Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) started his season well with two stage victories at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina in February and the opening road Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen last week, and he continued his great form with a superb sprint victory in Nokere – Koerse 2012 today, using his knowledge of the finale to distance Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Boy Van Poppel (UnitedHealthcare) in the uphill gallop to the line.
Said Francesco;
“Today I knew was going well, and I know the finish well too because I’ve done it a few times before. The team were perfect, as always, and really believed in me. They took the lead four km from the finish when the group was all together and did a great job.
“Keisse and Fenn were perfect in the final three kms, and then Trentin gave a great leadout in the final kilometer.
We only had six riders today but when the team is as strong as ours it’s no problem to have so few guys.”
Rabobank’s Theo Bos was amongst several riders to crash in inside the final kilometre, all were lucky to avoid serious injury, but Bos will be forced to miss out the next couple of races.
Result
1 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma- Quickstep 4:19:42
2 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM
3 Boy van Poppel (Ned) UnitedHealthcare
4 Andre Schulze (Ger) Team NetApp
5 Michel Kreder (Ned) Garmin-Barracuda
6 Giorgio Brambilla (Ita) Leopard-Trek
7 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
8 Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Katusha
9 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Katusha
10 Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
11 Robert Förster (Ger) UnitedHealthcare
12 James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Accent Jobs-Willems Verandas
13 Christophe Laborie (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
14 Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion Systems
15 Michael Reihs (Den) Christina Watches
16 Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin-Barracuda
17 Benjamin Verraes (Bel) Jong Vlaanderen
18 Raymond Kreder (Ned) Garmin-Barracuda
19 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
20 Leif Hoste (Bel) Accent Jobs-Willems Verandas
21 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Omega Pharma- Quickstep
22 Kenneth Van Bilsen (Bel) An Post Sean Kelly
23 Steve Schets (Bel) Jong Vlaanderen
24 Philippe Legrand (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
25 Barry Markus (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
26 Biaz Jarc (Slo) Team NetApp
27 Egoitz Garcia Echeguibel (Spa) Cofidis
28 Stefan Schumacher (Den) Christina Watches
29 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha 0:00:12
30 Cammaerts Edwig (Bel) Cofidis 0:00:15
31 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank 0:00:18
32 Kevin Ista (Bel) Accent Jobs-Willems Verandas 0:00:23
33 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
34 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Rusvelo
35 Steve Chainel (Fra) Fdj – Big Mat
36 Sander Cordeel (Bel) Lotto – Belisol 0:00:26
37 Timon Seubert (Ger) Team NetApp 0:00:28
38 Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Team NetApp 0:00:31
39 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Fdj – Big Mat 0:00:36
40 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Jong Vlaanderen
41 Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
42 Frederique Robert (Bel) Lotto – Belisol
43 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Jong Vlaanderen
44 Jesus Ezquerra (Spa) Leopard-Trek
45 Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto – Belisol
46 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Omega Pharma- Quickstep
47 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Champion Systems 0:00:47
48 Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Rusvelo
49 Rikke Dijkxhoorn (Ned) Geofco-Ville d`Alger
50 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Fdj – Big Mat
51 Julian Kern (Ger) Leopard-Trek
52 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma- Quickstep
53 Niels Wytinck (Bel) An Post Sean Kelly 0:01:01
54 Ronan Van Zandbeek (Ned) Project 1t4i
55 Davy Commeyne (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
56 Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
57 Jurgen Fran̤ois (Bel) Colba РSuperano Ham
58 Kai Reus (Ned) UnitedHealthcare
59 Francesco Van Coppernolle (Bel) Jong Vlaanderen
60 Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Leopard-Trek
61 Sebastien Delfosse (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
62 Bert De Backer (Bel) Project 1t4i
63 Jerome Baugnies (Bel) Team NetApp
64 Rony Martias (Fra) Saur – Sojasun 0:01:14
65 Etienne Tortelier (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
66 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis
67 Alexander Mironov (Rus) Rusvelo
68 Adam Blythe (GBr) BMC Racing 0:01:21
69 Kevin Verwaest (Bel) Jong Vlaanderen 0:01:25
70 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 0:01:33
71 Nikita Eskov (Rus) Rusvelo
72 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM 0:01:36
73 Marcello Pavarin (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM
74 Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
75 Koen Barbe (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
76 Mark Christian (GBr) An Post Sean Kelly
77 René Joergensen (Den) Christina Watches
78 Andy Cappelle (Bel) Accent Jobs-Willems Verandas
79 Frederic Guesdon (Fra) Fdj – Big Mat
80 Jimmi Sørensen (Den) Christina Watches
81 Dominic Klemme (Ger) Project 1t4i
82 Tim Declercq (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 0:01:46
83 Brian Bulgac (Ned) Lotto – Belisol
84 Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Rabobank
85 Laurent Evrard (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
86 Mehdi Sohrabi (IRI) Lotto – Belisol
87 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Cofidis
88 Egidijus Juodvalkis (Ltu) Landbouwkrediet 0:01:52
89 Martin Mortensen (Den) Vacansoleil-DCM
90 Justin van Hoecke (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
91 Olivier Pardini (Bel) Colba – Superano Ham 0:02:04
92 Frederic Amorison (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
93 Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion Systems
94 Benjamin Day (Aus) UnitedHealthcare
95 Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Accent Jobs-Willems Verandas
96 Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Project 1t4i
97 Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
98 Julien Fouchard (Fra) Cofidis
99 Joel Zangerle (Lux) Leopard-Trek
100 Jacek Morajko (Pol) Vacansoleil-DCM
101 Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda) Leopard-Trek
102 Bob Jungels (Lux) Leopard-Trek
103 Thomas Damuseau (Fra) Project 1t4i
104 Markus Eichler (Ger) Team NetApp
105 Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing
106 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto – Belisol
107 Yannick Eijssen (Bel) BMC Racing
108 Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing
109 Tom Goovaerts (Bel) Colba – Superano Ham
110 Henryk Cardoen (Bel) Geofco-Ville d`Alger
111 Matvey Zubov (Rus) Rusvelo
112 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank
113 Kevin Suarez Martinez (Bel) Colba – Superano Ham
114 Arnaud Van Den Abeele (Bel) Jong Vlaanderen
115 Stijn Ennekens (Bel) An Post Sean Kelly
116 Jay Thomson (RSA) UnitedHealthcare
117 Bradley White (USA) UnitedHealthcare
118 Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis
119 Quentin Bertholet (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles 0:03:02
120 Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
121 Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
122 Thomas Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
123 Jean-Lou Paiani (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
124 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) BMC Racing 0:03:18
125 Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha
126 Alexey Tsatevitch (Rus) Katusha
127 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Garmin-Barracuda
128 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin-Barracuda 0:03:33
129 Evert Verbist (Bel) Accent Jobs-Willems Verandas
130 Arnoud Van Groen (Ned) Accent Jobs-Willems Verandas
131 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Omega Pharma- Quickstep
132 Valery Kaykov (Rus) Rusvelo 0:03:53
133 Sven Van den Houte (Bel) Colba – Superano Ham
134 Kenny Dehaes (Bel) Lotto – Belisol
135 Mark McNally (GBr) An Post Sean Kelly
136 Niko Eeckhout (Bel) An Post Sean Kelly 0:04:07
137 Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha 0:04:28
138 Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Katusha
139 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Omega Pharma- Quickstep 0:05:14
140 Timothy Roe (Aus) BMC Racing 0:08:04
141 Valery Valynin (Rus) Rusvelo
142 Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Cofidis 0:08:13
143 William Clarke (Aus) Champion Systems
144 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post Sean Kelly 0:08:38
145 Arnaud Demare (Fra) Fdj – Big Mat 0:09:54
146 Mickael Delage (Fra) Fdj – Big Mat
147 Jacobe Keough (USA) UnitedHealthcare 0:10:13
148 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare
149 Tom Dernies (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
150 Robin Stenuit (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
151 Boris Dron (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
152 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Accent Jobs-Willems Verandas
153 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Geofco-Ville d`Alger
154 Thomas Vernaeckt (Bel) Geofco-Ville d`Alger
155 Mikael Stilitte (Bel) Geofco-Ville d`Alger
156 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Team NetApp
