The shy spring sun peeked out above the heads of the large crowd of cycling fans and regular spectators. The sun also shone on Luc Colyn, who was at the forefront of the 24th Grand Prix Nokere-Sport all afternoon and emerged as the winner after a late breakaway with Jan Van Camp from the leading group of six that had formed in the penultimate lap. This was his first victory of the season and the title of champion of East Flanders to boot. A chilly but clearly delighted Wetteraar at the finish. “I can feel myself getting into good shape,” he said. “It’s only my first victory, but I think I can offer a lot of excuses. I was only offered a contract at the last minute and started the season with a delay in my preparation. That had more of an impact than I expected, and so I was lagging behind. The victory here in Nokere is very welcome and, as we know, Nokere-Sport is anything but a fairground course. The victory means something and gives me a boost ahead of LBL. After all, I have to make it happen since I’m not riding the Vuelta.”
True to tradition, a hundred-and-twenty-strong gang of pros lined up at the start, including Italian Silvano Contini at the head of his team, Eddy Planckaert, Rudy Dhaenens, and Ferdi Van den Haute, to name the Belgian stars of Paris-Roubaix. The long string of bread riders raced into the rain as if the finish line had been drawn at “Het Kantientje” in Kruishoutem. Seven immediately took enough of a lead to calmly grab a sandwich at the bakery while waiting for the peloton. One also wanted his sandwich in advance and set off after the escapees. Tackaert joined Dominique Lecrocq, Alan Peiper, Luc Colyn, Bernard Boulez, Luc Roosen, David Axam, and Maarten Ducrot.
With eight riders, they pulled out all the stops and gained a lead of a good two minutes in four laps. It took the chasing peloton another four laps to make up the deficit. Franky Van Oyen and Ronny Van Holen were the most active afterwards, until a leading group of twelve formed in the tenth of the eleven small laps. Those twelve were: Giovannetti Marcu, Teun Van Vliet, Michel Vermote, Eddy Van Hoof, Bruno Geuens, Ronny Van Holen, Alain De Roo, William Tackaert, Franky Van Oyen, Hans Daams, Jan Van Camp, and Luc Colyn. The twelve never really got away from the peloton and when a few scouts approached menacingly, Van Oyen, Van Vliet, and Colyn took off again. They were joined by the Italian Petito—a big guy—and steadily increased their lead over the peloton, from which Van Camp and Van Holen had meanwhile escaped.
The latter persevered and joined in. Six leaders in the first of the two final big laps and a peloton less than a minute behind. The situation stabilized in the final lap and, three kilometers from the finish, the six were 1’20” ahead of the peloton. Luc Colyn assessed the situation as the best and made his move. Jan Van Camp had enough ambition and strength to follow him and, despite Franky Van Oyen protesting with a fierce reaction, the pair remained in front until shortly before the finish line. Luc Colyn wanted the flowers at all costs and finally shook off Jan Van Camp.
Leo Arickx
Result: 117 professional cyclists
1. Luc COLYN (Wetteren) the 154 km in 3 hours 42 minutes
2. Jan Van Camp on 10 sec.
3. Ronny Van Holen op 35 sec.
4. Giuseppe Petito (It)
5. Teun Van Vliet (Nl)
6. Frankie Van Oyen
7. William Tackaert on 1 min 25 sec.
8. Etienne De Wilde
9. Hans Daams (Nl)
10. Pol Verschuere
11. Frank Verleyen
12. Michel Vermote
13. Frank Van de Vijver
14. Luc Roosen
15. Roger Ilegems
16. Bruno Geuens
17. Patrick Deneut
18. Jan Van Houwelingen (Nl)
19. Rudi Brusselmans
20. Eddy Van Hoof
21. Muno Giovanetti (It)
22. Luc De Smet op 3 min. 40 sec.
23. Harry Smitz (WD)
24. Hendrik Devos
25. Emiel Kerstens (Nl)
26. Leo Wellens
27. Alain De Roo
