March 04, 2012 (Ichtegem, Belgium) – On Sunday took place the third and final stage of Driedaagse van West Vlaanderen (3 Days of West Flanders), in Belgium, and Julien Vermote of World Tour Team Omega Pharma-Quickstep won the top honors of the race.

The third stage, a 186.5-kilometre ride between Nieuwpoort and Ichtegem in Belgium, ended in similar fashion as yesterday, in a bunch sprint. Arnaud Démare of French team Française-Des-Jeux—Bigmat, was the fastest of the day, crossing the finish line ahead of Alexander Porsev of Team Katusha, and Kenny Van Humel of Team Vancansoleil-DCM.

Yesterday, Démare climbed on the second step of the podium. Despite these two podiums in two consecutive days, Friday’s prologue and the weather on Day 3 were the determining factors in the final outcome of this coveted race.

At Team SpiderTech, Keven Lacombe of Montréal, QC, was the top finisher, in 17th place – the only SpiderTech rider to complete the race.

Kevin Field, directeur sportif for Team SpiderTech: “We had a good plan to approach all stages, and it went well until the cobbles on the Steenstraat after 132km of racing. Then everything went pear-shaped- FAST. If it were not for the rain, this cobble section may not have been a big deal. But with the mud covering the wet cobbles: carnage is the only word that can describe what happened on this 2-kilometre section of road. And we were the victims of this carnage.”

“When the dust settled we had one rider in front – Lacombe,” added Field. “On the one hand we are steeped in disappointment. On the other, what can you say? It was a beautiful day, a classic Belgian day, filled with the drama that makes cycling an amazing sport… but there was no good luck or favours for team SpiderTech today. It happens, we pick ourselves up, lick our wounds and move on.”

Very early in the race, a group of cyclists attacked the peloton, which did not respond. The group quickly formed of seven cyclists. With 42 kilometers to go, a counter-attack of ten riders joined the leading group, which now consisted of 17 cyclists.

This leading group remained intact until the remaining 20 kilometers of the race, when the peloton decided to regain control of the race.

There were several crashes in the pack during this last stage, six in total, which were caused by rain that fell earlier in the race that made the road slippery. Team SpiderTech was not spared by those crashes. Zach Bell was involved in a crash, and did not finish the race.

More team SpiderTech riders were forced to abandon the race. Ryan Roth stopped for medical reasons, while Ryan Anderson and Guillaume Boivin punctured in key moments of the race. Simon Lambert-Lemay stopped to service his teammate Guillaume Boivin, and was also forced to stop.

No SpiderTech riders were severely injured during the race.

SpiderTech team will participate in two races next weekend. Friday, the team will be on the starting line of the Ronde van Drenthe while Saturday, it will take part in the Albert Achterhes Ronde van Drenthe, two races in the Netherlands, part of the UCI Europe Tour circuit.

Results

1. Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDF-Big Mat  4:35:48
2. Alexander Porsev (Rus) Katusha Team
3. Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
4. Niko Eeckhout (Bel) An Post-Sean Kelly
5. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan
6. Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
7. Ben Swift (GBr) Sky Procycling
8. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
9. Egoitz Garcia Echeguibel (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
10. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDF-Big Mat
11. Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha Team
12. Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Katusha Team
13. Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
14. Saïd Haddou (Fra) Team Europcar
15. Michel Kreder (Ned) Garmin-Barracuda
16. Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post-Sean Kelly
17. Zachary Bell (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
18. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDF-Big Mat
19. Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
20. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
21. Julien Vermote (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
22. Nikolay Trusov (Rus) RusVelo
23. Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin-Barracuda
24. Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Sky Procycling
25. Jerome Cousin (Fra) Team Europcar
26. Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
27. Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Rabobank Continental Team
28. Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Por) Caja Rural
29. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha Team
30. Yoeri Havik (Ned) Cyclingteam De Rijke
31. Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
32. Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony
33. Arthur Vanoverberghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
34. Luke Rowe (GBr) Sky Procycling
35. Marcello Pavarin (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
36. Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
37. Jesse Sergent (NZl) RadioShack-Nissan
38. Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Katusha Team
39. Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Sky Procycling
40. David Boucher (Fra) FDF-Big Mat
41. Evert Verbist (Bel) Accent Jobs-Willems Veranda’s
42. Frederique Robert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
43. Rob Goris (Bel) Accent Jobs-Willems Veranda’s
44. Mark McNally (GBr) An Post-Sean Kelly
45. Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Team Europcar
46. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Barracuda
47. Ben Gastauer (Lux) Ag2R La Mondiale
48. Sander Cordeel (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
49. Florian Vachon (Fra) Bretagne-Schuller
50. Troels Ronning Vinther (Den) Team Saxo Bank
51. Bobbie Traksel (Ned) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony
52. Michael Olsson (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se
53. Kevin Lacombe (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
54. Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
55. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan
56. Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDF-Big Mat
57. Renaud Dion (Fra) Bretagne-Schuller  0:31
58. Johan Le Bon (Fra) Bretagne-Schuller
59. Ryan Roth (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
60. Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Accent Jobs-Willems Veranda’s
61. Johan Landstrom (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se
62. Dirk Bellemakers (Ned) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony
63. Koen Barbe (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony
64. Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling
65. Barry Markus (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
66. Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank  0:41
67. Matthew Busche (USA) RadioShack-Nissan  0:55
68. Ruben Zepuntke (Ger) Rabobank Continental Team
69. Sven Vandousselaere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
70. Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin-Barracuda  1:28
71. Niels Wytinck (Bel) An Post-Sean Kelly  1:37
72. Ivar Slik (Ned) Rabobank Continental Team
73. Jasper Bovenhuis (Ned) Rabobank Continental Team
74. Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Rabobank Continental Team
75. Robert Pölder (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se
76. Jean-Luc Delpech (Fra) Bretagne-Schuller  1:41
77. Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
78. Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
79. Julien Fouchard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne  1:44
80. Adrien Petit (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne  1:55
81. Julien Berard (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale  2:37
82. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep  3:12
83. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) RadioShack-Nissan
84. Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
85. Franck Bouyer (Fra) Team Europcar
86. Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
87. Andrew Fenn (GBr) Omega Pharma-Quickstep  3:31
88. Edwin Wilson (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se  3:51
89. Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony  5:06
90. Mats Boeve (Ned) Cyclingteam De Rijke  5:12
91. Marc De Maar (AHo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team  6:43
92. Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Spa) Team Saxo Bank
93. Boris Shpilevsky (Rus) Ag2R La Mondiale
94. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank
95. Ran Margaliot (Isr) Team Saxo Bank
96. Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Team Saxo Bank
97. Sebastien Rosseler (Bel) Garmin-Barracuda
98. Gregor Gazvoda (Slo) Ag2R La Mondiale
99. Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
100. Brian Bulgac (Ned) Lotto Belisol Team
101. Igor Romero Etxebarria (Spa) Caja Rural
102. Javier F Aramendia Lorente (Spa) Caja Rural
103. Nikita Eskov (Rus) RusVelo
104. Jenning Huizenga (Ned) Rabobank Continental Team
105. Wesley Kreder (Ned) Rabobank Continental Team
106. Robert Thomas Wagner (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan  6:52

Final GC

1. Julien Vermote (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep  8:58:15
2. Jesse Sergent (NZl) RadioShack-Nissan  6
3. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha Team  9
4. Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin-Barracuda  0:10
5. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Barracuda  0:11
6. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDF-Big Mat  0:14
7. Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
8. Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post-Sean Kelly  0:17
9. Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDF-Big Mat
10. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
11. Nikolay Trusov (Rus) RusVelo  0:18
12. Jerome Cousin (Fra) Team Europcar
13. Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator  0:19
14. Luke Rowe (GBr) Sky Procycling  0:20
15. Sander Cordeel (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team  0:25
16. David Boucher (Fra) FDF-Big Mat  0:27
17. Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Katusha Team
18. Yoeri Havik (Ned) Cyclingteam De Rijke
19. Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha Team
20. Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Team Europcar  0:28
21. Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team  0:33
22. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
23. Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Sky Procycling  0:35
24. Niko Eeckhout (Bel) An Post-Sean Kelly  0:36
25. Ben Swift (GBr) Sky Procycling
26. Alexander Porsev (Rus) Katusha Team  0:38
27. Troels Ronning Vinther (Den) Team Saxo Bank  0:39
28. Saïd Haddou (Fra) Team Europcar  0:40
29. Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Por) Caja Rural  0:42
30. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan  0:44
31. Florian Vachon (Fra) Bretagne-Schuller  0:45
32. Michel Kreder (Ned) Garmin-Barracuda  0:47
33. Michael Olsson (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se  0:48
34. Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Rabobank Continental Team  0:50
35. Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDF-Big Mat  0:51
36. Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony  0:54
37. Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator  0:55
38. Marcello Pavarin (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team  0:56
39. Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Sky Procycling  0:58
40. Dirk Bellemakers (Ned) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony
41. Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Team Saxo Bank  0:59
42. Kevin Lacombe (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10  1:00
43. Zachary Bell (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
44. Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling
45. Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
46. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDF-Big Mat  1:01
47. Johan Le Bon (Fra) Bretagne-Schuller  1:03
48. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan  1:04
49. Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Accent Jobs-Willems Veranda’s  1:06
50. Ryan Roth (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10  1:11
51. Ben Gastauer (Lux) Ag2R La Mondiale  1:13
52. Arthur Vanoverberghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
53. Bobbie Traksel (Ned) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony
54. Rob Goris (Bel) Accent Jobs-Willems Veranda’s  1:15
55. Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
56. Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team  1:18
57. Evert Verbist (Bel) Accent Jobs-Willems Veranda’s  1:20
58. Barry Markus (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team  1:26
59. Mark McNally (GBr) An Post-Sean Kelly  1:28
60. Renaud Dion (Fra) Bretagne-Schuller  1:32
61. Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Katusha Team  1:35
62. Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank  1:47
63. Johan Landstrom (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se  1:51
64. Koen Barbe (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony  1:57
65. Ruben Zepuntke (Ger) Rabobank Continental Team  2:03
66. Sven Vandousselaere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
67. Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin-Barracuda  2:05
68. Ivar Slik (Ned) Rabobank Continental Team  2:07
69. Matthew Busche (USA) RadioShack-Nissan
70. Jasper Bovenhuis (Ned) Rabobank Continental Team  2:13
71. Adrien Petit (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne  2:19
72. Julien Fouchard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne  2:24
73. Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Rabobank Continental Team  2:27
74. Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team  2:38
75. Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team  2:53
76. Niels Wytinck (Bel) An Post-Sean Kelly  2:58
77. Jean-Luc Delpech (Fra) Bretagne-Schuller  3:06
78. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep  3:16
79. Julien Berard (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale  3:24
80. Egoitz Garcia Echeguibel (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne  3:32
81. Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator  3:42
82. Andrew Fenn (GBr) Omega Pharma-Quickstep  3:56
83. Frederique Robert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team  4:02
84. Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator  4:10
85. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) RadioShack-Nissan  4:16
86. Franck Bouyer (Fra) Team Europcar  4:36
87. Edwin Wilson (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se  4:54
88. Robert Pölder (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se  5:24
89. Mats Boeve (Ned) Cyclingteam De Rijke  6:50
90. Robert Thomas Wagner (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan  6:55
91. Brian Bulgac (Ned) Lotto Belisol Team  7:23
92. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank
93. Marc De Maar (AHo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
94. Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne  7:35
95. Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony  7:37
96. Jenning Huizenga (Ned) Rabobank Continental Team  7:38
97. Javier F Aramendia Lorente (Spa) Caja Rural  7:44
98. Wesley Kreder (Ned) Rabobank Continental Team  7:47
99. Gregor Gazvoda (Slo) Ag2R La Mondiale  7:51
100. Nikita Eskov (Rus) RusVelo  7:57
101. Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Team Saxo Bank  8:06
102. Sebastien Rosseler (Bel) Garmin-Barracuda  9:27
103. Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Spa) Team Saxo Bank  9:51
104. Igor Romero Etxebarria (Spa) Caja Rural  0:13:05
105. Bradley White (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team  0:13:24
106. Boris Shpilevsky (Rus) Ag2R La Mondiale  0:13:27
107. Ran Margaliot (Isr) Team Saxo Bank  0:13:56