BiciRace.com :: 2005 3 Days of De Panne

2005 3 Days of De Panne

3 Days of De Panne, Belgium

29 - 31 March

Preview

29 March

Hincapie at the 3 Days of De Panne, while visions of Flanders dance in his head

George Hincapie goes for another 3 Days of De Panne after winning last year's 2004 edition. 3 Days of De Panne is a four stage race held over the next three days. Hincapie is just coming back from a minor illness, although hopes for a solid performance. He will undoubtedly be looking towards the Tour of Flanders, the big classic which takes place this weekend. His goals are set high for a win. Hincapie and Lance Armstrong (who has also suffered from a minor cold) have already made an appearance earlier this week in the Brabantse Pijl, where they both performed well. Armstrong will not be in the 3 Days of De Panne, but will be at the Tour of Flanders this Sunday to give support to Hincapie.

Stages:
29-March, Middelkerke - Zottegem, 202 km
30-March, Zottegem - Koksijde (Sint-Idesbald), 231 km
31-March, De Panne - De Panne, 116 km
31-March, De Panne - De Panne TT, 13.7 km

Discovery Channel start list
1 Hincapie George
2 Devolder Stijn
3 Ekimov Viatcheslav
4 Hammond Roger
5 Cruz Antonio
6 Hoste Leif
7 Joachim Benoît
8 Roulston Hayden

Stage 1, Middelkerke - Zottegem, 202 km

29 March

Don't Doubt Devolder

Stijn Devolder (Discovery Channel) has not gone unnoticed lately, his main boss, Lance Armstrong, has even indicated that he will be riding for both Devolder and George Hincapie in the upcoming Tour of Flanders (3 April). You have to only cast your mind back three years to the 2002 Paris-Roubaix when boy-wonder Tom Boonen took third ahead of his team captain, Hincapie. Shortly after, Boonen went to a super Belgium squad and kept notching up victory after victory. Devolder is already a huge force at the age of 25.

Today's stage one of the 3 Days of De Panne saw Devolder barely missed out on a win when he was pipped at the line by Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Caffita). It was a strong Devolder that was able to join Alessandro Ballan with 20K to go at the end of a 202K stage. BiciRace.com thinks that Stijn Devolder is one to watch.

Stage 2, Zottegem - Koksijde, 231 km

30 March

Another win for Eeckhout, Davis looking strong

Just one week after Dwars door Vlaanderen, Nico Eeckhout (Chocolade Jacques) has won again. This time he was victorious in a wet and soggy stage 2 of the 3 Days of De Panne. It was a long, wet day that saw Danilo Hondo (Gerolsteiner) drop out after suffering from an overnight fever. It takes a strong man to come out on top of a sprint after 231K in Belgium, and this is just what Eeckhout managed to prove in Koksijde, Belgium.

Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros) finished second and his team now has their eyes on this Sunday's Tour of Flanders. After the race Davis said to VRT 'I will look to the Ronde [van Vlaanderen] Sunday. Our team is very motivated.'

Stage 3, De Panne - De Panne, 116 km

31 March

Steels takes Glory in De Panne

In a short morning stage of the 3 Days of De Panne, Belgian super-hero Tom Steels took a nice sprint win. The stage was 116K but just long enough for Steels (Belgian champion) to shine. Steels out sprinted Simone Cadamuro (Domina Vacanze) and Luciano Pagliarini (Liquigas-Bianchi). The Brazilian, Pagliarini, was later relegated for an illegal move.

The question on everybody's mind now has to be can a rejuvenated Steels take victory in this Sunday's Tour of Flanders? Two or three years ago that sentence would have been unthinkable. But his form is there and his confidence is high. If he has luck on his side we could see Tom Steels take victory in one of the monuments of cycling this Sunday. Good luck Tom!

But now the focus shifts over to this afternoon's time trial where it is a challenge for Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Caffita) to keep his lead over Stijn Devolder (Discovery Channel) who is only four seconds back. The time trial is a 13.7 km around De Panne.

Stage 4, De Panne - De Panne TT, 13.7 km

31 March

Discovery Duo ... Devolder and Ekimov

Stijn Devolder has taken out the biggest win of his young career and Viatcheslav Ekimov just keeps on ticking. Discovery pulled off a real coup in De Panne when Ekimov won the TT and Devolder placed well enough above Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Caffita) to win the overall. "It is my first large victory," a happy Devolder said (to VRT) after winning the overall. No doubt that Discovery Channel is happy that the young Devolder defended the team title in this years 3 Days of De Panne.

Stijn Devolder is on lips of all cycling fans as the Discovery man to beat in this Sunday's Tour of Flanders. Devolder and George Hincapie will work out the details on the road while a super domestique, Lance Armstrong, will lend a helping hand.

Final general classification
1 Stijn Devolder (Discovery Channel)
2 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre - Caffita)
3 Nico Mattan (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto)
4 Luis Sanchez (Liberty Seguros)