Gent - Lokeren, 202 kms:
1. Peter Van Petegem (Bel) TVM 5.08.00
2. Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Festina 0.12
3. Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto 0.15
4. Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Rabobank s.t.
5. Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei s.t.
6. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) GAN s.t.
7. Arvis Piziks (Lat) Team Home-Jack and Jones s.t.
8. Servais Knaven (Ned) TVM-Farm Frites 2.02
9. Fabio Baldato (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG s.t.
10. Henk Vogels (Aus) GAN s.t.
11. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat Auber 93 s.t.
12. Wim Feys (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar s.t.
13. Lars Michaelsen (Den) TVM s.t.
14. Frederic Guesdon (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux s.t.
15. Tom Desmet (Bel) Collstrop s.t.
16. Rolf Sörensen (Den) Rabobank s.t.
17. Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank s.t.
18. Michael Steen Nielsen (Den) 2'25
19. Frédéric Moncassin (Fra) GAN
20. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 2.25
21. Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei
22. Brian Holm (Den) Team Home Jack and Jones 2.40
23. Nico Mattan (Bel) Mapei
24. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino
25. Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Casino
26. Fabio Sacchi (Ita) Polti
27. Christophe Bassons (Fra) Festina
28. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina
29. Hans De Meester (Bel) Tonissteiner-Saxon
30. Ermanno Brignoli (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG
31. Steven Van Malderghem (Bel) Palmans-Ideal
32. Magnus Bäckstedt (Swe) GAN
33. Cédric Vasseur (Fra) GAN
34. Jann Kirsipuu (Est) Casino
35. Danny Nelissen (Ned) Team Home-Jack and Jones
36. Philippe Gaumont (Fra) Cofidis
37. Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei 2.40
38. Leon van Bon (Ned) Rabobank
39. Scott Sunderland (Aus) Palmans-Ideal 4.00
40. Johan Capiot (Bel) TVM-Farm Frites 5.53
41. Frank Höj (Den) Palmans-Ideal
42. Christophe Mengin (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 9.15
43. Bruno Boscardin (Swi) Festina
44. Filip Meirhaeghe (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi 12.10
45. Marco Serpellini (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas
46. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom-ARD
47. Francis Moreau (Fra) Cofidis
48. Laurent Pillon (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
49. Johan De Geyter (Bel) Palmans-Ideal
50. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina
51. Laurent Desbiens (Fra) Cofidis
52. Frank Corvers (Bel) Palmans-Ideal
53. Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi
54. Jens Zemke (Ger) Team Nurnberger
55. Juris Silovs (Let) Team Home-Jack and Jones
56. Chris Peers (Bel) Lotto
57. Jaime Javier Hernandez Bertran (Spa) Festina
58. André Korff (Ger) Festina
59. Erwin Thijs (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
60. Bert Hiemstra (Ned) Rabobank
61. Andreas Klier (Ger) Team Nurnberger
62. Sébastien Demarbaix (Bel) Home Market-Charleroi
63. Danny Daelman (Bel) Collstrop
64. Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
65. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) GAN
66. Hendrik Van Dijck (Bel) TVM
67. Glenn D'Hollander (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002
68. Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Casino
69. Steven de Jongh (Ned) TVM
70. Eric De Clercq (Bel) Collstrop
71. Marco Milesi (Ita) Brescialat
72. Maarten den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank
73. Tristan Hoffman (Ned) TVM
74. Rossano Brasi (Ita) Polti
75. Enrico Cassani (Ita) Polti
76. Bruno Cenghialta (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG
77. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Rabobank
78. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei
79. Dirk Müller (Ger) Telekom
80. Laurent Genty (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
81. Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
82. Davy Delmé (Bel) Tonissteiner-Saxon
DNS:
Daniele Contrini (Ita)
Simone Bertoletti (Ita)
Franco Ballerini (Ita)
Wilfried Peeters (Bel)
187 Starters.
Live Coverage
16.50:
With two fingers in the air, Peter Van Petegem wins the Omloop
Het Volk. Bortolami was second, then followed Tchmil, Museeuw, Van
Heeswijk, O'Grady and Piziks.
In the first reaction to the press, Peter Van Petegem said that over
the last piece of cobbles he was waiting for an attack from Tchmil, bute
when it did not come, he decided to attack himself.
16.48:
Now one km left, Peter Van Petegem is on the way to winning his
second Omloop Het Volk in a row.
16.47:
Tchmil is trying to counter and Museeuw is not done yet.
16.45:
The chasers are not organised. With 24 second gap, Van Petegem
begins the last 3 kms.
16.42:
Van Petegem has a 23 second gap, but the chasing group have him
in their sight. Still 5 kms to go.
16.40:
Tchmil tries to chase and Bortolami reacts. The 6 are coming
together.
16.39:
Van Petegem is going hard, Museeuw is trying to organise the
chasing bunch. O'Grady and Piziks are not willing or cannot
do any work.
16.38:
Tchmil and Museeuw are not giving up, but Van Petegem has
10 seconds.
16.37:
Ultimately it is Peter Van Petegem who is the first to
go. No-one reacts to counter-attack.
16.35:
The riders are going over the cobbles in Vogelzangstraat.
An attack will come as no-one wants to lead over them.
16.25:
With around 16 kms to go to the finish, the top group remains
the same, but there are no attacks coming. Everyone is waiting
for the last section of cobbles which is 1.3 km long, and ten
kms from the finish. The gap on the chasing group is down to
have a minute.
16.20:
On the cobbles of the Laarnse Steenbekestraat Tchmil is the
fastest, but everone can follow.
16.15:
Now there is 25 kms to go and finale begins. There are some
very narrow sections of the course here and a cobbled section
coming. The gap is at 1.20.
16.10:
The gap is now 1.10 - the jojo is working.
16.00:
According to TV commentator Michel Wuyts, Museeuw is starting
to look sharp. The gap that the top group now has is jo-joing -
it is now 55 seconds.
15.55:
The top group have organised themselves and the gap goes
out to 1.15. No-one is attacking. Van Heeswijk is inherently
the fastest sprinter in the group, and thus we will expect
a single attack further on.
15.50:
The riders take food and drink. This is an unusual situation,
with the gap coming back from 1.15 to 53 seconds. Probably
because they are riding into a strong wind. But in the chasing
group there is excellent blocking work being done by Nico Mattan
for Mapei's top man, Johan Museeuw.
15.45:
There are 40 kms to go and there are 7 leaders with more than a
minute gap on 17 chasers.
15.40:
Following a pinprick from Tchmil, Museeuw is the first to chase
him. At the end of Paddenstraat we have seven in the top group.
Tchmil, Museeuw, O'Grady, Bortolami, Piziks, Van Petegem and Van Heeswijk.
Van Petegem is gone.
15.35:
By the beginning of the Paddenstraat (near Zottegem) the following group
are 27 seconds behind the 8 leaders - Museeuw, Van Heeswijk,
Tchmil, Gaumont, O'Grady, Piziks, Van Petegem and Bortolami.
15.30:
A new attack: Museeuw, Van Heeswijk, Tchmil, Gaumont, O'Grady,
Piziks, Van Petegem and Bortolami have gone away and have a nice gap.
Baldato is chasing them but is joined by Vandenbroucke and
Brochard.
15.27:
Bortolami and Museeuw are now getting help from Baldato,
Brochard, Van Petegem, Tchmil and Vandenbroucke. There are others
coming thanks to the work of the Rabobank riders.
15.25:
On the Berendries, Bortolami takes over the pace and he is
followed by Museeuw. There are other riders who are staying
in touch including Holm and Sörensen.
15.20:
There is a grouping of around 20 riders. Philippe Gaumont
finds that the pace is not fast enough and tries to push it
from the front. A strong reaction by Vandenbroucke brings them
all nicely back together again.
15.15:
Vandenbroucke, Museeuw and Van Petegem are putting on the
pressure up the Molenberg.
Meanwhile, back on the N60 in Zingem, we see the Frenchman
riding on the bike path - completely off the
race circuit. For him the Omloop is over.
15.10:
There is now a one large group of around 30 riders. The
Molenberg is coming.
15.05:
Museeuw set his sights on the top group and the small peloton
he was in has been splintered. Only a few of them can follow
him, including Vandenbroucke, Van Petegem, Moncassin and Tchmil.
They are closing in on the leaders and will catch them.
15.00:
Over the cobbles of Kerkgate there are now 6 leaders who
have a 20 second gap on a group which includes Museeuw,
Tchmil, Van Petegem - which is about 30 riders strong.
14.50:
On the top of the Volkegemberg Brian Holm and Fabio Baldato
now have a 40 second gap on the first group with Leon
van Bon, Laurie Aus, Danny Nelissen and Mario Aerts trying to
attack. The second peloton is trailing at 1.12. The four riders
chasing Holm and Baldato are coming fastand also a group
further back.
14.35:
Brian Holm and Fabio Baldato are working together and have a
gap of 45 seconds. In the chasing group there is not a lot
of cooperation, so that the group behind them are coming back
into the race to form a large group behind Holm and Baldato.
14.20:
The chasers are going hard. At the Valkenberg, Brian Holm
attacks. He has help from Fabio Baldato and now they have a 100
metre gap on a peloton of about 35 riders. And that group includes
all the favourites: Tchmil, Van Petegem, Museeuw...
The riders are on the Muur van Geraardsbergen with a group of 5
near the top: Richard Virenque, Christophe Bassons, Nicolay-Bo Larsen,
Hans De Meester and Danny Nelissen (Ned, Team Jack and Jones). A
group of about 40 riders are hard on their heels.
13.30:
There is now a new situation evolving with 4 men at the front
Christophe Bassons (Fra, Festina), Geert Van Bondt (Bel, TVM),
Hans De Meester (Bel, Tonissteiner) and Tom Stremersch (Bel,
Vlaanderen 2000) driving the race. The main peloton of 80 riders
is following at 100 meters in full chase before the climb of the
Pottelberg.
13.15:
At the Patersberg there is now a group of 9 at the front of the race
including Johan Museeuw. On the road near Flobecq there is an attack
from Emmanuel Magnien (Fra, La Francaise des Jeux) and Nico Mattan
(Bel, Mapei). They quickly gain a 20 second gap on the peloton that is
now broken into 4 groups with the high pace.
13.00:
At the top of Oude Kwaremont Gwiazdowski, Berges and Hoffman have a
40 second gap on the peloton. Museeuw and World Champion, Laurent
Brochard (Fra, Festina) are receiving attention from the peloton.
Christophe Capelle (Fra, Cofidis) is also riding well.
12.45:
The 3 riders who are away are holding a 35 second gap but the peloton
is beginning to chase. There are three riders in difficulties at the back
of the race: Stéphane Hennebert (Bel, Ipso), Peter Verbeken (Bel, Ipso),
and Jörg Scherf (Ger, Team Gerolsteiner).
12.30:
At the 18 km mark there is a new attack from Christophe Agnolutto
(France, Casino) and Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Pol, Cofidis), who get
assistance from Christophe Detilloux (Bel, Lotto-Mobistar),
Scott Guyton (NZ, Ipso) and Stéphane Berges (Fra, Big Mat-Auber 93).
At the top of the climb of the Kluisberg Gwiazdowski and Berges remain
together with Tristan Hoffman (Ned, TVM). They have a gap of 35 seconds.
12.00:
At the 10 kms mark there is a fall. Belgians Philip Vereecke (Collstrop)
and Roman Polansky (Spar-RDM) and German Dirk Müller (Telekom-ARD) are
involved. It is bitterly cold and the sport's directors are
getting extra clothing for the riders. Luckily there is some sun.
A new attack from Robbie Vandaele (Belgium, Ipso-Euroclean) who
now has a 15 second gap.
11.45:
From the start the attacks are apparent. The Japanese rider
Ken Hashikawa (Tonissteiner) and local Geert Omloop (Spar-RDM)
attack but are brought back again after 3 kms. Then Belgian Werner
Vandromme from the Spar-RDM team is dropped and he retires.
11.30:
According to the schedule, the official start marks the
opening of the Belgian cycling season. Wilfried Peeters
from Mapei is not starting and the number 12 is not being
worn by Geert Van Bondt, but rather by Dane Nicolay-Bo Larsen.
11.20:
In the presentations Peter Van Petegem is confident. Johan Museeuw,
on the other hand, is not. The team is not good, he
says he does not feel good himself ... thus he might have
to struggle.
11.00
Many people are at the Sint-Pietersplein in Gent.
There is a little sun to be seen but it remains
very cold. According to the local authorities there are
around 2,000 cycling fans at the start of the 53rd
Omloop.
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