Steve Chainel Wins Grand Prix de la Comune de Contern – Updated: Photo Gallery

Chainel takes the victory. © Bart Hazen

by Bart Hazen

Frenchman Steve Chainel (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) won the Grand Prix de la Commune de Contern, in Contern, Luxembourg. Chainel, who chose the race in Contern over the World Cup in Plzen, dominated almost the whole race. Belgians Jan Denuwelaere, Rob Peeters, Vinnie Braet and Vincent Baestaens made up the rest of the top five.

Vincent Baestaens and Tom Meeusen attacked from the gun, followed by Vinnie Braet, Joeri Adams, Jim Aernouts, Jan Denuwelaere and Steve Chainel. Rob Peeters crashed in the first part of the opening lap and fought back from behind. Just over halfway through the race the Belgian of Telenet-Fidea took charge at the front.Due to the constant accelerations the break was reduced to just four riders with Chainel, Baestaens, Braet and Denuwelaere left to fight to the finish. With 5 laps to go, Chainel launched his decisive attack and nobody was able to follow. Chainel didn’t have any trouble and took his first win of the early season. The battle for the second place between Denuwelaere, Braet, Baestaens and Peeters was exciting until the final lap. Finally it was Denuwelaere who took a surprising second place with Peeters completing the podium.

Denuwelaere said in his post-race comments “I didn’t expect this. I was already happy if I could finish in the top 10 and take a few UCI points. It was a difficult race due to the accelerations all the time. After the bad luck in Ruddervoorde and Ardooie this is giving me a moral boost and a good feeling for the next races.”

Rob Peeters was perhaps the best men in the race but had to deal with a crash in the first lap and chased back to finish third. “In the first descent after the start I crashed. I had to give all I had to return in the front of the race. When I succeeded in that my chain fell off. After all I am happy with this third place. I never suffered that hard as today,” concludes Peeters.

Earlier in the day the Czech Jakub Skarla won the juniors race over his compatriot Tomas Medek and Belgian Laurens Sweeck and Suzie Godart won the women’s race. Full results below the photos.

Photo Gallery

Full Results