Good day and welcome to live coverage of the 88th Tour of Flanders, the second round of the 2004 World Cup.
Our live report today by Jan Janssens and Andy McDobbin.
Click for full size image.
We join the race in progress. There's a large lead group of 24 riders who have a 3.30 lead at the moment. Some of the names in the group are: de Spiegelaere, Van Velzen, Barraro (same man that was away with Dierckxens in MSR), Zanini, Sentjens, Hoste, Durand, Coenen, Marichal, Ongarato, Cruz, Joachim, Comesso, De Jongh and Streel.
It's a very nervous race, with a lot of crashes to this point. Freire, Löwik, Buonomi and Cancellara are the most important victims: Buonomi and Löwik abandoned and are taken to the hospital, Freire and Cancellara could continue.
It might also be good to mention that we've already passed the Paddenstraat cobbles where we saw the traditional dropping of a whole lot of Spanish riders.
Situation at this time: with 114 kms to go, there's a counter-attacking group of some 8 riders, who are 2.51m behind the leaders; peloton still at 3.30.
Riders are being dropped from the peloton, the tempo is very high.
109 km to go - some additional info on the earlier crashes - Gerben Löwik is said to have broken his tailbone. We are very sorry to hear this.
An aside - it's 04-04-04....a sign for Museeuw's 4th?
106km to go: The peloton is becoming smaller and smaller.
The riders in the counter-attacking group are: Dierckxens, Wauters, Devocht, Hondo, Mattan, Knaven, Herve, Arvesen, Bazhenov. The weather is dry and a bit sunny, but looks like it could turn around at any moment.
We are sad to report that this morning at 11.30, one of the most famous Classic riders, Albéric "Briek" Schotte, nicknamed "Iron Briek,"
passed away. He had been sick for a long time. He was a two-time Tour of Flanders winner.
Continuing with our coverage, other names in the counter-attacking group: Petito and Moreni.
99kms to go: Astarloa is riding in the back of the peloton on the cobbles. Think we can scratch him as a candidate - he and O'Grady are fighting pain. Astarloa has never ridden RVV, and if you're this far back at this time in the race, you're done.
You need to be up front for the hills.
Iron Briek Schotte was 84 years old. He rode for 25 years, and worked as team manager for 30. He rode on the edge, going to the front and pushing the pace, daring the others to stay with him. He even took 2nd behind the great 'pious' Gino Bartali in the 1948 Tour de France.
95kms to go: Celestino punctures and gets a wheel from teammate Casagranda. The leading group is getting smaller with the minute, riders are being dropped up front, pace is blistering.
2.03 the gap to the chasers, with 94kms to go.
Rabo boys De Jongh and Sentjens, in the front group, are both good cobble riders, both Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne winners.
Euskaltel rider Aranburu had to put his foot on the ground for the 7th time or so on a hill, because he was in the back of the peloton, so when he gets home tomorrow he'll probably say: "What the hell was that? I walked more than I rode my bike out there."
That's the way of the hills - if you aren't in front, you are impeded by the riders in front of you. Some of these roads are so narrow, you're bound to have to stand still for a moment because of other riders slowing down.
Museeuw said yesterday that he had a special "scheme" for today, but he wouldn't say what. He claimed that it popped into his mind when he got up yesterday. We'll see what his plan is, I guess.
88kms to go: Chasing group is 1.27 behind.
The peloton is 4.34 behind. So from the leaders it is 1.18 to the chasing group and 4.34 to the peloton.
11kms to go to the Oude Kwaremont...
It's a dangerous group: Mattan, Dierckxsens and Knaven are all top class 'cobblers' - and it's likely only Knaven will sit on (for Museeuw), although the question could be raised that if Nico Mattan - classics captain on Quick Step's sister team Relax-Bodysol - gets in a winning position with Museeuw, would he be forced to let the Lion of Flanders win?
Meanwhile, the gorgeous Russian rider Zhabirova has won the RVV for women, with Melchers coming in second. Exactly like in Milan-Sanremo. Alisson Wright came in 4th. 83kms to go: The chasing group at 0.35, peloton at 4.20. They're going to catch the 23 in front, and some will probably get dropped on the Kwaremont. The pace has been pretty tough, with the peloton not giving them any leeway. Instead of the 15 minutes gap a quartet attained last year, it's hardly got above five this time round.
In the front group, there are still some pretty good Classic riders capable of a sterling effort. Whilst Stefano Zanini will probably be restrained by team obligations, Joachim, Cruz, Commesso, Van Velzen and Hoste can all hold their own on the bumps, as well as the Rabobank duo.
Rabobank announced this morning that it will extend its sponsoring contract for 3 more years, until 2008.
We're heading for the Kwaremont, where the Ronde Van Vlaanderen "really" begins....everything we've had so far was just in order to get everyone tired enough...
79kms to go: Leading group is on the Kwaremont, the chasing group 0.27 behind, the peloton 4.20.
The Kwaremont is long, narrow and will seem never-ending for some of the strugglers. No stopping for a leisurely cup of tea at the summit cafe either!
De Jongh is leading on the Kwaremont, with Zanini in his wheel. There's a mass of people here!
The peloton will really be flying before the foot of the climb: if you're not in the top 20 before it, you're susceptible to all kinds of trouble.
Dierckxens is putting the hammer down in the chasing group, the crowd shouting "Ludo!!!". At the finishline, there appears "Adieu Briek" on the big tv screen.
The Oude Kwaremont has a 600m tarmacked section, before the cobbles bite for a narrow, 1.6km haul.
The leading group and chasing group are breaking apart completely, there is a group of some 5 riders leading now.
In the back of the peloton, Illes Baleares-Banesto team leader for today, Lastras, is struggling.
Into the last third of the race now, the climbs are really going to break up the peloton and breakaway group; it'll be a war of attrition from here on in.
The 5 leaders look like Schafrath, Elmiger, Zanini, De Jongh, Comesso. They're all good cobblers with the possible exception of Schafrath.
73kms to go: Both leading group and chasing group are riding over the Paterberg, with the lesser Gods parking...Dierckxens is riding impressively.
Ludo Dierckxsens is one of the most popular riders in Belgium; he's defied logic by turning professional at 30 and at the not-so-sprightly age of 39 is still confounding the critics.
The Landbouwkrediet man is the second oldest rider in Division I, four months younger than Mario Scirea (Domina Vacanze). You wouldn't think it though, the way he's storming up these climbs!
It's an all-out attrition war, both in front and at the back - the peloton at 3.06 at 72kms to go. As usual, riders parking at the back of the peloton on the Paterberg.
The crowd is pushing them up the hill, among them Irish champion Scanlon.
2.5 kms to go until the dreaded Koppenberg for the leaders.
The Koppenberg is always one of the favoured spectator spots; from the days cycling gods were reduced to mere mortals by having to walk up its steep slopes - too steeps for their overgeared machines - it's always been a crowd-puller.
The leaders are: Hoste, Zanini, Schafrath, Comesso, De Jongh, Marichal, Elmiger.
The Koppenberg was taken off the route in 1987, when Jesper Skibby crashed and couldn't get his feet out of the pedals, as a commissaire's car rolled forward behind him. The car rolled over his bike, missing his feet by centimetres. It was only re-introduced in 2002.
We're on the Koppenberg!! De Jongh is the first to park.
Domine Vacanza's Bazhenov is putting up an impressive show, losing all his companions.
Bazhenov, who turned 23 last week, is the champion of Russia. The peloton is on the Koppenberg now, maybe we can see the strengths of the favourites now, there's no hiding on this hill!
Museeuw, Bonnen and Bruylandts leading! Hincapie, VdB, Boogerd, Bettini are all there.
Frans Veerbeck, so often in Merckx's shadows in the Classics, used to tell his teammates to fall over or crash on this climb as much as possible, to hinder his opponents! Seemingly this won't be a factor this year, though.
Man, the peloton is very small!
Well, although Ronde van Vlaanderen is a lottery, it's rare that anyone wins it through fluke or luck - usually, the strongest prevail. Even Jacky Durand, surprise breakaway winner in 1992, was powerful enough to crack his companions and race away to victory.
Matthew Wilson, the Australian champion, is taking the Koppenberg by foot, he'd better hope he'll still be able to finish the Ronde.
64kms to go: The leaders are in the supply zone.
The average speed is 41km/h at the moment.
That's very fast Mark, but nowhere near the record set by 1964 winner and the later notoriously meticulous directeur sportif Peter Post, which was 45.129km/h. Although they were blessed with a perfect tailwind throughout, I believe.
There are a lot of billboards hanging around saying "Komaan Museeuw!", sponsored by the famous Werchter music festival. Its organizer, Herman Scheuremans, is a cycling amateur, who used to sponsor his own cycling team even. Nowadays, the name of the festival is still on one of the leader's jerseys in the Tour of Belgium.
The only "big" teams without a man in the leading group today are Fassa and USPS, and even they had Ongarato and the duo of Joachim and Cruz in the original 26-man one.
60kms to go: The chasers at 0.55, peloton at 2.35.
As usual, Dierckxens leading the chasing group on the Taaienberg, Marichal punctures up front.
Mr. Bookmaker-Palmans will be annoyed, as it's their business to get publicity from a Tour of Flanders breakaway - as Erwin Thijs will testify, as he was only caught 18km from the finish line in the 2002 Ronde, and was patted deservedly on the back by Andrea Tafi as he and the favourites passed. Nonetheless, they'll be hoping for a good final performance from Geert Omloop, Jo Planckaert or maybe British champion Roger Hammond.
The peloton is on the Taaienberg: Bruylandts and Museeuw are clear from the peloton for a few meters. Now Bettini is joining them, and they're picking up Lang and Cruz. Lang was in the original break.
Surely this isn't going to be the decisive breakaway, although Bettini did say before the race that he'd sacrifice his own chances for a Museeuw victory, with the Lion's retirement race (Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen) just over a week away.
The peloton is getting back at Museeuw and Co., who weren't really racing.
56kms to go: The leaders are starting the Eikenberg.
Museeuw's style is a stark contrast to that of Van Petegem's - whilst Museeuw stays at the front, in view, for most of the race, Van Petegem prefers to stay sheltered, at the back, and then choose a moment to go to the front.
55kms to go: Tom Boonen is attempting to escape from the peloton.
Ludo, leading, AGAIN, on the Eikenberg. Boonen has a small gap on the peloton on the Eikenberg, but has watchdog Van Bon in his wheel.
Now it's really hurting, and the men are being separated from the boys. It's a no-nonsense climb, with maximum 11% gradient and an average of 5.5% - any climb, no matter how long or steep, deaden the legs and leave riders gasping for breath and desperately trying to follow the wheel in front.
Yes...and I might add to that: The catch of the RVV aren't the hills themselves so much, but their very quick succession.
53 kms to go: chasing group at 1.06, peloton at 1.52.
The Lottos are looking very strong - the 2 men up front, Hoste and Marichal, plus PVP and Van Bon, all look very strong.
For everyone who can receive Belgian television: later tonight, there will be a special on Briek Schotte.
Ludo refuses to let go of the lead, and his companions in his group have trouble holding his wheel - only Knaven can.
50kms to go: The men who escaped from the peloton, Van Bon and Co., have reached Dierckxens' group; so Ludo decides to attack once more. This also means that the peloton won't be far off.
He rode 18 men straight out of his wheel on the flat, looking very, very strong.
48kms to go: The chasers at 1.06, peloton at 1.22. Devolder, Ivanov, Boonen, Vierhouten and a Fassa rider have broken loose from the peloton.
It's a long wait until a PVP or Museeuw will put the heat on on the hills, the "peloton" is some 40 riders strong. And, surprisingly, Astarloa is still in the peloton.
46kms to go: The leaders are on the Foreest.
Boonen's group has reached the large group of chasers, with Ludo still riding in between the leaders and the chasers.
43kms to go: The leaders are now on the Steenberg, the tempo in the peloton is relatively low.
Erik Dekker is putting up a blistering pace on the Steenberg in the peloton.
It's a strange race, with the 5 leaders, then Ludo, then a big group of some 20 riders, and behind that a small elite group that broke away from the peloton, consisting of Bettini, Astarloa, Hincapie, Boogerd and a few others...
39kms to go: Dierckxens has bridged the gap with the leaders on his own.
The group Bettini has joined the chasing group! Astarloa, Bettini, Klier, Hincapie, Kirsipuu, Flęcha. Now the Quickstep team might change tactics, with Bettini, Zanini and Boonen up front!
Now Boonen is putting the hammer down on the cobbles!
The three Belgian super-favourites VdB, PVP and Museeuw are 20 seconds back in the peloton. But this is typically the Tour of Flanders, there are some riders that can explode in such a way that they blow away the entire field, so anything is still possible.
Museeuw has bridged the gap to the chasing group on his own!! Now PVP is there too! Hincapie attacks from the chaser group! All of a sudden, the pace is being raised a LOT.
The favorites that are now in the chasing group are going so fast towards the Berendries that the lesser riders are being dropped by the second - Bartoli is still chasing to get in that group. Hincapie is looking very strong
and confident.
34kms to go: The leaders are on the Berendries.
In the back, all the big favourites are regrouping in a sort of peloton. Van Petegem is finally showing himself on the front lines.
Bruylandts attacks on the Berendries! What an attack! Bruylandts was aggressive to the end last week in GP E3 with Boogerd - the Chocolade Jacques man is doing it again!
Ivanov and Boogerd are joining Bruylandts.
We hope that Bruylandts' cycling girlfriend Femke Melis will recover well from the collision Friday in which Dave himself got slightly injured as well.
The gathering of elite riders and contenders is reminescent of the 2002 event, where Museeuw, Tafi, Van Petegem, Hincapie, Nardello, Sorensen, Cassani and Missaglia took the race by the scruff of the neck.
30kms to go: The peloton is at 1.18. Van Bon took the 3 riders back, looking very good.
So we have the 5 leaders and a peloton with all the favourites of some 40 riders. We are heading for the Tenbossestraat now, a favourite of PVP.
Oh yes, a young Van Petegem would climb this street many times - he could probably ride up it at speed, blindfolded!
Marichal attacks in the leading group!
Van Petegem attacks on the Tenbosse!!! Bettini and Ivanov in his wheel!! Bruylandts trying to reach them. PVP's first testcase for the Muur, it seems - he is definitely probing for signs of weakness from any favourites.
Freire, the man who said he was totally lost on Flemish roads, is away with PVP, Bettini, Kirsipuu(!) and Ivanov. They're picking up the drop-outs from the leaders. Klier is also there. Kroon went down but got right back up.
A group of some 8-9 riders are riding towards PVP and Co now, among them Hincapie and Museeuw - this is so exciting!
Kirsipuu, whilst powerful and lean on the cobbles, is no climber - he's having a great ride. VDB is chasing the group of favourites, because he missed the break.
24kms to go: We're heading for the Muur now -
it looks like the Muur will be the final judge once more.
Segei Ivanov attacks from the favourites' group.
Hincapie is going behind him, with a Lotto rider in his wheel - it's Van Bon. Ivanov is with the leaders! Van Bon refuses to take the lead from Hincapie.
Now Hincapie, Van Bon, Wauters, Boogerd and Petito are also there.
Faithful "soldier" Marc Wauters has towed Boogerd in his wheel to the leaders.
Schafrath is giving everything he has to get Ivanov in the best of positions to the foot of the Muur.
Technical difficulties - our apologies.
The Quicksteps are riding for Museeuw in the back, and VdB is joining the leaders, he's looking very strong so it's presumable that he had some kind of material problem before. It's a race for the Muur now, that has been repaved this year.
The leaders are on the "vesten", the first part.
The chasers are only just behind, and are joining them again!
Now we're all square again, 40 riders on the Muur, amazing! Wauters is making tempo for his leaders now.
Hincapie and Bruylandts are taking the lead, the riders that were in the chasing group still have to make up some terrain from the back.
Bruuylandts leading, PVP shakes his head "no"!!!
Hincapie looking strong, PVP and Museeuw are struck back! Wait, PVP is recovering a bit, we don't see a VdB anywhere.
Now Bruylandst, Hoste and Wesemann leading after the Muur. Van Bon and Flęcha are trying to get to the three leaders.
14 to go. Flęcha is angry with van Bon who doesn't ride because he has Hoste up front.
The group of "favourites" is 0.16 behind the leaders.
Hoste doesn't work because he has PVP at the back, the other two don't know that his leader had to pass on the Muur.
13 to go: Chasers at 0.13, Bettini and co at 0.22 the chasers are Van Bon, Klier and Flęcha. Now the leaders are on the Bosberg.
Bruylandts has to lose Wesemann here if he wants to win, sas he's way too slow in the sprint. Flęcha is bonking. 12kms to go.
Wesemann looking very strong, and is by far the fastest of the three. Dekker was in the chasing group too.
The group of favourites is at 0.37 of the leaders at the summlit of the Bosberg. There are flags saying "do it for Briek!", Flanders is honouring its heroes.
Dekker and the chasers don't get any closer to the three leaders, are even losing 2 seconds.
Museeuw is leading the big group, it's looking like he won't win his 4th Flanders...
10kms to go: Dekker and his two companions Van Bon and Klier (?) on 0.14, big group at 0.35.
Lotto has a bit of a problem: they have someone with much more chance of winning behind the leaders with Van Bon, so will they go for a merger between the two trios or stay with this tactic?
Aha, Van Bon is riding now.
In the group of favourites, the Bodysol-Brustor rider Florencio is a big surprise.
6kms to go: Dekker and Co at 0.14, big group at 0.38, looks like it's all over for the big group.
Looks like we can forget about Dekker's group as well, they're at 0.20 at 4 kms now. Wesemann is talking nervously to his DS over the radio. Maybe he can finally clinch first in one of the Northern classics, the German.
3kms to go.
Hoste still in final position of the three, Bruylandts cooperates.
2kms to go! Maybe Hoste has a surprise in stock, he's relatively fast and hasn't worked in the last 10 kms...
Bruylandts places himself behind Hoste, making him nervous. Bruylandts attacks!! Wesemann passes!!!
Hoste is bringing them both back to Bruylandts -they're together now, few hundred meters to go.
Hoste leads out the sprint, Wesemann is coming from the left.
Wesemann wins!!! Hoste 2nd, Bruylandts 3rd!
Van Bon wins the sprint for 4th place with great ease, Dekker 5th and Ivanov 6th. Wesemann wins his first big classic, after so many near misses, wow!
Schafrath, Hoj, Bettini, Hincapie and Flęcha are arriving now. Wesemann, 33, is the 2nd German ever to win the Tour of Flanders. Kirsipuu wins the sprint of the big group, before Freire. Note - it was Aldag, not Schafrath.
Wesemann is positively beaming with joy.
Thank you for joining us for the second round of the World Cup - stay tuned for Paris Roubaix next weekend!
Full Results
(193 starters, 125 finishers) 1. Steffen Wesemann
(Dui/T-Mobile) 6:39
2. Leif Hoste
3. Dave Bruylandts
4. Leon Van Bon (Ned) 0:28
5. Erik Dekker (Ned)
6. Andreas Klier (Dui)
7. Rolf Aldag (Dui) 1:09
8. Frank Hoj (Den) 1:16
9. Paolo Bettini (Ita)
10. George Hincapie (Usa)
11. Thierry Marichal
12. Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) 1:17
13. Laurent Brochard (Fra) 1:30
14. Jorg Ludewig (Dui) 1:38
15. Johan Museeuw
16. Peter Van Petegem
17. Serguei Ivanov (Rus)
18. Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa)
19. Roberto Petito (Ita)
20. Michael Boogerd (Ned)
21. Stijn Devolder
22. Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) 2:10
23. Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa)
24. Danilo Hondo (Dui)
25. Tom Boonen
26. Luca Paolini (Ita)
27. Ludo Dierckxsens
28. Mirko Celestino (Ita)
29. Martin Elmiger (Zwi)
30. Roger Hammond (GBr)
31. Romans Vainsteins (Let)
32. Cristian Moreni (Ita)
33. Nicolas Jalabert (Fra)
34. Staf Scheirlinckx
35. Igor Astarloa (Spa)
36. Aart Vierhouten (Ned)
37. Bert Grabsch (Dui)
38. Thor Hushovd (Noo)
39. Nico Mattan
40. Tristan Hoffman (Ned)
41. Fabian Cancellara (Zwi)
42. Chris Peers
43. Stephan Schreck (Dui)
44. Frank Vandenbroucke
45. Jan Schaffrath (Dui)
46. Steven De Jongh (Ned)
47. Daniele Nardello (Ita)
48. Michel Vanhaecke
49. Stefano Zanini (Ita) 2:22
50. Marc Wauters 2:34
51. Servais Knaven (Ned) 4:56
52. Geert Verheyen
53. Salvatore Commesso (Ita) 5:07
54. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Noo)
55. Fabio Sacchi (Ita)
56. Bert Hiemstra (Ned)
57. Michele Bartoli (Ita)
58. Benoit Joachim (Lux)
59. Uros Murn (Sln) 7:38
60. Fabio Baldato (Ita)
61. Massimiliano Mori (Ita)
62. Lars Michaelsen (Den)
63. Jan Kuyckx
64. Gianluca Bortolami (Ita)
65. Maarten Den Bakker (Ned)
66. Magnus Backstedt (Zwe)
67. Erwin Thijs
68. Bert Roesems
69. Frederic Guesdon (Fra)
70. Wim Van Huffel
71. Johan Coenen
72. Mario Aerts
73. Alexandre Bazhenov (Rus)
74. Wilfried Cretskens
75. Christophe Mengin (Fra)
76. Scott Sunderland (Aus)
77. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita)
78. Jo Planckaert
79. Peter Wuyts
80. Max Van Heeswijk (Ned)
81. Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita)
82. Alessandro Ballan (Ita)
83. Oscar Camenzind (Zwi)
84. Maximilian Sciandri (GBr)
85. Gregory Rast (Zwi)
86. Bart Voskamp (Ned)
87. Kim Kirchen (Lux)
88. Serge Baguet
89. Karsten Kroon (Ned)
90. Geert Van Bondt
91. Bert De Waele
92. Wim De Vocht
93. Alberto Ongarato (Ita) 8:36
94. Alexandre Kolobnev (Rus) 9:49
95. Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra)
96. Andy Flickinger (Fra) 11:20
97. Mikel Artexte Gezuraga (Spa)
98. Geert Omloop
99. Jan Van Velzen (Ned)
100. Roy Sentjens (Ned)
101. Josu Sillinoiz Aresti (Spa)
102. Peter Wrolich (Oos) 12:38
103. Bernhard Eisel (Oos)
104. Cedric Herve (Fra) 13:51
105. David Clinger (VSt) 15:24
106. Jimmi Madsen (Den) 17:53
107. Andris Nauduzs (Let)
108. Filippo Pozzato (Ita)
109. Yuriy Krivtsov (Oek)
110. Kevin Hulsmans
111. Stefano Casagranda (Ita)
112. Gabriele Balducci (Ita)
113. Martin Hvastija (Sln)
114. Paolo Bossoni (Ita)
115. Alessandro Cortinovis (Ita)
116. Sebastien Hinault (Fra)
117. Johan Verstrepen
118. Antonio Cruz (VSt)
119. Wim Vansevenant
120. Johan Van Summeren
121. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa)
122. Thomas Bruun Eriksen (Den)
123. Stuart O’Grady (Aus)
124. Erki Putsep (Est)
125. Marco Serpellini (Ita)
World Cup Standings after Round Two Rank, Name, Team,
Round 1, Round 2, Total 1 Freire Gomez Oscar Rab 100 3 103
2 Wesemann Steffen Mob 0 100 100
3 Hoste Leif Lot 0 70 70
4 Zabel Erik Mob 70 0 70
5 Dekker Erik Rab 15 36 51
6 Bruylandts Dave Cho 0 50 50
7 O'Grady Stuart Cof 50 0 50
8 Bettini Paolo Qsd 24 20 44
9 Van Bon Leon Lot 0 40 40
10 Petacchi Alessandro Fas 40 0 40
11 Klier Andreas Mob 5 32 37
12 Van Heeswijk Max Usp 36 0 36
13 Astarloa Igor Cof 32 0 32
14 Hincapie George Usp 13 16 29
15 Aldag Rolf Mob 0 28 28
16 Vainsteins Romans Lam 28 0 28
17 Van Petegem Peter Lot 16 10 26
18 Hoj Frank Csc 0 24 24
19 Martin P. Miguel Angel Sdv 20 0 20
20 Marichal Thierry Lot 0 15 15
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