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The race:
The Nokere Koerse is a single-day professional road race run in Flanders, in northern Belgium. This early season race has attained the status of a semi-classic.
The Nokere Koerse is almost the property of Belgian and Dutch racers. As of 2014, Belgians and Dutchmen have won all but six editions. Belgian rider Hendrik van Dijk, a superb rider of the 1990s, currently (2015) holds the record for most wins of the race at three: 1996, 1997 and 2000.
When the race was created in 1944 it was called the Grand Prix Jules Lowie, after a great Belgian racer of the 1930s and 1940s. Lowie's greatest accomplishment was winning the 1938 Paris-Nice. I think it was in 1947 that it was renamed Nokere Koerse.
Bad weather caused the cancellation of the 2013 edition. Also, the race was not run in 1959, 1962 & 2020.
The Nokere Koerse is part of the UCI Europe Tour.
Complete Nokere Koerse podium history:
Year |
1st Place |
2nd Place |
3rd Place |
Distance |
Average Speed |
1944 | Marcel Kint | Theo Middelkamp | Gustaaf van Overloop | ||
1945 | Briek Schotte 3h 30min |
Michel Remue @ s.t. |
Désiré Keteleer @ s.t. |
125 km | 35.714 |
1946 | Emmanuel Thoma 3hr 35min |
André Pieters @ 1 length |
Briek Schotte @ s.t. |
120 km | 30.901 |
1947 | Albert Sercu 3hr 55min |
Michel Remue @ 30 meters |
Odiel Vander Meerschaut @ 4min |
150 km | 38.298 |
1948 | Roger Cnockaert 3hr 50min |
André Declerck @ 1 length |
Jérôme Renier @ s.t. |
131 km | 34.174 |
1949 | Ernest Stierckx 3hr 25min |
Maurice Desimplaere @ s.t. |
Michel Remue @ s.t. |
140 km | 40.974 |
1950 | Jules Depoorter 3hr 36min |
Roger Decock @ 15sec |
René Janssens @ 25sec |
150 km | 41.667 |
1951 | Gérard Buyl 3hr 35min |
Maurice Bloome @ s.t. |
Valèkre Ollivier @ s.t. |
150 km | 41.869 |
1952 | Win van Est 4hr 25min |
André Pieters @ 7min |
Rafael Jonckheere @ 7min 55sec |
166 km | 37.584 |
1953 | Basile Wambeke 4hr 17min |
Henri Jochums @ 1 wheel length |
Julien Pascal @ s.t. |
152 km | 35.486 |
1954 | Jan Zagers 5hr 7min |
Roger Decock @ 2 bike lengths |
Roger Desmet @ s.t. |
175 km | 34.202 |
1955 | Joseph Schils 4hr 26min |
Briek Schotte @ 10sec |
Henri Denijs @ s.t. |
175 km | 39.474 |
1956 | Marcel Rijckaert 4hr 20min |
Roger Declercq @ s.t. |
Lucien Mathys @ s.t. |
175 km | 40.385 |
1957 | André Auquier 5hr 6min |
Pino Cerami @ 45sec |
Francis Kemplaire @ s.t. |
185 km | 36.274 |
1958 | Arthur De Cabooter 4h 33min |
Gilbert Desmet @ s.t. |
Julien Schepens @ s.t. |
172 km | 37.802 |
1959 | Race not run | ||||
1960 | Gilbert Desmet 4hr 7min |
Lode Troonbeeckx @ s.t. |
Léopold Rosseel @ s.t. |
165 km | 40.081 |
1961 | Léon van Daele 3hr 30min |
Jozef Vloeberghs @ s.t. |
Gilbert Maes @ s.t. |
150 km | 42.857 |
1962 | Race not run | ||||
1963 | Frans de Mulder | Daniel Doom | Norbert Kerkhove | ||
1964 | Robert de Middeleir | Léon van Daele | André Noyelle | ||
1965 | Arthur de Cabooter 4hr 20min |
Joseph Mathy @ 1min 40sec |
Gustaaf de Smet @ 1min 55sec |
168 km | 38.768 |
1966 | Jaak de Boever 3hr 55min |
Oswald Declercq @ 35sec |
Reindert de Jongh @ s.t. |
150 km | 38.296 |
1967 | Walter Godefroot 3hr 49min |
Jacques de Boever @ 15sec |
Roger Blockx @ 20sec |
150 km | 39.301 |
1968 | Frans Brands 3hr 45min |
Roger Cooreman @ 4 bike lengths |
Michel Jacquemin @ 30sec |
150 km | 40.00 |
1969 | Roger Rosiers 5hr 15min |
Frans Mintjens @ 45sec |
Michel Jacquemin @ s.t. |
213 km | 40.571 |
1970 | André Dierickx 4hr 6min |
Patrick Sercu @ 2min |
Bernard Vanderkerkhove @ s.t. |
150 km | 36.584 |
1971 | Herman van Springel | Eric Leman | Maurice Eyers | ||
1972 | Antoon Houbrechts | Ronny van Marcke | Willy Planckaert | ||
1973 | Noël Vantyghem | Claude Magni | Gerard Vianen | ||
1974 | Freddy Maertens | Pierino Gavazzi | Ronny de Witte | ||
1975 | Marc Demeyer 3hr 40min |
Willy Teirlinck @ 50sec |
Jan Raas @ s.t. |
150 km | 40.91 |
1976 | Luc Leman | Luc de Brauwere | Geert Malfait | ||
1977 | Frans van Looy | Gerrie Knetemann | Roberto Ceruti | ||
1978 | Gustaaf van Roosbroeck | Jan Aling | Jozef Jacobs | ||
1979 | Hendrick Devos | William Tackaert | Antoon Houbrechts | ||
1980 | Jos Van de Poel | Johan Van der Velde | Paul Jesson | ||
1981 | Gerrie Knetemann | Herman van Springel | Claude Criquielion | ||
1982 | William Tackaert | Ludo de Keulenaer | Rudy Matthijs | ||
1983 | Walter Schoonjans 3hr 33min |
Patrick Cocquyt @ 45sec |
Gerard Veldscholten @ s.t. |
147 km | 41.41 |
1984 | Jan Bogaert 3hr 23min |
Patrick Versluys @ s.t. |
Erik Stevens @ s.t. |
147 km | 43.49 |
1985 | Didier Foubert | Patrick Versluys | Jan Bogaert | ||
1986 | Luc Colijn 3hr 42min |
Jan van Camp @ 10sec |
Ronny van Holden @ 35sec |
154km | 41.62 |
1987 | Etienne de Wilde | Franky van Oyen | Ludo Giesberts | ||
1988 | Patrick Versluys 4hr 42min |
Yves Godimus @ 25sec |
Danny Janssens @ s.t. |
180 km | 38.30 |
1989 | Rik van Slijcke 4hr 6min |
Andrzej Mierzejewski @ s.t. |
Peter Spaenhoven @ s.t. |
165 km | 40.34 |
1990 | Herman Frison | Roger Van den Bossche | Filip van Vooren | ||
1991 | Koen van Rooy | Johan Capiot | Martien Kokkelkoren | ||
1992 | Johan Capiot | Peter de Clercq | Benjamin van Itterbeeck | ||
1993 | Michel Cornelisse 3hr 40min |
Jan Bogaert @ s.t. |
Mario de Clercq @ s.t. |
156 km | 43.54 |
1994 | Peter de Clercq |
Michel Cornelisse @ 14sec |
Chris Peers @ s.t. |
156 km | 42.74 |
1995 | Jo Planckaert | Michel Vermote @ s.t. |
Geert van Bondt @ s.t. |
153.6 km | |
1996 | Hendrik van Dijk 3hr 58min |
Jelle Nijdam @ 3sec |
Michel Cornelisse @ 9sec |
154 km | 38.82 |
1997 | Hendrik van Dijk 4hr 40min |
Win Feys @ 20sec |
Bart Voskamp @ s.t. |
160 km | 39.34 |
1998 | Scott Sunderland 3hr 38min |
Leon van Bon @ s.t. |
Chris Peers @ s.t. |
154 km | 42.39 |
1999 | Jeroen Blijevens 4hr 37min |
Michel van Haecke @ s.t. |
Wilfried Cretskens @ s.t. |
192 km | 41.59 |
2000 | Hendrik van Dijck 4hr 44min |
Nico Mattan @ s.t. |
Jans Koerts @ 5sec |
193.7 km | 40.92 |
2001 | Michel van Haecke 4hr 39min |
Bart Voskamp @ 4sec |
Niko Eeckhout @ s.t. |
193.4 | 41.59 |
2002 | Aurélien Clerc 4hr 27min |
Jans Koerts @ 3sec |
Steven de Jongh @ 5sec |
193.4 km | 43.46 |
2003 | Matthé Pronk 4hr 24min |
Magnus Bäckstedt @ s.t. |
Hendrik van Dijck @ s.t. |
193 km | 43.86 |
2004 | Max van Heeswijk 4hr 25min |
Rudi Kemna @ s.t. |
Jo Planckaert @ s.t. |
193 km | 43.70 |
2005 | Steven de Jongh 4hr 29min |
Igor Abakoumov @ s.t. |
Geert Omloop @ s.t. |
193.2 km | 43.09 |
2006 | Bert Roesems 4hr 32min |
Wouter Weylandt @ 27sec |
Jeremy Hunt @ s.t. |
193.2 km | 42.62 |
2007 | Leon van Bon 4hr 50min 50sec |
Aart Vierhouten @ 18sec |
Geert Steurs @ 35sec |
197.5 km | 40.755 |
2008 | Wouter Weylandt 4hr 48min 31sec |
Jürgen Roelandts @ s.t. |
André Greipel @ s.t. |
196.9 km | 40.946 |
2009 | Graeme Brown 4hr 22min |
Ben Swift @ s.t. |
Sébastien Chavanel @ s.t. |
192.9 km | 44.176 |
2010 | Jens Keukeleire 4hr 35min 0sec |
Kris Boeckmans @ s.t. |
Bobbie Traksel @ s.t. |
192.9 km | 42.087 |
2011 | Gert Steegmans 4hr 42min 16sec |
Stefan can Dijk @ s.t. |
Graeme Brown @ s.t. |
195.9 km | 41.641 |
2012 | Francesco Chicchi 4hr 19min 42sec |
Kris Boeckmans @ s.t. |
Boy van Poppel @ s.t. |
195.9 km | 45.259 |
2013 | Race cancelled because of bad weather | ||||
2014 | Kenny de Haes 4hr 21min 39sec |
Tom van Asbroeck @ s.t. |
Nacer Bouhanni @ s.t. |
199.3 km | 45.702 |
2015 | Kris Boeckmans 4hr 26min 50sec |
Justin Jules @ s.t. |
Scott Thwaites @ s.t. |
197.7 km | 44.454 |
2016 | Timothy Dupont 4hr 34min 39sec |
Kristoffer Halvorsen @ s.t. |
Dylan Groenewegen @ s.t. |
199.5 km | 43.582 km/hr |
2017 | Nacer Bouhanni 4hr 7min 31sec |
Adam Blythe @ s.t. |
Joeri Stallaert @ s.t. |
192.3 km | 46.615 km/hr |
2018 | Fabio Jakobsen 4hr 32min 56sec |
Amaury Capiot @ s.t. |
Hugo Hofstetter @ s.t. |
191.1 km | 42.010 km/hr |
2019 | Cees Bol 4hr 32min 37sec |
Pascal Ackermann @ s.t. |
Jasper Philipsen @ s.t. |
195.6 km | 43.050 km/hr |
2020 | Race cancelled because of coronavirus | ||||
2021 | Ludovic Robeet 4hr 33min 37sec |
Damien Gaudin @ 3sec |
Luca Mozzato @ 5sec |
195 km | 42.761 km/hr |
2022 | Tim Merlier 4hr 20min 4sec |
Max Walscheid @ s.t. |
Arnaud De Lie @ s.t. |
189.8 km | 43.789 km/hr |
2023 | Tim Merlier 4hr 19min 14sec |
Edward Theuns @ s.t. |
Milan Menten @ 3sec |
193.6 km | 44.809 km/hr |
2024 | Tim Merlier 4hr 21min 59sec |
Fabio Jakobsen @ s.t. |
Jasper Philipsen @ s.t. |
188.1 km | 43.079 km/hr |