Here in Belgium we have 250km of basically flatness, Steegmans, Roelandts and Van Stayan are favourites, but I wouldn't bet on a sprint.
9 men in the break today: Van Loocke, Stallaert, Goddaert, De Fauw, Vermote, Decouttere, Cappelle, Vanthourenhout and Criel.
with 70km to go, the break are at 4 minutes when Maes, Steurs, Van Impe, and Vanspeybrouck all decide to attack. They are banking on the tight city circuit making it difficlut to chase the break. They are wrong, as they are soon pulled back
Sentjens, Verbist, Scheilinckx, Rossler and De Gendt try their luck with 60km to go.
Their move is more successful, but with 44km to go they too are back in the hutch.
Rossler, Scheirlinckx, Devolder, Sentjens and De Gendt try again.
They make it to the back half of the break.
But are then pulled back.
De gendt, Devolder, Sentjens and Scheirlinckx all try again.
Up front Goddeart is solo, just ahead of Stallaert
Devolder comes up to Goddaert
20 km to go, and Devolder is the last man pulled back.
Steegmans doesn't seem to want a sprint, so throws in a big attack.
Devolder is trying to follow.
Devolder is pulled back, while Steegmans has 50 seconds with 1 lap and 13km to go.
The twists are not helping the chasers, who don't make any ground in the 3km until the 10km to go banner.
Carmeuse have spent the last 10km resting, and now here they come, with Roelandts at the back of their chain.
Carmeuse drop straight back again, and with 5km to go Steegmans still has 33 seconds.
With 3km left Roelandts has been dropped by Caethoven, Steegmans is still hanging on.
The sprint starts, Vantomme and Vonoverschelde are following Roelandts
Steegmans is dying now.
Roelandts flies into the lead
Accelerates away from Vantomme
And takes an easy victory. Carmeuse did all the work today, and were well rewarded.
Steegmans started sprinting after he was overtaken, and managed to come back into second, ahead of Van Stayen. Why didn't he sprint from 2km to go?
Results:
Rank
Name
Team
Time
1
Jurgen Roelandts
Carmeuse - Bouygues Telecom
6h02'44
2
Gert Steegmans
Bacardi - Ignis
s.t.
3
Michael Van Stayen
Bacardi - Ignis
s.t.
4
Jan Bakelants
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
5
Gorik Gardeyn
Het Nieuwsblad
s.t.
6
Kobe Vanoverschelde
Team B&O
s.t.
7
Maxime Vantomme
Team Rothaus - Aegon
s.t.
8
Philippe Gilbert
Pendleton's Twicer
s.t.
9
Ben Hermans
Team Rothaus - Aegon
s.t.
10
Sven Vandousselaere
Team Bpost
s.t.
11
Nikolas Maes
Team Bpost
s.t.
12
Pieter Vanspeybrouck
Team Bpost
s.t.
13
Michael Vanderaerden
Milka - Vittel
s.t.
14
Lars Croket
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
15
Andy Cappelle
Vespa - Aprilia - De Rosa
s.t.
16
Stijn Joseph
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
17
Kevin Van Impe
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
18
Steven Caethoven
Carmeuse - Bouygues Telecom
s.t.
19
Geert Steurs
Festina - Conec
s.t.
20
Jurgen Van den Broeck
Pirelli - Alfa Romeo
s.t.
21
Jérome Giaux
Jayco - Red Bull
s.t.
22
Wim De Vocht
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
23
Maxime Monfort
Team Bianchi
s.t.
24
Wouter Weylandt
Carmeuse - Bouygues Telecom
s.t.
25
Klaas Sys
Jack Wolfskin
s.t.
26
Dominique Cornu
Jack Wolfskin
s.t.
27
Gianni Meersman
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
28
Johan Vansummeren
Team Bpost
s.t.
29
Dimitri Claeys
Team Bianchi
s.t.
30
Iljo Keisse
Team Trilux - Falke
s.t.
31
Frederik Nolf
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
32
Timothy Vangheel
Wikipedia
s.t.
33
Kenny Van der Schueren
Het Nieuwsblad
s.t.
34
Pieter Mertens
Pendleton's Twicer
s.t.
35
Jelle Vanendert
Team Bpost
s.t.
36
Francis De Greef
Team Bpost
s.t.
37
Igor Abakoumov
Bacardi - Ignis
s.t.
38
Thomas De Gendt
Milka - Vittel
s.t.
39
Kenny De Haes
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
40
Kevin Ista
Saab - Scania
s.t.
41
Tom Stubbe
Team Bpost
s.t.
42
Jelle Wallays
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
43
Kevin Fouquet
Sony Ericsson
s.t.
44
Dries Van der Ginst
Het Nieuwsblad
s.t.
45
Kevin Seeldraeyers
Emu Export
s.t.
46
Kristof Vandewalle
Jack Wolfskin
s.t.
47
Niels Albert
Team Bpost
s.t.
48
Sébastien Rosseler
Jack Wolfskin
s.t.
49
Koen Barbé
Het Nieuwsblad
s.t.
50
Pieter Jacobs
Carmeuse - Bouygues Telecom
s.t.
51
Kevin Eeckhout
Wikipedia
s.t.
52
Roy Sentjens
Festina - Conec
s.t.
53
Welle Jallays
Jack Wolfskin
s.t.
54
Staf Scheirlinckx
Hollister
s.t.
55
Michiel Van Aelbroeck
Saab - Scania
+ 1'10
56
Olivier Kaisen
Festina - Conec
s.t.
57
Evert Verbist
Milka - Vittel
s.t.
58
Tosh Van der Sande
Spyker Cars
s.t.
59
Dries Devenyns
Team Trilux - Falke
s.t.
60
Jurgen Van Goolen
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
61
Serge Pauwels
Sony Ericsson
s.t.
62
Nick Ingels
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
63
Stijn Vandenbergh
Het Nieuwsblad
s.t.
64
Robin Stenuit
Team Bpost
s.t.
65
Frederik Willems
Team Rothaus - Aegon
s.t.
66
Stijn Devolder
Spyker Cars
s.t.
67
Jens Keukeleire
Festina - Conec
s.t.
68
Klaas Vantornout
Team Bianchi
s.t.
69
Tom Criel
Team Trilux - Falke
s.t.
70
Kristof Goddaert
Festina - Conec
s.t.
71
Frederik Frison
Team Bpost
s.t.
72
Dimitri De Fauw
Emu Export
+ 2'02
73
Sven Vanthourenhout
Jayco - Red Bull
s.t.
74
Björn Leukemans
Het Nieuwsblad
s.t.
75
Guillaume Van Keirsbulck
Team Bpost
+ 2'58
76
Jonas Decouttere
Wikipedia
s.t.
77
Mike De Bie
Team Bpost
s.t.
78
Dieter Cappelle
Het Nieuwsblad
s.t.
79
William Maesen
Team Bpost
s.t.
80
Jan Ghyselinck
Bacardi - Ignis
s.t.
81
Kevin Peeters
Carmeuse - Bouygues Telecom
+ 3'47
82
Jurgen Van Loocke
Team Bpost
s.t.
83
Willem Van Den Eynde
Team Bpost
+ 4'27
84
Joeri Stallaert
Team Bpost
+ 4'58
85
Joeri Adams
Carmeuse - Bouygues Telecom
+ 5'28
86
Julien Vermote
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
87
Jasper Stuyven
Team Bpost
s.t.
88
Ben Curfs
Carmeuse - Bouygues Telecom
s.t.
89
Julien Paquet
Team Bpost
+ 9'19
90
Dries Beatse
Carmeuse - Bouygues Telecom
s.t.
91
Jens Debusschere
Carmeuse - Bouygues Telecom
s.t.
92
Jude Libert
Team Bianchi
+ 10'20
93
Vincent Bastaens
Vespa - Aprilia - De Rosa
s.t.
94
Saydou Sow
Control
+ 11'45
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