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1997 Tour of Flanders - Ronde van Vlaanderen (World Cup)

81st edition: Sunday, April 6, 1997

Podium history of the Tour of Flanders | 1998 edition | 1996 edition

Tour of Flanders, the Inside Story

256 km. 189 starters, 94 classified finishers

Ascents: Den Ast, Kattenberg, Leberg, Molenberg, Kluisberg, Knokteberg, Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg, Kortekeer, Taaienberg, Steenberg, Berendries, Tenbosse, Muur van Geraardsbergen, Bosberg

The race: On the Bosberg, with 10 km to go there were ten riders (Johan Museeuw had crashed earlier and was out of contention) in the lead. Out of that group, in the final kilometer Franco Ballerini attacked and was caught. Then Rolf Sørensen made his move, perfectly timed. He had only seven seconds at the finish, but that was enough to give him the biggest win of his career.

Rolf Sorensen wins the 1997 Tour of Flanders

Complete results:

  1. Rolf Sørensen (Rabobank) 5hr 57min 1sec. 43.023 km/hr
  2. Cycling's 50 Craziest Stories
  3. Frédéric Moncassin (GAN) @ 7sec
  4. Franco Ballerini (Mapei-GB) @ 8sec
  5. Andrei Tchmil (Lotto-Mobistar) s.t.
  6. Davide Casarotto (Scrigno) @ 20sec
  7. Claudio Chiappucci (Asics) @ 21sec
  8. Michele Bartoli (MG-Technogym) @ 27sec
  9. Jo Planckaert (Lotto-Mobistar) s.t.
  10. Peter Van Petegem (TVM-Farm Frites) s.t.
  11. Viatcheslav Ekimov (US Postal) s.t.
  12. Max Schiandri (FDJ) s.t.
  13. Steffen Wesemann (Telekom) @ 2min 9sec
  14. Johan Museeuw (Mapei-GB) s.t.
  15. Leon Van Bon (Rabobank) s.t.
  16. Henk Vogels (GAN) s.t.
  17. Bruno Boscardin (Festina) @ 2min 12sec
  18. Johan Capiot (TVM-Farm Frites) @ 4min 30sec
  19. Rolf Aldag (Telekom) s.t.
  20. Fabrizio Guidi (Scrigno) s.t.
  21. Jurgen Werner (Refin) s.t.
  22. Cédric Vasseur (GAN) s.t.
  23. Carlo Bomans (Mapei-GB) s.t.
  24. George Hincapie (US Postal) s.t.
  25. Wilfried Peeters (Mapei-GB) s.t.
  26. Paolo Fornaciari (Saeco) s.t.
  27. Andrea Tafi (Mapei-GB) s.t.
  28. Dimitri Konischev (Roslotto) s.t.
  29. Marc Wauters (Lotto-Mobistar) s.t.
  30. Rolf Jaermann (Casino) s.t.
  31. Stuart O'Grady (GAN) s.t.
  32. Paolo Salvodelli (Roslotto) s.t.
  33. Maarten Den Bakker (TVM-Farm Frites) s.t.
  34. Christophe Mengin (FDJ) s.t.
  35. Tristan Hoffman (TVM-Farm Frites) s.t.
  36. Erik Dekker (Rabobank) s.t.
  37. Erik Zabel (Telekom) @ 5min 44sec
  38. Serguei Outchakov (Polti) s.t.
  39. Giuseppe Calcaterra (Saeco) s.t.
  40. Arvis Piziks (Rabobank) s.t.
  41. Carlo Marino Bianchi (Asics) s.t.
  42. Mario Scirea (Saeco) s.t.
  43. Frankie Andreu (Cofidis) s.t.
  44. Peter Farazijn (Lotto-Mobistar) s.t.
  45. Aart Vierhouten (Rabobank) s.t.
  46. Dario Nicoletti (MG-Technogym) s.t.
  47. Rossano Brasi (Polti) s.t.
  48. Jaime Hernandez (Festina) s.t.
  49. Melchior Mauri (ONCE) s.t.
  50. Maurizio Molinari (Asics) s.t.
  51. Andrea Brognara (Batik-Del Monte) s.t.
  52. François Simon (GAN) s.t.
  53. Lauri Aus (Casino) s.t.
  54. Servais Knaven (TVM-Farm Frites) s.t.
  55. Mario Aerts (Vlaanderen 2002) s.t.
  56. François Lemarchand (GAN) s.t.
  57. Robbie McEwen (Rabobank) s.t.
  58. Christophe Capelle (Cofidis) s.t.
  59. Hans De Clercq (Palmans-Lystex) s.t.
  60. Geert Verheyen (Vlaanderen2002) s.t.
  61. Maurizio Fondriest (Cofidis) s.t.
  62. Peter Meinert-Nielsen (US Postal) s.t.
  63. Dirk Baldinger (Polti) s.t.
  64. Frank Corvers (Telekom) s.t.
  65. Fabio Sacchi (Polti) s.t.
  66. Nicola Loda (MG-Technogym) s.t.
  67. Bruno Thibout (Cofidis) s.t.
  68. Frank Høj (Collstrop-Total) s.t.
  69. Axel Merckx (Polti) s.t.
  70. Eros Poli (GAN) s.t.
  71. Herminio Diaz-Zabala (ONCE) s.t.
  72. Bruno Cenghialta (Batik-Del Monte) s.t.
  73. Frédéric Guesdon (FDJ) s.t.
  74. Ludwig Willems (Lotto-Mobistar) s.t.
  75. Massimo Apollonio (Scrigno) s.t.
  76. Mario Chiesa (Asics) s.t.
  77. Marco Lietti (Refin) s.t.
  78. Alex Zülle (ONCE) s.t.
  79. Bert Dietz (Telekom) s.t.
  80. Alexander Gontchenkov (Roslotto) s.t.
  81. Laurent Jalabert (ONCE) s.t.
  82. Pavel Padrnos (Roslotto) s.t.
  83. Hendrik Van Dyck (TVM-Farm Frites) s.t.
  84. Brian Holm (Telekom) s.t.
  85. Kai Hundertmarck (Telekom) s.t.
  86. Laurent Desbiens (Cofidis) s.t.
  87. Tom Desmet (Collstrop-Total) @ 11min 43sec
  88. Sébastien Medan (Festina) s.t.
  89. Danny Daelman (Palmans-Lystex) s.t.
  90. Bart Leysen (Mapei-GB) s.t.
  91. Chris Peers (Lotto-Mobistar) s.t.
  92. Federico Colonna (Asics) s.t.
  93. Stéphane Barthe (Casino) s.t.
  94. Emmanuel Magnien (Festina) @ 14min 18sec
  95. Kurt Van Lancker (Vlaanderen 2002) s.t.