March 31, 2005 – Early season Belgian racing is characterized by tight roads, relentless winds, and driving rain – conditions that favour tough, combative riders and often reward more than a touch of local knowledge. That was certainly the case this year, with Discovery Channel’s Stijn Devolder notching the overall win in the 2005 Three Days of De Panne stage race under the guiding eye of assistant directeur sportif and onetime Paris-Roubaix champ Dirk Demol.

The race’s tone was set in the very hilly first stage, 202 km from Middelkerke to Zottegem, when Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Cafitta) attacked out of a nine-man breakaway in the final stages of the race and, with just over 20km to go, chose to wait for a bridging Devolder. Riding together to the finish, Ballan neatly outsprinted the Belgian for the stage win and early overall lead.

Bunch sprints in the second (Zottegem – Koksijde, 231 km) and third (De Panne – De Panne , 116 km) stages, won by Nico Eeckhout (Chocolade Jacques) and Tom Steels (Davitamon-Lotto) respectively, had no impact on the overall standings, and Ballan brought a slim four-second overall leading into the fourth and final stage.

But it was Devolder, not Ballan, who emerged from that last effort with the decisive advantage. Devolder capped off a strong showing by Discovery Channel in the final 13.7km time trial, finishing a strong fifth only 9 seconds off the pace set by teammate and stage winner Viatcheslav Ekimov (teammate Leif Hoste finished 6th, a further two seconds back) and capturing the overall win. Ballan fell to second in the overall, 16 seconds behind Devolder. Belgian Nico Mattan (Davitamon-Lotto), who finished a strong third in the final time trial, rounded out the overall podium.

Final G.C. – Three Days of De Panne
1. Stijn Devolder (Bel) Discovery Channel 13.15.16
2. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre – Caffita 0.16
3. Nico Mattan (Bel) Davitamon – Lotto 0.24
4. Luis Sanchez (Spa) Liberty Seguros 0.44
5. Roberto Petito (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.45
6. Servais Knaven (Ned) Quickstep 1.01
7. Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas – Bianchi 1.25
8. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 1.31
9. Roy Sentjens (Bel) Rabobank 1.34
10. Mirko Celestino (Ita) Domina Vacanze 2.04