Omloop Het Volk podium history | 2005 edition | 2007 edition

Ghent-Lokeren, 202 km / 40.904 km/hr
186 starters / 95 classified finishers

Philippe Gilbert wins 2006 Omloop Het Volk

The race: It was a cold, windy morning when the riders began the Belgian racing season by starting the day's race in Ghent. The attackers were soon hammering away and after about twenty kilometers there were about twelve riders off the front.

The pack chased hard, but by kilometer 80, the escapees were 2min 38sec ahead.

Tom Boonen and his Quick-Step team worked hard to bring back the break and their efforts were finally rewarded with fifty kilometers to go when all were caught.

With the climbs behind them, that re-groupment meant the riders would begin a fresh round of attacks, with thirteen riders eventually getting away. Jumping from the pack to get up to the break were Philippe Gilbert, Joost Posthuma, Leon van Bon, Roger Hammond, Steffen Wesemann and Thor Hushovd. Meanwhile, up front, the break was splintering.

Gilbert jumped from the chasers and bridged up to the break. He worked with the break for a while. Then, after a couple of attacks, he went off the front, alone.

He had seven kilometers to go and never looked back. Gilbert was on fire and soloed in, 38 seconds ahead of second-place Bert de Waele.

Gilbert's career was just getting started. He would go on to become World Champion and win the Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold (4 times!), Tour of Lombardy and a host of other important races.

Complete results:

1	Philippe Gilbert	FDJ	4hr 56min 18sec
2	Bert De Waele	Landbouwkrediet-Colnago	@ 38sec
3	Leon Van Bon	Davimaton-Lotto	0.54
4	Koen Barbe	Chocolade Jacques-Top Sport Vlaanderen	s.t.
5	Filippo Pozzato	Quick Step-Innergetic	s.t.
6	Gert Steegmans	Davimaton-Lotto	1.45
7	Joost Posthuma	Rabobank	s.t.
8	Franck Renier	Bouygues Télécom	s.t.
9	Wim De Vocht	Davimaton-Lotto	s.t.
10	Michele Maccanti	Team LPR	s.t.
11	Steffen Wesemann	T-Mobile	s.t.
12	Thor Hushovd	Crédit Agricole	2.01
13	Tom Boonen	Quick Step-Innergetic	s.t.
14	Staf Scheirlinckx	Cofidis	s.t.
15	Marc De Maar	Rabobank	s.t.
16	Roger Hammond	Discovery Channel	s.t.
17	Marco Serpellini	Unibet.com	s.t.
18	Andy Flickinger	Bouygues Télécom	s.t.
19	Mark Scanlon	Ag2r-Prévoyance	s.t.
20	Gorik Gardeyn	Unibet.com	4.37
21	Kurt Hovelynck	Chocolade Jacques-Top Sport Vlaanderen	s.t.
22	Mathew Hayman	Rabobank	s.t.
23	Guennadi Mikhailov	Discovery Channel	s.t.
24	Filip Meirhaeghe	Landbouwkrediet-Colnago	5.17
25	Maarten Tjallingii	Skil-Shimano	s.t.
26	Ralf Grabsch	Team Milram	s.t.
27	Matti Breschel	Team CSC	7.4
28	Steffen Radochla	Wiesenhof-Akud	s.t.
29	Sébastien Hinault	Crédit Agricole	s.t.
30	Marcus Burghardt	T-Mobile	s.t.
31	Lars Michaelsen	Team CSC	s.t.
32	Maarten den Bakker	Team Milram	s.t.
33	Aart Vierhouten	Skil-Shimano	s.t.
34	James Vanlandschoot	Landbouwkrediet-Colnago	s.t.
35	Frédéric Guesdon	FDJ	s.t.
36	Jimmy Engoulvent	Crédit Agricole	s.t.
37	Robby Meul	Jartazi-7 Mobile	s.t.
38	Marcus Ljungqvist	Team CSC	s.t.
39	Nicola Loda	Liquigas-Bianchi	s.t.
40	Xavier Florencio	Bouygues Télécom	s.t.
41	Pedro Horrillo	Rabobank	s.t.
42	Cedric Coutouly	Agritubel	s.t.
43	Laszlo Bodrogi	Crédit Agricole	s.t.
44	Ronny Poelvoorde	Flanders	s.t.
45	Bert Scheirlinckx	Jartazi-7 Mobile	s.t.
46	Olivier Bonnaire	Bouygues Télécom	s.t.
47	Wilfried Cretskens	Quick Step-Innergetic	s.t.
48	Grégory Rast	Phonak	s.t.
49	Serguei Ivanov	T-Mobile	s.t.
50	Arnaud Gerard	FDJ	s.t.
51	Benoît Joachim	Discovery Channel	s.t.
52	Didier Rous	Bouygues Télécom	s.t.
53	Walter Beneteau	Bouygues Télécom	s.t.
54	Ludovic Auger	FDJ	s.t.
55	Marco Milesi	Liquigas-Bianchi	s.t.
56	Johan Coenen	Unibet.com	s.t.
57	Niko Eeckhout	Chocolade Jacques-Top Sport Vlaanderen	s.t.
58	Marco Zanotti	Unibet.com	s.t.
59	Marc Wauters	Rabobank	s.t.
60	Baden Cooke	Unibet.com	s.t.
61	Maarten Wijnants	Chocolade Jacques-Top Sport Vlaanderen	s.t.
62	Michael Albasini	Liquigas-Bianchi	s.t.
63	Robbie McEwen	Davimaton-Lotto	s.t.
64	Nico Mattan	Davimaton-Lotto	s.t.
65	Glenn d'Hollander	Chocolade Jacques-Top Sport Vlaanderen	s.t.
66	Leif Hoste	Discovery Channel	s.t.
67	Andreas Klier	T-Mobile	s.t.
68	Christophe Mengin	FDJ	s.t.
69	Mirko Celestino	Team Milram	s.t.
70	Aivaras Baranauskas	Agritubel	s.t.
71	Jimmy Casper	Cofidis	s.t.
72	Anthony Geslin	Bouygues Télécom	s.t.
73	Sébastien Minard	Cofidis	s.t.
74	Frederik Willems	Chocolade Jacques-Top Sport Vlaanderen	s.t.
75	Arnaud Coyot	Cofidis	s.t.
76	Cyrille Monnerais	FDJ	s.t.
77	Yannick Talabardon	Crédit Agricole	s.t.
78	Frederik Veuchelen	Chocolade Jacques-Top Sport Vlaanderen	s.t.
79	Paul Martens	Skil-Shimano	s.t.
80	Tom Steels	Davimaton-Lotto	s.t.
81	Lorenzo Bernucci	T-Mobile	s.t.
82	Geert Omloop	Unibet.com	s.t.
83	Thierry Marichal	Cofidis	s.t.
84	Mikhaylo Khalilov	Team LPR	s.t.
85	Stijn Devolder	Discovery Channel	s.t.
86	Jeremy Hunt	Unibet.com	s.t.
87	Uros Murn	Phonak	s.t.
88	Kevin Hulsmans	Quick Step-Innergetic	s.t.
89	Kevin Van Impe	Quick Step-Innergetic	s.t.
90	Nick Nuyens	Quick Step-Innergetic	s.t.
91	Peter Van Petegem	Davimaton-Lotto	s.t.
92	Francis Mourey	FDJ	s.t.