The 2009

Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders ( nl, Ronde van Vlaanderen), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road cycling race held in Belgium every spring. The most important cycling race in Flanders, it is part of the UCI World Tour and organi ...

cycle race Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing cycling ...

is the 93rd edition of the monument classic and took place on 5 April. The course is 259.7 km long and goes from

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...

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 " P ...

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

UCI World Ranking The UCI men's road racing world rankings are a point system which is used to rank men's road cycling riders. Points are accrued over a rolling 52 weeks in three categories (Individual, Nations and Teams). Also Year-End rankings exist, based on ...

series. Pre-race favorites included

Filippo Pozzato Filippo "Pippo" Pozzato (born 10 September 1981) is an Italian former road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2000 and 2018 for the , , , , , , and two spells with the / teams. A northern classics specialist, Pozzato finished in se ...

(winner of the

E3 Prijs Vlaanderen E3 Saxo Bank Classic, previously known as E3 BinckBank Classic, E3 Harelbeke, Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke and E3-Prijs Vlaanderen, is an annual road cycling race in Flanders, Belgium. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke, covering 203 ki ...

and a stage in the

Three Days of De Panne 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * ''Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 n ...

Tom Boonen Tom Boonen (; born 15 October 1980) is a Belgian former road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2002 and 2017 for the and teams and a professional racing driver who currently competes in Belcar, having previously competed in ...

(winner in 2005 and 2006),

Stijn Devolder Stijn Devolder (born 29 August 1979) is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer, who competed professionally for (2002–2003), (2004–2007), (2008–2010), (2011–2012), (2013–2016), (2017–2018) and (2019). Career Born in ...

(winner in 2008),

Nick Nuyens Nick Nuyens (born 5 May 1980) is a Belgian former professional road racing cyclist who last rode for in the UCI World Tour. His biggest wins included the semi-classics Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, Omloop Het Volk, Paris–Brussels and the cla ...

(2nd in 2008) and

Heinrich Haussler Heinrich Haussler (born 25 February 1984) is an Australian road racing cyclist of German heritage, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He has won 2 stages in Grand Tours during his career, one at the 2005 Vuelta a España and another at th ...

(2nd in Milan – San Remo, 4th in

Dwars door Vlaanderen Dwars door Vlaanderen ''( en, Across Flanders)'' is a semi-classic road bicycle race in Belgium, held annually since 1945. The race starts in Roeselare and finishes in Waregem, both in West Flanders. Since 2017 the event is included in the UCI ...

, several other impressive results in 2009). In a victory highly similar to the 2008 Tour of Flanders,

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

and Sylvain Chavanel. 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 (born 18 January 1978) is a Norwegian former professional road bicycle racer. He is known for sprinting and time trialing; Hushovd is a three-time Norwegian national road race champion (2004, 2010, 2013), and was the winner of th ...

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 multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

reported:

he racewas brought to life with 50km remaining when Italian
Manuel Quinziato Manuel Quinziato (born 30 October 1979 in Bolzano) is an Italian former road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2017 for the , , and squads. Major results ;1997 : 3rd Team pursuit, UCI Junior Track Cycling World Cham ...
, Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel and three-time runner-up
Leif Hoste Leif Hoste (born 17 July 1977) is a retired Belgian professional road racing cyclist, who last rode for UCI Professional Continental Team team . Born in Kortrijk, Hoste's career highlights included winning two stages and the overall title at the ...
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

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 (born 6 January 1983) is a French former professional road bicycle racer, who competed professionally between 2006 and 2019, entirely for the team and its later iterations. Major results ;2003 : 1st Stage 2 Tour de Guadeloup ...

, 12

Johnny Hoogerland Johnny Hoogerland (born 13 May 1983) is a Dutch former professional cyclist, who rode professionally between 2004 and 2016 for the Van Hermet–Eurogifts, , , , and squads. Due to the prominent bull-tattoo on his arm and his roots from the peni ...

, 13 Roger Hammond, 14

Karsten Kroon Karsten Kroon (born 29 January 1976) is a Dutch former professional road bicycle racer who most recently rode for , a UCI ProTeam. He retired at the end of the 2014 season. Career Born in Dalen, Kroon showed his talent as an amateur by winnin ...

, 15

, 16

Roy Sentjens Roy Sentjens (born 15 December 1980 in Neerpelt) is a retired Belgian road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2002 and 2013. Sentjens has also previously competed for UCI ProTour team . The highlight of his career was victory i ...

, 17

Kevin Van Impe Kevin Van Impe (born 19 April 1981 in Aalst, East Flanders) is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer. His father is former cyclist Frank Van Impe, and his uncle is Lucien Van Impe, one of the greatest climbers in cycling history an ...

, 18

Frederik Willems Frederik Willems (born 8 September 1979) is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer who competed professionally from 2003 tp 2014. His greatest achievement to date is in winning the 2006 Étoile de Bessèges while riding for , with whom ...

, 19

Bert Scheirlinckx Bert Scheirlinckx (born 1 November 1974) is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer, who is a member of the cycling team Geofco-Ville d'Alger. Palmarès ;2002 : 3rd Overall, Tour of Japan :: 1st, Stage 2, Tour of Japan '2003 : 4th, Rund um ...

, 20

, 21 Gerben Löwik, 22 Staf Scheirlinckx, 23

Serguei Ivanov Sergei Valeryevich Ivanov () (born 5 March 1975 in Chuvashia, Soviet Union) is a former professional road bicycle racer, who competed between 1996 and 2011. Ivanov had been a member of six different teams, competing for CSKA Lada–Samara, T ...

, 24

Andreas Klier Andreas Klier (born 15 January 1976) is a retired German professional road racing cyclist. He competed professionally between 1996 and 2013. Klier moved into a managerial role with his final professional team, , after announcing his retirement a ...

, 25

Preben Van Hecke Preben Van Hecke (born 9 July 1982 in Dendermonde) is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer, who competed professionally between 2004 and 2019 for the , and . He won the Belgian National Road Race Championships in 2015, out of a two-m ...

, 26 Assan Bazayev, 27

Leif Hoste Leif Hoste (born 17 July 1977) is a retired Belgian professional road racing cyclist, who last rode for UCI Professional Continental Team team . Born in Kortrijk, Hoste's career highlights included winning two stages and the overall title at the ...

, 28 Paolo Longo Borghini, 29

Frédéric Guesdon Frédéric Guesdon (born October 14, 1971) is a French former professional road bicycle racer who competed as a professional between 1995 and 2012, most notably for UCI ProTeam , spending 16 years of his career with the team. Guesdon was born in ...

, 30

Juan Antonio Flecha Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (born 17 September 1977) is an Argentine-born Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2000 and 2013. Flecha had a reputation of being a Classics specialist and to ride ...

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

George Hincapie George Anthony Hincapie (born June 29, 1973) is an American former racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 1994 and 2012. Hincapie was a key domestique of Lance Armstrong. Hincapie was also a domestique for Alberto Contador in 2007 an ...

Bernhard Eisel Bernhard Eisel (born 17 February 1981) is an Austrian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2001 and 2019 for the , , , and teams. Following his retirement, he worked as an analyst and presenter for Eurosport ...

, and

Gregory Rast Gregory may refer to: People and fictional characters * Gregory (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Gregory (surname), a surname Places Australia * Gregory, Queensland, a town in the Shire of ...

. 197 riders started the race.rvv.be participants

Individual 2009 UCI World Ranking standings after race

Course

The 16 Ronde van Vlaanderen hills were:

External links

Race website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tour of Flanders, 2009 2009 in Belgian sport

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

2009 UCI ProTour 2009 UCI World Ranking