km 0 32 competitors set off for 40 laps of the circuit in the town of Steinsel, where several thousand spectators are gathering along the road despite the rain, which is increasingly heavy.

km 2 Right from the start, an initial breakaway group forms, featuring the Luxembourgers Claude Entringer and Pascal Triebel, Erik Zabel and Christian Henn of Team Telekom, German Norbert Becker and cyclo-cross world champion Adrie Van der Poel.

km 10 Marc Vanacker and Udo Bölts manage to bridge up to the leading group. Their advantage is minimal.

km 12 Bjarne Riis launches a counterattack with his teammates Olaf Ludwig, Brian Holm and Erik Zabel.

km 15 General regroupement.

km 18 Another attack at the front of the race: Lucien de Louw, Jesper Skibby, Rolf Aldag and Brian Holm gain a small lead.

km 26 Michael Blaudzun makes a solo breakaway attempt.

km 31 The peloton comes back together.

km 42 Udo Bölts alone at the front of the race.

km 45 Pascal Triebel and Christian Henn pick up the pace and replace Bölts in the lead.

km 48 The race has been shortened by six laps due to poor weather conditions. There are only about ten kilometres left to go.

km 50 A royal breakaway group takes shape with Riis, Olano, Skibby, Ullrich, Breukink and Talen. They quickly build a thirty-second lead.

km 55 Bjarne Riis attacks. The yellow jersey holder gains a lead of around ten seconds over the chasers. Behind them, the peloton is resigned.

km 56 Abraham Olano attempts a counter-attack and closes in dangerously on the Dane.

Finish Bjarne Riis wins the criterium organised in his honour. Abraham Olano finishes second, just a mere three seconds behind.

Finish Jesper Skibby takes third place on the podium, beating Breuking, Ullrich and Talen in the sprint.

Arrivée Marc Vanaker wins the sprint of the peloton for 7th place, more than e minute behind Riis.