The 2009 Tour of Flanders

Tour of Flanders

The Tour of Flanders is a Flanders Classics road cycling race held in Belgium every spring, a week before the Paris–Roubaix road race. It is part of the UCI World Tour and one of the so-called monuments of the European professional calendar. It is the most important cycling race in Flanders...

cycle race is the 93rd edition of the monument classic

Classic cycle races

The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...

 and took place on 5 April. The course is 259.7 km long and goes from Brugge

Brügge

Brügge is a municipality in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.Its small church and market square are noted for their beauty....

 to Meerbeke

Meerbeke

Meerbeke is a village in the Denderstreek in the province of East Flanders in Belgium. Administratively it is part of the municipality of Ninove. This rural community is located along the Dender River on the western border of what is known as "Pajottenland". With a total surface of 1047ha it is the...

. The weather during the race was sunny and warm at 12 °C. The race was the fifth event in the inaugural UCI World Ranking

2009 UCI World Ranking

The 2009 UCI World Ranking is the first edition of the ranking system launched by the International Cycling Union , replacing the rankings previously part of the UCI ProTour. The series started with the Tour Down Under's opening stage on 20 January, and consists of 13 stage races and 11 one-day...

 series.

Pre-race favorites included Filippo Pozzato

Filippo Pozzato

Filippo "Pippo" Pozzato is an Italian road racing cyclist with UCI ProTour Team Katusha.-Career:...

 (winner of the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen

E3 Prijs Vlaanderen

The E3 Harelbeke is an annual cycling race in the Flanders area of Belgium. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke over 210 kilometres. The event is organised by the Hand in Hand Cycling Club of Harelbeke and is ranked 1.HC on the UCI Continental calendar....

 and a stage in the Three Days of De Panne

Three Days of De Panne

The Three Days of De Panne is a mid-week, three-day stage race before the Ronde van Vlaanderen in De Panne in West Flanders, Belgium. It is rated 2.HC by the UCI and is part of the UCI Europe Tour.- Winners :...

), Tom Boonen

Tom Boonen

Tom Boonen is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who won the 2005 World Road Race Championship. He is a member of the team, and is considered a single-day road race specialist with a strong finishing sprint...

 (winner in 2005 and 2006), Stijn Devolder

Stijn Devolder

Stijn Devolder is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He rides for UCI ProTeam , having ridden for Discovery Channel between 2004 and 2007 and from 2008 to 2010. Devolder won his first professional race at the 2004 Four Days of Dunkirk, winning stage 4...

 (winner in 2008), Nick Nuyens

Nick Nuyens

Nick Nuyens is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . His biggest wins to date include the semi-classics Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, Omloop Het Volk, Paris–Brussels and the classic Tour of Flanders. He is generally viewed as a classics rider. He is married to the Belgian multiple...

 (2nd in 2008) and Heinrich Haussler

Heinrich Haussler

Heinrich Haussler is an Australian road racing cyclist with German heritage. Haussler races for UCI ProTeam .-Early life:...

 (2nd in Milan – San Remo, 4th in Dwars door Vlaanderen

Dwars door Vlaanderen

Dwars door Vlaanderen is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race. Traditionally, it is the start of the Flemish cycling week, with Gent–Wevelgem , the Three Days of De Panne and the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Dwars door Vlaanderen has always been contested on a Wednesday, a week and a half before the...

, several other impressive results in 2009).

In a victory highly similar to the 2008 Tour of Flanders, Stijn Devolder

Stijn Devolder

Stijn Devolder is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He rides for UCI ProTeam , having ridden for Discovery Channel between 2004 and 2007 and from 2008 to 2010. Devolder won his first professional race at the 2004 Four Days of Dunkirk, winning stage 4...

 powered away late to the win. With what pundits called the strongest team in the race behind him, the QuickStep rider was able to ride away, while other teams marked teammates Tom Boonen

Tom Boonen

Tom Boonen is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who won the 2005 World Road Race Championship. He is a member of the team, and is considered a single-day road race specialist with a strong finishing sprint...

 and Sylvain Chavanel

Sylvain Chavanel

Sylvain Chavanel Albira is a French professional road bicycle racer. His brother Sébastien Chavanel is also a cyclist.Chavanel started his professional career in 2000 with Jean-René Bernaudeau's team Bonjour, which became Brioches La Boulangère in 2003...

. With riders such as favorite Pozzato watching Boonen, Devolder found the strength to solo to victory. Haussler, who was riding in support of Thor Hushovd

Thor Hushovd

Thor Hushovd is a Norwegian professional road bicycle racer riding . He has signed for from 2012 onwards. He is known for sprinting and time trialing and is the 2010 Norwegian and world road champion. He is the first Norwegian to lead the Tour de France, and first Scandinavian to win the road...

 planned not to contest the victory but said he was told by Hushovd to challenge Devolder.

Following the race CNN

CNN

Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...

 reported:

[The race] was brought to life with 50km remaining when Italian Manuel Quinziato

Manuel Quinziato

Manuel Quinziato is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam .- Palmares :19972001...

, Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel and three-time runner-up Leif Hoste

Leif Hoste

Leif Hoste is a Belgian professional road racing cyclist since 1998. He rides on the UCI ProTour for . His career highlights include winning two stages and the overall title at the 2006 Three Days of De Panne, the 2001 and 2006 Belgian national time trial championships, and a second place finish...

 led a six-rider breakaway. However, they were gradually caught by race favorites Devolder, compatriot and dual winner Tom Boonen and Italian Filippo Pozzato. Devolder made his decisive move over the crest of the penultimate climb, the Muur-Kapelmuur, and by the time he had reached the final climb, the Bosberg, he had an unassailable advantage. The rest of the breakaway riders were eventually caught by the peloton and German Haussler won the sprint for second place which was marred by a nasty crash on the final straight into Meerbeke.

General standings

	Cyclist	Team	Time	UCI World Ranking 2009 UCI World Ranking The 2009 UCI World Ranking is the first edition of the ranking system launched by the International Cycling Union , replacing the rankings previously part of the UCI ProTour. The series started with the Tour Down Under's opening stage on 20 January, and consists of 13 stage races and 11 one-day... Points
1			6h 01' 04"	100
2			+ 59"	80
3			s.t.	70
4			s.t.	60
5			s.t.	50
6			s.t.	40
7			s.t.	30
8		Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team is a Dutch professional road race cycling team. They are a UCI ProTeam and compete in the UCI World Tour. The team was established in 2008, as the successor of P3 Transfer-Batavus, while also taking over many of the riders and staff of Cycle Collstrop, the former...	s.t.	20
9			s.t.	10
10		Landbouwkrediet - Colnago	s.t.	4

Almost exactly one minute after Devolder crossed the line 29 other riders arrived, and all were awarded the same time. Beyond the top ten, these included: 11 Alexandre Pichot

Alexandre Pichot

Alexandre Pichot is a French professional road bicycle racer for UCI Professional Continental team .- Palmares :200920072003- External links :*...

, 12 Johnny Hoogerland

Johnny Hoogerland

Johnny Hoogerland is a Dutch professional cyclist riding for the Dutch Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team. Due to the prominent bull-tattoo on his arm and his roots from the peninsula of Zuid-Beveland he is nicknamed the "Bull of Beveland"....

, 13 Roger Hammond, 14 Karsten Kroon, 15 Nick Nuyens

Nick Nuyens

Nick Nuyens is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . His biggest wins to date include the semi-classics Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, Omloop Het Volk, Paris–Brussels and the classic Tour of Flanders. He is generally viewed as a classics rider. He is married to the Belgian multiple...

, 16 Roy Sentjens

Roy Sentjens

Roy Sentjens is a Belgian ex-professional road bicycle racer who last competed for UCI ProTour team . The highlight of his career was victory in the Belgian semi-classic Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne in 2003. Sentjens started his career with Rabobank in 2002, and transferred to Predictor-Lotto for the...

, 17 Kevin Van Impe

Kevin van Impe

Kevin Van Impe is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He is the son of former cyclist Frank Van Impe. His uncle is the famous ex-cyclist Lucien Van Impe....

, 18 Frederik Willems

Frederik Willems

Frederik Willems is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . His greatest achievement to date is in winning the 2006 Étoile de Bessèges while riding for , with whom he began his career in 2003 and rode until the end of 2006.-Palmarès:20022006*...

, 19 Bert Scheirlinckx

Bert Scheirlinckx

Bert Scheirlinckx is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer, who is a member of the cycling team Landbouwkrediet.-Palmarès:200220032004* * at Landbouwkrediet...

, 20 Tom Boonen

Tom Boonen

Tom Boonen is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who won the 2005 World Road Race Championship. He is a member of the team, and is considered a single-day road race specialist with a strong finishing sprint...

, 21 Gerben Löwik

Gerben Löwik

Gerben Löwik is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer who is currently unattached.- Palmares :* Tour de Wallonie - Overall * Circuit Franco-Belge - 1 stage & Overall...

, 22 Staf Scheirlinckx

Staf Scheirlinckx

Staf Scheirlinckx is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI Professional Continental team . One of the tallest riders in the pro peloton, Scheirlinckx is a domestique who helps his star teammates, particularly in the northern classic cycle races. His brother is Bert Scheirlinckx.-...

, 23 Serguei Ivanov, 24 Andreas Klier

Andreas Klier

Andreas Klier is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .-Palmares:1996200220032005-External links:...

, 25 Preben Van Hecke

Preben Van Hecke

Preben Van Hecke is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI Professional Continental team Topsport Vlaanderen.- Palmares :* Schaal Sels-Merksem * Profronde van Fryslan...

, 26 Assan Bazayev

Assan Bazayev

Assan Bazayev is a professional road bicycle racer from Kazakhstan. Since 2007, he rides for on the UCI ProTour.In 2004 he won the Hellas Tour, but he did not win any stage.He also won stage 1 of the 2006 Tour of Germany in August 2006.- Palmares :...

, 27 Leif Hoste

Leif Hoste

Leif Hoste is a Belgian professional road racing cyclist since 1998. He rides on the UCI ProTour for . His career highlights include winning two stages and the overall title at the 2006 Three Days of De Panne, the 2001 and 2006 Belgian national time trial championships, and a second place finish...

, 28 Paolo Longo Borghini

Paolo Longo Borghini

Paolo Longo Borghini is an Italian professional road bicycle racer.In the 2011 season, Palo will ride for the UCI ProTeam .He formerly rode for , and ....

, 29 Frédéric Guesdon

Frédéric Guesdon

Frédéric Guesdon is a French professional road bicycle racer for UCI Professional Continental team .Guesdon was born in Saint-Méen-le-Grand, Brittany. He turned professional in 1995 with the French Le Groupement team and moved on to the Polti team in 1996, where he scored eleventh place at...

, 30 Juan Antonio Flecha

Juan Antonio Flecha

Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni is an Argentine-born Spanish professional road bicycle racer for the UCI ProTour team .-Career:...

.

A crash during the group sprint for second place marred the finish of some riders in this group, including Thor Hushovd

Thor Hushovd

Thor Hushovd is a Norwegian professional road bicycle racer riding . He has signed for from 2012 onwards. He is known for sprinting and time trialing and is the 2010 Norwegian and world road champion. He is the first Norwegian to lead the Tour de France, and first Scandinavian to win the road...

, George Hincapie

George Hincapie

George Hincapié Garcés is an American professional road bicycle racer currently riding for UCI ProTeam . Hincapie resides in Greenville, South Carolina...

, Bernhard Eisel

Bernhard Eisel

Bernhard Eisel is an Austrian professional road bicycling racer who currently rides for . He will join Team Sky for the 2012 season.-Career:...

, and Gregory Rast

Grégory Rast

Grégory Rast is a Swiss professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . He will ride for from 2012.- Palmares :20022004...

.

197 riders started the race.

Individual 2009 UCI World Ranking standings after race

Rank	Name	Team	Points
1			182
2			167
3			111
4			110
5			107
6			107
7			88
8			87
9			85
10			77

Course

The 16 Ronde van Vlaanderen hills were:

Number	Kilometer	Name
1	131.2	Molenberg
2	140.5	Wolvenberg
3	180.0	Oude Kwaremont
4	183.7	Paterberg
5	190.2	Koppenberg Koppenberg Koppenberg is a high hill in Oudenaarde, the Flemish Ardennes, Belgium...
6	195.7	Steenbeekdries
7	198.0	Taaienberg
8	203.2	Eikenberg
9	208.2	Varent
10	213.8	Leberg
11	218.1	Berendries
12	223.5	Valkenberg
13	230.3	Tenbosse
14	235.8	Eikenmolen
15	245.8	Muur-Kapelmuur Muur van Geraardsbergen The Muur van Geraardsbergen is a steep narrow road with cobblestones located in Geraardsbergen, Belgium. It is also known as Kapelmuur, Muur-Kapelmuur or simply Muur. The hill starts near the river Dender at 18 m and reaches the top of the Oudenberg at 110 m...
16	249.7	Bosberg