Showing that his preparation for the Olympics is perfectly on schedule, Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) won his second Belgian national road race title in Geel, outsprinting Kristof Goddaert (AG2R-La Mondiale) on a day fraught with bad weather and Classics-style racing.
Similar to his Classics wins of late, Boonen was the rider who forced the action with 30 kilometres to race, taking a select group with him up to the fading early breakaway. Upon forming a larger group at the front, Boonen soon decided that the pace was not enough, accelerating again and taking only Goddaert, Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator), Jan Bakelants (Radioshack-Nissan), and his team-mate Julien Vermote with him.
In the finale, Boonen used Vermote for all he was worth, as he led out the sprint with Boonen at the back of the line. Tornado Tom almost suffered a mechanical inside the final 200 meters, but regained his composure after slipping his chain – no one knew as Boonen was at the back – before opening his sprint.
He was quickly past a fading Vandousselaere, holding off a valiant effort by Goddaert, and then holding up two fingers for title number two across the line.
With team-mate Nikolas Maes in the breakaway and 30 kilometers to race, Boonen sounded unsure of his next move, and even after he had made it, he said he was not super confident heading into the finale.
“The scenario didn’t look good for me. With Maes we had someone at the front, and I wanted him to win,” Boonen told Sporza at the finish. “I did not know what to do. I still tried to ride and it went pretty smoothly. In the last lap I was just worried because I had already gone so deep. This was a very nice day.”
With rain pouring at the start, Olivier Kaisen (Lotto-Belisol) was one of a few riders to go down early, and Boonen had an early puncture to deal with. A first escape attempt was fruitless, but then Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto-Belisol), Maes, Staf Schierlinkcx (Accent Jobs-Willems Verandas), Frederic Amorison (Landbouwkrediet-Euphony), Sander Armee (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) and Maarten Wynants (Rabobank) were given some freedom as the peloton slowed a bit.
Their gap reached four minutes with Lotto-Belisol and Radioshack-Nissan patrolling behind. Stijn Devolder (Vacansoleil-DCM) punctured in the increasing wind and rain, and his team-mate Thomas De Gendt towed him back toward the front, the effort proving too much for the Giro d’Italia hero, as De Gendt climbed off soon after.
Omega Pharma-Quick Step ate in to the gap a bit, perhaps inspired by news of Frantisek Rabon’s win in the Czech Republic, plus Niki Terpstra’s national title in The Netherlands. Gert Steegmans whipped up the pace and then Boonen pounced with 37km to go. Goddaert hesitated a moment before setting off after him, and he took Vandousselaere and Vermote with him. The group of four added Jan Bakelandts (RadioShack-Nissan) and Gorik Gardeyn (Champion System), making six men to hold off the peloton and chase down the escape.
They proved successful in doing both. Having caught the escape, Boonen had both Vermote and Maes to help. But getting no assistance from anyone else, and with Maes tiring, Boonen made the decision to go again. Only the riders with fresher legs – Goddaert, Vandousselaere, Vermote and Bakelants – could join him, and from here, all the five-man group had to do was hold off the disintegrating, disorganized peloton.
The main bunch was able to close it down somewhat, until Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing) made a solo bid to catch the quintet. He came within twenty seconds but appeared on his limit before being reeled back in.
Left to fight it out for the win, the five-man group worked well together. In the closing kilometres, Boonen got big turns from Vermote and then took the sprint by a bike length, congratulating Goddaert on his effort, and hugging a thanks to Vermote at the finish.
Jolien D’Hoore won the women’s road race title ahead Ludovine Henrion and Jessie Daams out of a small group bunch sprint. D’Hoore, 22 years old and the former Belgian and World Junior Champion, got a lead out from Maaike Pols Poel to easily dispatch Henrion and Daams.
“We rode an excellent race as a team,” D’Hoore enthused to Sporza afterward. “First Latoya Brulee did the work, and then Maaike Pols Poel. I could save myself for the sprint.
“As I often do, I opened my sprint too early. Fortunately I withstood it. This is my first road title at the elite level.”
Belgian road race championships:
1, Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) at 5 hours 59 mins 7 secs
2, Kristof Goddaert (AG2R La Mondiale)
3, Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) both same time
4, Jan Bakelants (Radioshack-Nissan) at 2 secs
5, Julien Vermote (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) at 4 secs
6, Gijs Van Hoecke (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) at 11 secs
7, Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team) at mins 16 secs
8, Pieter Jacobs (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
9, Niko Eeckhout (An Post - Sean Kelly)
10, Tom Van Asbroeck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
11, Michael Van Staeyen (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
12, Bert De Backer (Argos-Shimano)
13, Maxime Vantomme (Katusha Team)
14, Jens Keukeleire (Orica-GreenEdge)
15, Nico Sijmens (Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne)
16, Baptiste Plackaert (Landbouwkrediet-Euphony)
17, Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Belisol Team)
18, Iljo Keisse (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
19, Gert Steegmans (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
20, Kurt Hovelynck (Landbouwkrediet-Euphony) all same time
Women:
1, Jolien D'Hoore (Topsport Vlaanderen - Ridley 2012) 3 hours 1 min 6 secs
2, Ludivine Henrion (Lotto Belisol Ladies)
3, Jessie Daams (AA Drink - Leontien.nl Cycling Team) both same time
4, Maaike Polspoel (Topsport Vlaanderen - Ridley 2012) at 4 secs
5, Kelly Druyts (Topsport Vlaanderen - Ridley 2012) at 38 secs
6, Evelyn Arys (Kleo Ladies Team)
7, Sofie De Vuyst (Lotto Belisol Ladies)
8, Ellen Van Loy)
9, Latoya Brulee (Topsport Vlaanderen - Ridley 2012)
10, Kaat Hannes (Lotto Belisol Ladies)
11, Kimberly Buyl (Sengers Ladies Cycling Team)
12, Inge Roggeman (Sengers Ladies Cycling Team)
13, Annelies Dom)
14, Annelies Van Doorslaer (Kleo Ladies Team)
15, Eline De Roover (Sengers Ladies Cycling Team)
16, Dunja Ceulemans)
17, Lensy Debboudt)
18, Els Belmans (Topsport Vlaanderen - Ridley 2012)
19, Liesbet De Vocht (Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team) all same time
20, Steffi Lodewijks) at 47 secs