March 23/11 9:38 am - Dwars door Vlaanderen: LIVE

Posted by Editoress on 03/23/11
 

Dwars door Vlaanderen is the kick-off to  Flemish cycling week with E3 Prijs Vlaanderen and Ghent-Wevelgem this weekend followed by the Three Days of De Panne (March 29-31).

Preview:  The 66th edition of this one-day, semi-classic and cobbleston infested race is part of the Flanders Classics series and is traditionally held on a Wednesday, ten days before the Tour of Flanders. With 201kms and a total of 12 climbs, a deluge of challenges await the riders. The start is in the village of Roeselare and the finish is always in Waregem, which is the peloton enters twice en route as well. The first 70 kilometres are relatively flat, but once they pass Kluisbergen the riders will encounter the first climb of the day: the Nieuwe Kwaremont (4.2%). With that starts a series of climbs, which [chronologically] include: the Kattenberg (6.7%), Leberg (6.1%), Valkenberg (6.06%), Eikenberg (5.78%), Steenbeekdries (7.6%), Côte de Trieu/Knokteberg (8%), Oude Kwaremont (4.2%), Paterberg (12.5%), Vossenhol/Tiegemberg (5.6%), Holstraat (5.2%) and finally the Nokereberg (5.7%) with its summit at 7 kilometres before the finish line in Waregem. This race is for the specialists, so expect to see a decimated group battle for the win.

Steve Bauer's Spidertech powered by C10 is racing with Anderson, Batty, Houle, Gilbert, Lacombe, Lambert-Lemay, McCarty and Tuft.  Rollin is also racing with his French team FDJ., and so is Michael Barry with Team Sky.

Update

With <70 km to go a group of 4 is away: F. Amorison (Landbrouwkrediet),  T. Veelers (Slil-Shimano), D. Hollanders )An-Post Sean Kelly) and R. Goris (Willems) and have 5:41 on the peloton which is all together.

The leading group has just completed Valkenber with many famous climbs to come: Eikenberg, Cote de Trieu, Oude Kwaremont & Paterberg.

10am EDT:  60 km to go and the gap is down to 4:10

10:23 am EDT:  44 km to go, gap at 2:10

10:35am :  Amorison has attacked on the climb and has a gap.  Peloton is now at 1:58 w. 36 km to go.  Steegmans and Boonen at the front leading the chase.  Spidertech has had some mechanicals, specifically Lacombe and the 3 riders have blown trying to get him back in the bunch.  Only Tuft remains in the main group.

10:46 am:  30 km to go, gap is 1:20.  Peloton is split into small groups with Quickstep at the front of the 1st one

10:52 am:  Only Amorison and Gorisare away now.  25 km to go and the gap is 48 sec.

11am :  Break has been caught with 18 km to go.  The peloton is now about 40+ riders as they head to the finish

CORRECTION:  4   3  (Nuyens, Goris and Amorison) still away with ~ 12 sec with 17 km to go and they are climbing.

11:10am:  13 km to go and gap is 21 sec.

11:15am:  10 km to go and gap is 14 sec.  Garmin-Cervelo is leading the chase.  They aer about to start the Nokereberg climb, final of the day.  Spidertech reporting Tuft is still with main bunch.

11:20 am:  Flecha and Ciolek are clear and chasing down the break.  6 km to go, gap 12 sec

11:23 am:  4 km and gap is 10 sec

11:26am:  1 km to go, gap 7 sec

They hold off the group by metres, and Nick Nyans (Saxo Bank Sunguard) takes the win.  Geraint Thomas (Sky) 2nd.

Watch the final Km's Live  on french TV