KBC Driedaagse van De Panne-Koksijde Diary
2nd - 5th April, 2007
by Ed Hood

Day 1 : Day 2 : Day 3 : Day 4

Viktor has barred us from attending any races which are patronised by Graham Baxter Tours, this means that the Tour of Flanders is out. The next-best thing therefore, is De Panne. It covers many of the roads that Flanders does, the 'Flanders fever' is in full flow but the security is non-existent so you can skek bikes and annoy mechanics to your heart's content.

Viktor tucks into coffee and croissant and has a
skek to see which keremesses are on today.

Day 1 - Monday 2nd April, 2007
Ryanair dumped us in Charleroi right on time; Ford Fiesta to Ghent; dump the bags at the hotel then head for the coast. Evan Oliphant has organised us interviews with Nico Mattan and Eric Vanderaerden (see Pez for both interviews).

Once again I was reminded of the importance of patience as one of the key qualities for being a journalist; you have to wait for credentials and wait for interviews - but eventually we got our men, albeit late in the day.

Nico was cool, Eric wasn't as laid-back as Nico, but he gave us some good answers nonetheless. Eric is still slim but is as good a chain smoker as he was a rider.

Back to Ghent, the old haunts are the best; "The Viadukt", "Pour Que Non?", "Pharoahs", and into a coma at 03.00 am.

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Day 2- Tuesday 3rd April, 2007
Stage one is Middelkerke (home to the Tom Boonen fan club) to Zottegem, wearing-on for 200 K, when you include two laps of a circuit in the 'bergs' near Oudenaarde.

Tomeke can relax here, it's a build-up to Flanders, not a target.
Besides, his supporters club outnumber everyone else.

All of the hills which give Het Volk, Kuurne, De Panne and Flanders their particular character are contained within a relatively small area.

The 'Flemish Ardennes' - a series of forrested ridges near Oudenaarde. There's a maze of little roads up there and if you have good local knowledge and a motorbike, it's possible to see the races at several points; we had neither, and in common with a lot of other people, we decided to catch the race on Berendries, a long steep but tarmaced climb through a village.

Our vantage point was across the road from a house garage where an enterprising citizen had set-up his TV under a canopy outside and was selling beer and gin like there was no tomorrow.

The race charges out from the coast, heads into the hills - and a circuit which includes the Berendries three times, before a flat run-in to Zottegem.

Whoever said Dave isn't a partiotic Scot is clearly wrong.

Ex-Belgian time trial champion and general bear-of-a-man, Bert Roesems batters away at the front on the last lap until he prises a group clear. Berendries is like Napoleon's retreat from Moscow.

Ballan (Lampre) is in the break and he jumps clear, Luca Paolini (Liquigas) bridges up to him and at the finish the man in lime green with the Tony Curtis hair cut is too rapid for Ballan.

We headed back to Zottegem after Berendries but there wasn't much to see; everything disappears rapidly after a pro race. It was a quiet night for the boys.

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Day 3- Wednesday 4th April, 2007
Stage two is the longest at nearly 230 K, from Zottegem to Sint-Idesbald, a quick breenge around the bergs then a charge back to the coast and two finishing laps.

Kristian House is over riding in Europe for a bit with his American team.

Viktor wanted to see his hero, Guy Smet at a kermesse near Brugges, so my race watching was courtesy of the plasma screen in a cafe.

Ed's Salle de Presse!

There were 193 starters for the kermesse, racing under a beautiful blue sky. The De Panne stage wasn't amazing as the bunch let go, then slowly pulled-back a two man break.

At times like this you realise how difficult it must be to commentate live on this type of race situation, it's hard enough trying to produce copy.

It all came-together at the death and Benati skooshed the stage, he's quick, and will be a threat to Petacchi in the Giro.

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Day 4- Thursday 5th April, 2007
It's a split stage today, 119 kilometres in the morning, then 11 kilometres contre la montre in the afternoon.

The morning stage means an early start all-round and at 09.05 the bunch rolls out of De Panne, it's parky but sunny.

Rambo (Niko Eeckhout) didn't have the best of days.

We've decided to watch the start and finish but miss the race on the road, it's out and back and hardly worth the bother because it will certainly end in a bunch sprint.

There's a finishing circuit so we'll actually see them cross the line twice. The start is the usual organised chaos, but at 09.05 they are off, it's still nippy at that time and gloves are much in evidence.

Dan Lloyd

It's 119 K today and we enjoy the sun and a stroll around the team hotels as we await the peloton coming through the finish for one lap of that small circuit.

Ace mechanics, Alan Buttler and Craig Geater have plenty of time for us at the Disco bus - good guys and I've had interviews with both of them on Pez and here.

Koni and Eki have a blether about the good old days.

The bunch rattles over the cobbled main street with QuickStep in control in front of a big crowd, enjoying the sun and at the death Steegmans is well clear, arms high.

Tom's black specialized gets spirited away by papa Boonen,
before those Scottish lads can get a pic.

It's all down to the test later, as we have a plate of chips and a beer al fresco.

Bart Roesems finishes his warm-up.

Millar is the big favourite and his preparation is meticulous - on the turbo; three mechanics attending to the Scott.

As start time approaches he sits on the street furniture, exchanges a few words with Disco's Steve Cummings, then does a bit of that 'getting in the zone' stuff.

Steve gets his head together before the test...

...while Dave enjoys a joke with his minute-man.

Cummings is building a good rep at Disco: Alan Buttler was telling us that Contador regards him highly.

Paolini prepares - to get gubbed.

Millar rolls-out and is into the groove quickly, it's not to be though - Discovery's Stijn Devolder, who won De Panne two years ago but stilll looks about 14 years old, beats him by just eight seconds.

Ballan prepares - to win.

Paolini blows the test completely, Ballan produces the goods; original stage one break member Poosthuma (Holland & 'Robobank' - as Russell Williams would have it) does a job, as does big Roesems. That's the 1-2-3; and it's good to see the big Belgian on the podium. Ballan is peaking just right, has Tom got it right too?

We'll find out on Sunday in Flanders.

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