This evening, 64 competitors took off in the 63rd A&D Omloop van Vlaanderen. The 10th race on the Kroon-Oil Belgian Rally Championship calendar opened with five special stages, the last two of which were in the dark. Reynvoet enters the night as leader, Verstappen follows at 3 seconds. Lefevere completes the top three at ten seconds.
The fastest time on the first test came in the name of Andy Lefevere. "KP Beveren was slippery and dirty. We tackled this one wisely," the garage owner let it be noted during the first service. Maxime Potty set the next two fastest times on the tables, taking the lead as he entered the service. Niels Reynvoet, who went off the track in the Aarova Oudenaarde rally on his way to victory, recorded top three times before service and thus rocketed over Lefevere to provisional second place. "The first test was difficult. The next two went well. In Oudenaarde our pace was also good, so there is no reason to doubt. I just have to stay faultless," Reynvoet noted.
With only 2 seconds difference between the top three, the tenors started the tests in the dark. The battle at the front was wildly exciting, but soon there was a first casualty. Maxime Potty, leader in the race, got surprised in a right-left combination. When docking, a curb was hit, damaging the left front wheel and breaking the shock absorber. The good news is that the championship leader can restart tomorrow.
Niels Reynvoet, who continued on his momentum from the first tests, closes the opening day of the 63rd A&D Omloop van Vlaanderen as leader. But, his lead is barely 3 seconds over Jos Verstappen, who upped the pace on the second lap. Andy Lefevere lost some time in the dark due to night blindness. He now follows on 13″4. Vincent Verschueren approaches to within 1″ of Andy Lefevere. "The first KP was difficult and I had problems finding the right braking point. The next KPs went better. We are building our rhythm."
Bjorn Syx follows 26″5 from leader Niels Reynvoet in fifth place. At six we find Roger Hodenius, who is at the start in Roeselare for the first time. Bernard ten Brinke, driving the A&D Omloop van Vlaanderen in preparation for the Hellendoorn Rally, takes seventh place. Handsome after three years of inactivity. Thibaud Mazuin, Nicola Stampaert and Pieter-Jan Maeyaert complete the top ten.
Pieter-Jan Maeyaert (BMW M3) is also the leader among the historics ahead of Paul Lietaer, who follows at just under 11 seconds. By the way, Lietaer, "Mister Omloop", is driving the Omloop van Vlaanderen with his Opel Manta 400, as the Opel Ascona is being prepared for the Tour de Corse Historique.
The battle is not yet over for both overall victory and victory in the historics. With 15 tests left on Saturday, it promises to be another exciting battle.
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