July 28/09 22:25 pm - Omloop Het Volk Juniors

Posted by Editoress on 07/28/09
 

BC Juniors at Het Volk (July 25th)

By Jeremy Storie

I do not want to come across as some great director, or a guy that has done everything, but after 20+ years involved in cycling it takes a lot to get me excited about doing races in the same way I used to. Today was no exception until I arrived with the team for the start. It was another big race like Beauce, Abitibi, Georgia, Nationals or World Cups on the track, or even the World Road Championships, but racing in Belgium on a classic course with 198 Jr men starters ignited my perhaps melancholy attitude towards racing. There were teams from South Africa, Great Britain, Denmark, Holland and, for the first time in the history of the event, Canada.

It was Het Volk for Jrs. 122 kilometres (results say 119.2 - ed) with five classic climbs and seven cobbled sections, including the famed Oude Kwaremont with 12% average at 2200 metres, 1500 metres of which were cobbled, and I mean goat path width, round baby head, bad guttered, screaming drunk Belgians on the side of the road bad. We were five Cycling BC riders strong at the start. We had the good and the bad from the get go. I drew #3 of 40 teams for caravan but Ben flatted 3 kilometres into race.  We got him going but the front tire of the team car was flat at same time. Two flats repaired and ten minutes later at 140-160 kph driving on the road, bike paths and sidewalks and we were back on track in our rightful spot in the caravan of 50+ vehicles.

Ben unfortunately punctured again while we were changing our car flat and did not get assistance and rode to the finish town, his day over far too early. At 27 kilometres we hit the first cobbles. No issues. At 36 kilometres we hit the Kanariberg, two kilometres at 18% grade. This is no lie as the group shattered. Craig flatted at top and with quick change and some motor pacing he got on just as we hit the 9%, 1 kilometre cobbled Kruisberg climb in Ronse. Craig made good headway and with a turbo feed was back on the back of the group about two minutes before we hit the oude Kwaremont.

This is a nasty 2.2 kilometres climb at 12% average and 16% max grade with 1500 metres of really bad cobbles. The kind you have only read about or seen pictures if you are a young cyclist from Canada. Craig made it over the top with the back end of the group but another climb was his undoing and he rolled along with his group. There were now three Cycling BC riders left in the main group with three riders dangling off the front at 45 seconds. Kevin was the next to succumb to the splits that were now happening as we closed in on the five 5.5 kilometres finishing circuits. Jake and Boris were still in main chase peleton of about 70 riders now at just over a minute with 14 riders in small groups off the front.

After the final climb the final selection before the circuits had been made and now the 14 were up the road 1:30. On the fast and flat but technical circuits the leaders gained time but dropped riders. In the end a Dutch rider soloed to victory and the remnants of the break settled out the top 15 with the main bunch of 60 or so sprinting for top 20. Jake and Boris were in the final bunch and Kevin made it onto the circuits and finished two laps early. Craig and Ben rolled in later.

I cannot commend these young guys enough and hope to make everyone understand how this sport is a religion over here. Saying it is like hockey in Canada does not even do it justice. For those of you at home it is far beyond that. There is so much passion even at the Jr level. As I said at the start, I have been to about 10 World Championships and more World Cups and Tour of Georgia, Vuelta El Salvador and Philly and San Fran GP and other big races but the passion here is incredible. Our guys can hold their heads high. With a little more time and experience they can be on podium. They belong for sure. There is no doubt in my mind. All the people that have supported this project cannot imagine the impact it has made on these riders. Thanks for the support. It changes the way these young riders look at cycling.


198 starters, 119.5 kilometres

1 Bob Schoonbroodt (Jonge Renner)
2 Matthias Legley (O.O.Parike)
3 Francois Meurisse (T Wallonie)
4 Niels Reynvoet (Isorex Cycling team)
5 Vinnie Braet (Oost West Cycling team)
6 Christian Mathiesen (Glud Marstrand Festina)
7 Nick Vanstappen (Bodysol Lotto Menen)
8 Shaun Bester (South African Nat Team)
9 Wouter Haan (Wilton Cycling team)
10 Dennis Coenen (Kon Balen)
11 Jonathan Mould (British Cycling)
12 Yoeri Havik (Sinnigebouw Wielerteam)
13 Mike Teunissen (Zuid Oost Ned)
14 George Atkins (British Cycling)
15 Oscar Riesebeek (Wilton Cycling team)
16 Tim Kennaugh (British Cycling)
17 Jeffrey De Groote (Isorex Cycling team)
18 Stef Swinnen (Mixte 1)
19 Orri Vandendriessche (Koksijde)
20 Sullivan Piet (Vorselaar)
21 Francesco Van Coppernolle (Isorex Cycling team)
22 Tom Devriendt (C.T Wervik)
23 Tim Vansieleghem (Avia Cycling)
24 Fr Roscam Abbing (Zuid Oost Ned)
25 Lennert Buysse (Mixte 1)
26 Brecht Vindevoghel (Deerlijk Gaverzicht)
27 Bram De Waele (Meulebeke Molenspurters)
28 Jonas Ovaere (Deerlijk Gaverzicht)
29 Gilles Derijcke (Kon Balen)
30 Yves Lampaert (Tieltse Renners)
31 Robin Poelvoorde (Meetjesland)
32 Joren Segers (Hand In Hand Baal)
33 Stijn Cooreman (Budingen Wielerteam)
34 Anders Krach (Ginnerup)
35 Chris Whorrall (British Cycling)
36 Wout Verbeeck (Leopoldsburg)
37 Anders Bak Hansen (Ginnerup)
38 Alexander De Roose (O.O.Parike)
39 Koen Van Roosmalen (Zuid Oost Ned)
40 Mike Heesters (Snelle Wiel)
41 Timothy Claeys (Bodysol Lotto Menen)
42 Hannes Vanhee (Tieltse Renners)
43 Niels Wytinck (Avia Cycling)
44 Devy Van Daele (Meetjesland)
45 Jens Delrue (C.T Wervik)
46 Nick Vanransbeek (Isorex Cycling team)
47 Jelle Touquet (C.T Wervik)
48 Maarten Craeghs (Avia Cycling)
49 Luuk Coolen (Jonge Renner)
50 Casper Degn Larsen (Glud Marstrand Festina)
51 Dries Devos (J R Roeselare)
52 Evert Vanneste (J R Roeselare)
53 Boris Martin (Cycling BC)
54 Aron Sempels (Vorselaar)
55 Bert Vanlerberghe (Kon Balen)
56 Michael Stillite (T Wallonie)
57 Bruce Verbrugh (Mixte 2)
58 Julien Lagae (C.T Wervik)
59 Niels Olsen (Glud Marstrand Festina)
60 Jonathan Van Gesselleen (South African Nat Team)
61 Ritchie Denolf (Oost West Cycling team)
62 Kasper Svingel (Kvickly Odder Jun)
63 Yannick Qualy (Mixte 2)
64 Giel Van Veerdeghem (Deerlijk Gaverzicht)
65 Avery Arendse (South African Nat Team)
66 Alexander Aerts (Bodysol Lotto Menen)
67 Dago Sanders (Zuid Oost Ned)
68 Jasper Bovenhuis (De Peddelaars)
69 Jacob Schwingboth (Cycling BC)
70 Thibaut Marechal (U S Roncq Cyclisme)
71 Bram De Kort (Jonge Renner)
72 Stijn Lombaert (J R Roeselare)
73 Floris De Tier (Oost West Cycling team)
74 Glenn De Ridder (Deerlijk Gaverzicht)
75 Quentin Michaux (T Wallonie)
76 Louis Meintjes (Youth Academ South Afrika)
77 Soren Solvsten (Ginnerup)
78 Massimo Van Lancker (Oost West Cycling team)
79 Jurgen De Vries (De Peddelaars)
80 Sjors Roosen (Zuid Oost Ned)
81 Angelo De Clercq (Oost West Cycling team)
82 Jeppe Lykke Nielsen (Glud Marstrand Festina)
83 Sunny Hoste (Koksijde)
84 Ruben Scheire (Avia Cycling)
85 Jonas Cortoos (Mixte 1)
86 Bart Peuters (Leopoldsburg)
87 Luc Marechal (U S Roncq Cyclisme)
88 Jeroen Breewel (Sinnigebouw Wielerteam)
89 Jeff Peelaers (Bodysol Lotto Menen)
90 Erwin Poldervaart (Wilton Cycling team)
91 Jens Vandenbogaerde (Kon Balen)
92 Robbe Deleu (C.T Wervik)
93 Niels Godderis (J R Roeselare)
94 Dan Mclay (British Cycling)
95 Rutger Roelandts (Kon Balen)
96 Frederik Topke (Deerlijk Gaverzicht)
97 Twan Kops (Tempo)
98 Alexander Mork (Ginnerup)
99 Thijs Roelen (Jonge Renner)
100 Pieter Buylle (Kon Gentse Ah Rijschool)
101 Julien Dechesne (T Wallonie)
102 Elmar Reinders (Wilton Cycling team)

all others DNF