17 maart 2012
Milan - San Remo 2012
On Saturday March 17th, Koen finished the first monument classic
of the season, Milan-San Remo, as best Dutchman. Koen crossed the
line of the 298 kilometre race in 19th place. Koen was part of a
big group of riders that were the first to tackle the Poggio climb
in the finale. Three riders broke away from this group, Australian
champion Simon Gerrans (GreenEdge), Swiss champion Fabian
Cancellara (RadioShack) and Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas). On
slope of the Poggio, the three got away and overtook Johnny
Hoogerland, building a very narrow lead that they managed to hold
to the finish. Gerrans won ahead of Cancellara and Nibali. Three
seconds later, Nibali's Slovakian teammate, Peter Sagan won the
sprint for 4th place ahead of Koen's German teammate John
Degenkolb.
Koen and teammate Simon Geschke had stayed with Degenkolb to
protect him from the wind and ensure he was well placed in the
bunch. Due to that working out well, both Koen and Geschke were in
the leading group in the finale.
Geschke crossed the line in 13th place, at 12 seconds from the
winner while Koen sprinted to 19th place a little later at 20
seconds in a group of about 25 riders. Before the finale of the
race had begun, Koen's Chinese teammate Ji Cheng had been part of
the day's long breakaway. Cheng kept this up for a good 200
kilometres of the race.