30 juni 2012
- 22 juli 2012
Tour de France
Koen will be competing in the Tour de France from June 30th to July
22nd as part of the Argos-Shimano team. It is the second time that
Koen will take part in the biggest race in the world.
The Tour de France began on Saturday June 30th with a 6.4 kilometre
prologue in Liege, Belgium. Koen came 72nd in the prologue which
was won by Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara with a time of 7'13".
Cancellara was 27 seconds faster than Koen. "Decent time, nothing
more and nothing less. Legs feel good though," Koen said
afterwards.
Photo: Koen on the starting ramp ahead of the prologue
(copyright Caroline Beghelli)
Koen got through the 198 kilometre stage from Liege to Seraing
through the Ardennes by coming in 47th place. The whole peloton was
still together when they hit the decisive Cote de Seraing. This
climb to the finish presented a perfect opportunity to get away.
After Frenchman Chavanel went first, yellow jersey holder Fabian
Cancellara broke away with Slovak Peter Sagan in his wheel. The two
were joined by Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen but Sagan was the
fastest in the sprint. The depleted peloton for 45 riders were too
late and the three stayed out of their grasp. Koen was part of the
peloton and crossed the line in 47th place. In the general
classification Koen moved up to 30th place.
"I survived the climb in the finale to the finish in
Seraing," Koen said afterwards. "But by staying in the
group with all the classification riders, I used up too much of my
energy to make a good sprint at the end. The teamwork that we
carried out on the approach to Seraing gives me great confidence
for tomorrow."
Foto: Koen after the finish of the stage (with thanks to Cor
Vos)
As Marcel Kittel was suffering from stomach and intestinal
problems during the second stage of the Tour from Visé to Tournai
over a distance of 207.5 kilometres, Argos-Shimano had to change
tactics. The team decided to play the card of Tom Veelers. Koen
brought Veelers to the front of the peloton and in the sprint,
Veelers took a highly respectable fourth place behind World
Champion Mark Cavendish. Koen crossed the line in 20th place.
The third stage took the peloton from Orchies to Boulogne-sur-Mer
over a distance of 197 kilometres and it was the stage that Koen
would finally be able to ride for himself, as the finish was not
one suited to pure sprinters. But it was precisely in this stage
that Koen suffered some misfortune. Koen was caught up in one of
the many crashes of the stage in the closing phase, and he injured
his hand. Koen ended up crossing the line in 111th place, 7'03"
down on Slovak Peter Sagan who took his second stage of the
race.
The third stage took the peloton from Orchies to
Boulogne-sur-Mer over a distance of 197 kilometres and it was the
stage that Koen would finally be able to ride for himself, as the
finish was not one suited to pure sprinters. But it was precisely
in this stage that Koen suffered some misfortune. Koen was caught
up in one of the many crashes of the stage in the closing phase,
and he injured his hand. Koen ended up crossing the line in 111th
place, 7'03" down on Slovak Peter Sagan who took his second stage
of the race. "Real crap, that fall" Koen said afterwards. "I was
feeling really good and now I've got a bruised hand. Not what I had
expected." Robert Gesink fell onto of Koen during the crash but
while Koen's wheel was broken, Gesink was able to remount and
continue quickly. Gesink was able to bridge back up to the peloton
while Koen's gap was too big as he had to wait to get a new
wheel.
You can view a report of the stage with footage of
the crash that Koen was in by clicking here (images from the second
crash)
On the fourth stage from Abbeville to Rouen which took the peloton
over a distance of 214.5 kilometres, Koen was able to work well for
sprinter Tom Veelers in the closing kilometres of the stage despite
his hand injury. Once again a big crash occurred but luckily enough
this was beside, or behind the Argos-Shimano train. It was German
Andre Greipel that took the stage ahead of Alessandro Petacchi and
Tom Veelers. "The morale (in the team) is good and we're going for
more!," Koen said afterwards. "Luckily enough we were not involved
in the crash due to us having a train that rode on the other side.
I didn't suffer too much from my hand injury luckily. We don't know
yet who we will ride for tomorrow. That depends on how Marcel
feels. You will be able to see in the finale of the stage."
A low point during the 196.5 kilometre fifth stage from Rouen to
Saint-Quentin for the Argos-Shimano team was the withdrawal from
the race of Marcel Kittel. Argos-Shimano's top sprinter was
suffering too much from a knee injury. It was clear that the team
would once again play the card of Tom Veelers. And again it worked
out excellent with a solid train to deliver Veelers which American
Tyler Farrar couldn't derail. He tried to push Veelers off Koen's
wheel with dire effect. Veelers sprinted to 6th place with Koen
crossing the line in 39th.
Photo: Kaitlin, Koen's girlfriend, supported Koen during the
time trial in the following car
