroLoterij) and Ludovic Capelle (Ag2r) had a good lead of around 2 minutes. But Rabobank and Domo combined their forces to chase them down with three laps to go.
In the closing kilometres, Bert Scheirlinckx (RDM-Flanders), Christophe Detilloux (Lotto), Chris Peers (Cofidis), Jimmy Casper and Baden Cooke (FDJeux.com), Marc Streel (Landbouwkrediet) Jans Koerts (Domo) and and Tom Boonen (USPS) managed to escape, preventing the expected bunch sprint. 24 year old Jimmy Casper overcame Streel and Cappelle, after the latter had attacked with 1 km to go in a bid for solo victory and a spot in the World's team.
Results - 182.6 km
1 Jimmy Casper (Fra) FDJeux.com 4.01.00 (45.46 km/h) 2 Marc Streel (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 3 Andy Cappelle (Bel) Marlux-Ville de Charleroi 4 Baden Cooke (Aus) FDJeux.com 5 Jans Koerts (Ned) Domo-Farm Frites 6 Tom Boonen (Bel) US Postal Service 7 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) RDM-Flanders 8 Christophe Detilloux (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 9 Chris Peers (Bel) Cofidis 10 Geert Vanderaerden (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 0.33 11 Wesley Van Speybroeck (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 0.36 12 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 13 Niko Eeckhout (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 14 Hans De Clercq (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 15 Danny Daelman (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 16 Christoph Roodhooft (Bel) RDM-Flanders 17 Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 18 Andy De Smet (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 19 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Rabobank 20 Michael Simms (Aus) RDM-Flanders 21 Tjarco Cuppens (Ned) Team ComNet-Senges 22 Tom Desmet (Bel) Marlux-Ville de Charleroi 23 Stefan Ganser (Ger) Team ComNet-Senges 24 Wesley Balcaen (Bel) RDM-Flanders 25 Stefan Schruff (Ger) Team ComNet-Senges 26 Roy Sentjens (Ned) Rabobank 27 Masahiko Mifune (Jpn) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 28 Ruud Verbakel (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim 29 Mindaugas Goncaras (Ltu) RDM-Flanders 30 Yoeri Beyens (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
Past winners
1st 2nd 3rd 2001 Paul Van Hyfte Biörnar Vestöl (Nor) Jean-Michel Tessier (Fra) 2000 Nico Eeckhout John Talen (Ned) Chris Peers 1999 Michel Vanhaecke Arvis Piziks (Lat) Steven De Jongh (Ned) 1998 Nico Eeckhout Hans De Clercq Davy Delmé 1997 Peter Van Petegem Tom Steels Michael van der Wolf (Ned) 1996 Nico Eeckhout Johan Verstrepen Peter Verbeken 1995 Johan Museeuw Hans De Clercq Wilfried Peeters 1994 Jelle Nijdam (Ned) Hendrik Redant Danny Nelissen (Ned) 1993 Sammie Moreels Andrei Tsjmile (Mol) Johan Museeuw 1992 Rik Van Slijcke Michel Vanhaecke Hendrik Redant 1991 Johan Museeuw Peter Huyghe Wiebren Veenstra (Ned) 1990 Hendrik Redant Wilfried Peeters Dirk Demol 1989 Etienne Dewilde Luc Van De Vel Herman Frison 1988 Marnix Lameire Edwin Bafcop Dirk Heirweg 1987 Dirk Heirweg Dirk Demol Geert Decorte 1986 Frank Van De Vijver Herman Frison Alan Peiper (Aus) 1985 Eddy Vanhaerens Claude Criquielion Pol Verscheure 1984 Rudy Matthijs Dirk Heirweg Frank Hoste 1983 Patrick Devos Adri Vander Poel (Ned) Luc Meersman 1982 Gerry Verlinden Hendrik Caethoven Jean-François Chaurin (Fr) 1981 Patrick Versluys Frank Hoste Ronny Van Marcke 1980 Theo De Rooy (Ned) Luc Collijn Guido Van Sweevelt 1979 Fons Van Katwijk (Ned) Marc Renier Lieven Malfait 1978 Daniel Wilems Gerry Verlinden Alain Desaever 1977 Frans Verhaegen Gerry Verlinden Willy In 't Ven 1976 Freddy Maertens Willy Planckaert Serge Vandale 1975 Jos Huysmans Hennie Kuiper José Vanackere 1974 Freddy Maertens Frans Verbeeck Herman Vrijders 1973 Herman Vrijders José Vanackere Jos Spruyt 1972 Patrick Sercu Eddy Merckx Walter Godefroot 1971 Erik Leman Rik Van Linden Willy Planckaert 1970 Noël Van Clooster Jean-Pierre Monseré Herman Vrijders 1969 Erik De Vlaminck Ronald De Witte Jean-Pierre Monseré 1968 Jos Huysmans Eric Leman rik Van Looy 1967 Gerard Viaenen (Ned) Eddy Van Audenaerde Gustaaf Desmet 1966 Eddy Merckx Daniel Van Ryckegem Gustaaf Desmet 1965 Palle Lykke (Den) Arthur Decabooter Gustaaf Desmet 1964 Gustaaf Desmet Rik Van Looy Gilbert Maes 1963 Staf Van Vaerenberghe Jean-Baptist Claes Frans Melckebeeck 1962 André Messelis Romain Vanwynsberghe Oswald Declercq 1961 Frans Demulder Karel Clerckx Gustaaf Desmedt 1960 Gilbert Desmet Jos Mariën Michel Van Aerde 1959 Rik Van Looy André Noyelle Oswald Declercq 1958 Leon Van Daele Roger De Corte René Mertens 1957 Leon Van Daele Leon Delathouwer Firmin Bral 1956 Leon Van Daele André Rosseel Wim Van Est (Ned) 1955 Leon Delathouwer André Noyelle René Mertens 1954 Briek Schotte André Rosseel Karel De Baere 1953 Leon Delathouwer Maurits Mollin Arthur Mommerency 1952 Arsène Ryckaert Arthur Mommerency Julien Plovie 1951 Roger De Cock Gerard Buyl André Maelbrancke 1950 Maurice Blomme Arsène Ryckaert André Pieters 1949 Emiel Van Der Veken Roger De Cock Flander Janssens 1948 Emmanuel Thoma Roger Decorte Louis Brusselmans 1947 Albert Paepe Albert Anutchin Maurice Meersman 1946 Achiel Debacker Albert Sercu Alois Van Overloop 1945 Sylvain Grysolle André Pieters Omer Huwel 1943 Rik Van Steenbergen Robert Van Eenaeme Roger Knockaert 1942 Robert Van Eenaeme Roger Knockaert Albert Paepe 1941 Briek Schotte Frans Bonduel Albert Sercu 1938 Sylvain Grysolle Odiel Van den Meerschaut Albert Beirnaert 1937 Marcel Claeys Gaston Denijs Jan Deman 1936 Julien Heirnaert Emiel Vandepitte Frans Bonduel 1935 Marcel Kint Flander Horemans Albert Billiet 1934 Jef Moerenhout Albert Billiet Jules Lowie 1933 Gerard Desmet Michel Van Vlockhoven André Mortier 1932 Gerard Desmet Sylveer Maes André Mortier 1931 Aimé Dossche Frans Bonduel Félicien Vervaecke 1930 Fred Hamerlinck Leander Ghyssels Constant Dyzers 1929 Maurice Raes Aimé Dossche Maurice Dewaele 1928 Aimé Dossche Lucien Buysse Hector Martin 1927 Paul Matton Fred Hamerlinck Jan Meeuwis 1926 Hector Dejaegher Gustaaf Van Slembrouck Georges Ronsse 1925 Aimé Dossche Maurice Dewaele Remi Cant 1924 Leon Devos Jules Matton Maurice Dewaele 1923 Julien Volbrecht Pierre Vandevelde Theo Van Eetvelde 1922 Alfons Van Hecke Robert Vandenberghe Julien Volbrecht 1921 Pierre Vandevelde Marcel Buysse Karel Govaert 1920 Jules Van Hevel Henri Vanlerberghe Robert Vandenberghe 1919 Jules Van Hevel Leon Devos Alfons Van Hecke 1913 René Anno Arthur Maertens Achiel Depauw 1912 Abel Devogelaere Leon Buysse Aloïs Persyn 1911 Leon Buysse Aloïs Persyn Fons Brutin 1910 Odiel Defraeye Leon Buysse Henri Vanlerberghe 1909 Robert Wancour Odiel Defraeye Marcel Buysse 1908 Robert Wancour Firmin Lambot Louis Colsaet
