Jetse Bol wins 2011 Royal Smilde Olympia’s Tour- Cycling News
Rabobank-CT team's Jetse Bol showed his tremendous performance in first open road-stage and won the 2011 Royal Smilde Olympia’s Tour on May 17. The race started in Hoofddorp and ended at Noordwijk.
The Dutch cyclist took total of 3 hours, 22 minutes and 24 seconds to cover the distance of 150.8 kilometres.
After his Rabobank CT team-mates kept the race under control in the closing kilometers. The 21-year-old, Bol powered across the finish-line comfortably ahead of Ubbink-Koga Cycling team’s Wim Stroetinga.
Luke Rowe of Great Britain's national team was in third place with the same timing as of Jetse Bol. His team-mate, Wesley Kreder, Jonas Van Genechten and Wouter Wippert were in fourth, fifth and sixth places, respectively.
The Prologue winner, Luke Durbridge of the Jayco-AIS team lost his white jersey when he followed Michael Hepburn, who lost with a ten seconds difference and grabbed the 45th position due to split in field ahead of Durbridge.
Although the stage was characterised by lots of wind in the flat road, but a major crack never occurred in the field. The first break came from group of six riders including, Jetse Bol (Rabobank CT) Rikke Dijxshoorn and Dion Beukeboom (Ubbink - Koga Cycling Team) but all of them were reeled in the final 10 kilometre to go.
In the final sprint of the race, Jetse Bol maintained his speed and with the help of his sky team he crossed the finish line ahead of the others cyclists.
After winning the stage, Bol said, "I knew I was in very good shape, but I hardly feel my legs today. I even had enough confidence to speak here in the sprint to try. It is important to me the next day maximum bonus seconds to win and thus build margin for the time trial. Because that I expect the Australian luminaries of the prologue will be better yet again. "
Previously, Bol won the first stage of Tour of Brittany and also won the points classification. In 2010 he won the prologue Tour of Normandy.
Jetse Bol also took lead in overall classification with the timing of 3 hours, 28 minutes and 11 seconds. Christoph Pfingsten was in second place with 7 seconds behind Jetse. Luke Rowe finished third with 13 seconds adrift.
The next stage will start in Noordwijk and end in Olst. All the riders will cover the distance of 202.4 kilometres.
Tags: