Pieter Vanspeybroeck (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) won the second edition of the Tom Boonen and Friends charity cyclocross at the Zilvermeer near the Quick Step rider’s hometown of Mol, Belgium. The 23-year-old beat a star-filled line up in the fun event, organised to raise money for the Move to Improve charity, which helps children and adults with motor disabilities. Boonen’s Quick Step teammates Maarten Wynants and Wouter Weylandt were second and third.
The field included many of Boonen’s other teammates as well as a number of big stars of the road, including Filippo Pozzato, Carlos Barredo and Luca Paolini.
Boonen himself suffered a scare on the very first lap when he crashed, going over the handlebars.
“The shock hit me to my heart during my somersault,” he said afterwards, “because last year I came here and fell on my right knee. Thinking of my misery of the second half of last year I finished the race gently. The slippery surface sometimes gave me a very bad feeling and so I avoided any further risks.
“If you only ride one cross you do not feel the ground,” he added, “and that you needed here.”
He continued the race without further incident but was lapped by a number of riders and went on to finish 29th.
Result Tom Boonen and friends cyclocross:
1. Pieter Vanspeybroeck (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) in 41u09
2. Maarten Wynants
3. Wouter Weylandt
4. Jérôme Pineau (Fra)
5. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck
6. Frederique Robert
7. Dries Devenyns
8. David Boucher (Fra)
9. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned)
10. Kevin Hulsmans
A three-time World champion takes the race for retired riders
Erwin Vervecken won the race for retired riders, ahead of Steven de Jongh and Koen Beeckman. As he was a three-time World cyclocross champion, and he only retired at the beginning of this year the result was not entirely expected; Vervecken nevertheless insisted that this was no easy victory.
“Because I’ve only recently stopped, everyone will find it normal that I have won but I can assure you I had to go to my limit,” said Vervecken. “I thought I was dead on the course twice.”
Result Tom Boonen and friends for retired riders:
1. Erwin Vervecken 29:15
2. Steven de Jongh (Ned)
3. Koen Beeckman
4. Jan Boven (Ned)
5. Marc Janssens
6. Franky Van Oyen
7. Johan Verstrepen
8. Wim Arras
9. Eric Lievens
10. Marc Patry