A fall in the closing stages of the Belgium National Championships on the weekend has opened up this Sunday’s UCI 1.2 event at Willebroek, Belgium.
Top Landbouwkrediet/Tonissteiner performer Bert De Waele who won last years De Drie Zustersteden at Willebroek and was to carry the number 1 in Sunday’s event (06.07.08), crashed heavily at the Nationals when Tom Boonen and teammate Wouter Weylandt came together in the sprint finish. Still uncomfirmed weather De Waele is to start at Willebroek, but the reports are not good for the Belgium rider who finished top ten at last years nationals, as he has a suspected broken collarbone.
Without De Waele, Landbouwkrediet initial race line up still boosts Lede podium finishers Benjamin Gourgue and Kevin Neyrinck (also 5th at the Halle-Ingooigem), with recent Belsele-Puivelde winner Fred Amrison a likely replacement for De Waele.
After making the front groups at their first 3 start in Europe, including Stuart Shaw’s podium finish in the Halle-Ingooigem, Australian team Drapac Porsche goes with to the De Drie Zustersteden as a major contender. While the German Team Kuota looks strong with 08 GP Mettmann winner Stefan Ganser who performed well in the recent Bayern Rundfahrt, and 2008 Runde von Uedem winner Tim Klessa in their proposed 6 man starting lineup.
With close to 200 starters the race looks quite open, and will be difficult to control with so many team in the event. Other starters include the USA U23 National team, Ireland’s Sean Kelly Academy team with Benny De Schrooder and the first appearance of the newly crowned Swedish National Champion Jonas Ljungblad leading the P3 Transfer/Batavus continental team.
Oakley M Frames
Sidi Ergo 2 Shoes
