article by Nicola Pucci
There are at least three clues that prove that Tom Boonen can be considered the perfect prototype of the rider for the walls and stones of the Tour of Flanders: someone who is of Belgian nationality, and in those parts the Flemish classics are a sort of blessing, according to the fact that when he made his professional debut he was immediately third in Paris-Roubaix in the wake of Johan Museeuw who can only be his most worthy predecessor for this kind of racing, and thirdly that right at the Ronde achieved a truly legendary trio of successes. Today, we will relive the first of these three gems that embellish the palmares of this pedal championborn in Mol, obviously in the heart of Flanders, on 15 October 1980.
The 89th edition of a race which for the Belgians is worth more than a world championship will take place on 3 April 2005.. Upon departure, as usual from the wonderful Market Square of Bruges, packed with enthusiasts, the weather is turning nice and the climate promises to be mild, which isn’t a bad thing given that you have to struggle for 256 kilometers along a route that involves climbing 17 walls.
At km 80 a platoon of six daredevils takes the hat from the group, including Samuele Marzoli, Boucher, Mourey, Zaballa, Barredo and Backstedt who go away on the level until they gain a lead margin of 5’30”. The race comes to its heart, obviously, when the first walls are approached, many of which are paved with cobblestones, and after the Frenchman Thomas Voeckler hints at a counterattack in the group, on Molenberg (km 143) Marzoli loses ground. The German Steffan Wesemann, who is none other than the winner of the last edition, withdraws and at km 152 Mourey also loses contact with the leaders.
At the height of the Oude Kwaremont (172 km) the group of fugitives has now been reduced to Backstedt, Barredo, Zaballa and Boucher, and it is Zaballa himself who is the liveliest of the lotso much so that the feared (and very tough) Paterberg (380 meters long with an average gradient of 13% and peaks of 20%) and Koppenberg (600 meters with an average gradient of 11.6% and peaks of 22%) are in the lead. , then rremain in command only on the stretch of road between Eikenberg and Boigneberg, when we are close to 200 km travelled. A new counterattack starts from behind, led by Alessandro Ballan, captain of Lampre, and Burghardt, while the gap to the fugitives is now very narrow.
The rider from Castelfranco Veneto catches Backstedt and Barredo, then sets off alone in pursuit of Zaballa, who has about 50 seconds ahead. Ballan takes advantage of the Steenberg, at km 209, to get back under the Spaniardwhile the main group is pulled by T-Mobile e Quick Step, who work for Captains Zabel and Boonen. The German himself is in the top positions, and enters into all the sprints that follow one another in this stretch.
Ballan overtakes Zaballa on the Berendries (km 219) where the margin is just under 40″ over the group, which on this wall is pulled by Armstrong and Ekimov, and from which Kroon starts on the counterattack (recovered after 2 km). In the following descent, Ballan increases the margin again up to a minute at km 221, when Zabel counterattacks, supported by Roberto Petito, in the jersey Fassa Bortolo. The two move towards Zaballa, but they are the same T-Mobile to lead the group in pursuit.
On Valkenberg (km 224) Ballan feels a bit of fatigue, Zabel and Petito gain on him and the group, just as Klier, another T-Mobile, leaps from the peloton, bringing with him Boonen and Van Petegem, already twice winner of the Ronde in 1999 and 2003. The trio catches up with Zabel and Petito, while Zaballa loses ground, and Ballan still maintains half a minute’s lead.
With two of the top favorites (Boonen and Van Petegem) on the attack, the moment is decisive. Ballan slows down and at km 227 the 5 immediate pursuers catch himwhile the Discovery Channel, and Armstrong in particular, leads the group by just over 20″. At km 229 the second margin is 23″ and shortly afterwards, on the Tenbosse, the third takes place T-MobileSergey Ivanov, a tactically reckless move, given the presence of two teammates in the leading group.
The Russian’s work is useful to the rivals of the Discovery, which see the margin filed by 5″. When Ivanov moves, the leading sextet regains altitude. Behind the pacesetters, a small group of pursuers forms with Gusev, Hincapie, Flecha, Van Bon, Ivanov and Kroon.
The Grammont Wall (Kapelmuur in Flemish, 1 km with an average gradient of 9% and peaks of 20%), leaving the town of Geraardsbergen, see an impressive forcing by Van Petegem. Zabel suffers more than the others, even Petito isn’t at his best, while Boonen responds well, Klier somehow saves himself and Ballan also keeps the wheels. After reaching the top of the hill, however, Petito and Zabel return.
The Bosberg attacks, the last obstacle of the day, located 12 km from the finish line, and Klier increases the pace, after which Boonen tries to force a counterattack, with Van Petegem very ready to block. Once again, Zabel and Petito suffer, breaking off at the top and returning immediately afterwards.
11 km from the goal Boonen tries to sprint on the flat, and Klier closes. Then Petito tries, and it’s Zabel who brings the others back down. At 9 km Boonen tries the counterattack again, and this time he gets the better of his opponents. A moment of indecision between the other 5, then Klier tries to close. So it’s Van Petegem who shoots to get back on his compatriot, and Klier again on him, but Boonen maintains a few dozen meters of advantage.
The five finally agree to take turns shooting, but Boonen continues to gain, and has a 9″ margin with 5 km to go. At 4 km Van Petegem tries to exit, but fails. Petito also fires his last cartridges with a click, but At 3 km Boonen is at +11″, at 2 km he is at +12″, at the last km he is at +15″.
Boonen went on to win at the finish line in Meerbeke, while in the final Klier managed to pull away from the others, taking second place, 35″ behind. Van Petegem, at 40″, finishes third ahead of Zabel, Petito and Ballanwhile the American Hincapie, Armstrong’s companion at Discovery Channelthe chasing group wins the sprint.
And if Tom Boonen puts it in the safe Rondetrust me, it is only the first clue to elect him the lion of stones and walls. It is no coincidence that we are in Flanders…