First win of 2013 for Vacansoleil-DCM rider as he just holds off the peloton
Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM) took his first victory of the 2013 season in the fifth and final stage of the Ster ZLM Toer, between Gerwen and Boxtel, as the breakaway group managed to just hold off the peloton at the finish. The former Netherlands champion outsprinted companions Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Brian van Goethem (Metec-TKH) and Arno van der Zwet (Koga) into second, third and fourth, as André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) led the peloton home on their heels.
With none of the breakaway riders of any immediate danger to the top of the general classification, stage four winner Lars Boom (Blanco) was confirmed as the overall race winner.
Reactions to follow
Ligthart, Vandousselaere, van Goethem and van der Zwet had escaped in the very first kilometres of the stage, along with Yves Lampaert (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) and Steven Lammertink (Jo Piels), and built up a lead of 4’05” over the peloton by the time they reached the first intermediate sprint after 62km.
Steadily the sextet’s lead came down but, with 25m to go, they still led by 2’35”, and had 55 seconds left at the final ten kilometre banner. The peloton seemingly had the break under control, but a puncture for Dutch sprinter Theo Bos saw the Blanco team pull out of the chase.
With four kilometres to go Lammertink was dropped from the break and quickly swallowed up by the peloton, but the remaining five riders still had 30 seconds at the three kilometre banner.
Under the flamme rouge with a kilometre to go the break was still ten seconds clear, as van Goethem attacked. The Metec-TKH rider was chased down by the rest of the group, however, with Ligthart outsprinting them at the line. So close was the peloton at the finish that Greipel was given the same time as the winner, as Lampaert was overtaken just before the line.
Result stage 5
1. Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
2. Sven Vandousselaere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise
3. Brian van Goethem (Ned) Metec-TKH
4. Arno van der Zwet (Ned) Koga Cycling Team
5. André Greipel (Ger) Lotto-Belisol
6. Kenny van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
7. Marcel Kittel (Ger) Argos-Shimano
8. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
9. Victor Manakov (Rus) RusVelo
10. Yves Lampaert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise
Final overall standings
1. Lars Boom (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling
2. André Greipel (Ger) Lotto-Belisol @ 16s
3. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma-Quick Step @ 25s
4. Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick Step @ 26s
5. Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM @ 32s
6. Marcel Kittel (Ger) Argos-Shimano @ 35s
7. Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto-Belisol @ 36s
8. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin-Sharp @ 43s
9. Jürgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto-Belisol @ 47s
10. Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team @ 1’06”