17th Grand-Prix Ostfenster - 28.03.2004 in Berbourg

Summary of the race

km 0 M. Frank, mayor of the municipality of Manternach, sends 101 riders on the course for 120 km.

km 5 After a fast start and attacks already in the very first kilometers, a group of 3 riders launches the more serious things. They are Andy Schleck, Marcus Zingen and Daniel Bintz, from 3 different teams (Roubaix, Sarreguemines and Tétange).

km 7 20 seconds advance for the break.

km 12 25 seconds of gap. The peleton does not rest and chases hard behind the 3.

km 15 33 seconds. A lot of attacks in the bunch which is divided into several pieces.

km 18 10 riders are in pursuit of the 3 leaders.

km 20 Only 9 seconds of advance now for Schleck, Bintz and Zingen on the chasers which are reduced to 9. They are Pascal Triebel, Claude Degano, Tino Fernandez, Laurent Didier, Stefan Heiny, Christoph Kindle, Jean-Pierre Serafini, Frederik Johanson and Ben Wurth.

km 21 Regroupment in front of the race. The main field is 28 seconds behind and chases.

km 23 The peloton, in a long line, is only a few meters behind the 12 riders now, but it doesn't manage to close the gap completely.

km 27 The gap is getting bigger again: 20 seconds.

km 32 44 seconds. Among the leading men, there are 4 riders of Differdange (Triebel, Fernandez, Serafini and Johanson), 2 of Tétange (Bintz, Degano) and of the Team Rothaus (Heiny, Kindle) and 1 respectively of Dippach (Didier), Kayl (Wurth), Sarreguemines (Zingen) and Roubaix (Schleck)

km 36 53" the gap to the main fiel.

km 42 1'30 advance for the 12 leading riders where we have 5 espoirs (Schleck, Wurth, Didier, Heiny and Kintzle).

km 46 Gap over 2 minutes now.

km 60 6 riders are now in pursuit of the leading group: Schaack, Junker, Diseviscourt, Hofmann, Pichler, Fries. Still over 2 minutes behind.

km 62 1'50" is the gap between the 12 and the 6. At 2'20 there is another group of 5 (Brochard, Centrone, Gut, Lundgaard, Lebeau). The peloton is 3 minutes behind the leaders.

km 66 Regroupment of the 2 chasing groups. So the situation is the following: 12 riders in the lead, 2 minutes behind a group of 11 units, and the main bunch at 2'50"

km 80 The advance of the leading break is still 1'55". Fredrik Johanson, who has won the first two races of the season in Luxemburg, is more than ever the man to watch for the victory.

km 88 Attack of Daniel Bintz in the break. The peloton is now 5'50" behind him

km 90 Johanson also attacks and quickly moves up to Bintz. In the uphill part in Berbourg, the 2 riders have 30 meters advance on the next ones.

km 92 8" advance on a group of 7 chasers.

km 97 Claude Degano is now alone in the chase of Bintz and Johanson. He is 16 seconds behind them. At 26" we have Triebel, Fernandez, Didier, Schleck, Heiny and Wurth.

km 101 Daniel Bintz is dropped by Johanson on a climb, he and Degano are caught by the chasers.

km 103 Fredrik Johanson still alone in the lead with 40 seconds advance on Triebel, Degano, Wurth, Heiny and Bintz. All the other riders are more than 3 minutes behind the leader.

km 111 In the côte de Berbourg, Triebel and Degano have a move behind Johanson. But he has still 50" of advance on this chasing duo.

km 120 Fredrik Johanson wins the 17th Grand-Prix Ostfenster on the road, 58 seconds in front of Claude Degano.

km 120 Stefan Heiny is the first espoir rider.