CYCLING's report

Despite a last-lap crash, Adri van der Poel (Collstrop) was the surprise winner of Sunday's Kellogg's Grand Prix of Glasgow city centre race, reports Martin Ayres

ADRI Van der Poel sprinted into Glasgow's George Square finishing straight with plenty to spare from runners-up Marco Serpellini (Lampre) and Wiebren Veenstra (Collstrop) to win the pre-Kellogg's Grand Prix of Glasgow criterium after 40 kilometres of city centre action.

Only seconds earlier the race had looked like ending in a sprinters' benefit as around 50 of the original 85 starters launched into the final lap in a compact group.

Then, as they rounded the final right-hander, a wheel slipped, someone took avoiding action and eight men hit the deck. Malcolm Elliott (Chevrolet-LA Sheriff), Simeon Hempsall (Choice Accountancy), Steve Douce and Tim Hall (Raleigh), Andreas Kappes (Trident-Schick) and Mark McKay (Diamond Back) were among the victims. All walked away unhurt, but by then Van der Poel was already celebrating victory.

'I was leading out my team-mate Veenstra for the sprint,' said Van der Poel. 'Then there was the crash. A small gap opened behind me, and so I just went for the finish.'

It was a slightly anticlimactic end to an excellent race, watched by some 3,000 Glaswegians around the 800-metre four-sided circuit.

Early animators included local hope Brian Smith (Motorola) and Keith Reynolds (Lex-Townsend), who both managed to stay clear for three laps before being swallowed by the bunch.

Then, with 19 of the 50 laps covered, a five-man move went clear while the peloton took a breather. Three of the escapees were British-based; Gary Coltman (Raleigh), Dave Rayner (Lex Townsend) and Dutchman Patrick Eyk (Choice) with Belgians Geert van Bondt (Trident-Schick) and Peter De Clerq (Lotto) completing the break.

The next 20 minutes produced some quality racing as five highly motivated professionals committed everything to staying clear of a bunch that refused to allow them too much leeway.

Strongman of the break was De Clerq, early leader of the mountains competition in this year's Tour de France and a stage winner in the 1993 Kellogg's Tour. With prime wins over Coltman and then Eyk, De Clerq wrapped up the overall sprints competition as the quintet's lead grew to a maximum 22 seconds.

The tide turned at the 30-lap mark. Determined chasing by Van der Poel, Hendrik Redant (FS Maestro) and most of the Vlaanderen 2002 team saw the break's advantage reduced by about a second a lap. At 40 laps, a final surge from the bunch saw the leaders reeled in, with a battling De Clerq the last to succumb.

Now the sprinters started massing at the front, with Redant, Hempsall, Chris Walker (Lex-Townsend), Christian Henn (Telekom) all moving into contention.

With two laps to go Walker squeezed a few extra miles per hour and forced his way off the front. His slender lead was soon wiped out but Chris Lillywhite (Foremost-Karrimor) took his place only to be overwhelmed just before the bell sounded for the final lap.

In the end, the pile-up wrecked the ambitions of most of the front-runners as Van der Poel beat roadman-sprinter Serpellini to add yet another victory to his collection.

It was Van der Poel's third road race win in three weeks, and the man who finished second in the Kellogg's Tour in 1992 was clearly in top form for this year's race.

Consistent Mark Walsham (Choice) was best Briton in fifth place, while his fellow Commonwealth Games selection Chris Lillywhite finished seventh and Coltman took ninth place after being slowed by a patch of wet sand on the finishing straight.

Best amateur in this distinguished company was Glenn Holmes (Delta RT). 'It was a brilliant experience,' he said after finishing 13th. 'Until you race with them you can't realise just how good these guys are, and they're all really good bike handlers.'

The action was covered by Scottish TV for screening the next evening.

RESULTS

1, Adri Van der Poel (Belgium) Collstrop
2, M. Serpellini (Lampre);
3, W. Veenstra (Collstrop);
4, P. Van Roosbroeck (Trident-Schick);
5, M. Walsham (Choice);
6, C. Henn (Telekom);
7, C. Lillywhite (Foremost-Karrimor);
8, H. Redant (FS Maestro);
9, G. Coltman (Raleigh);
10, D. Lonergan (Lex-Townsend);
11, J. Boulton (Trident-Schick);
12, J. Clay (Orange);
13, G. Holmes (Delta RT);
14, B. Smith (Motorola);
15, J. Svorada (Lampre);
16, R. Ellingworth (Delta RT);
17, J. Kirsipuu (Chazal-MBK);
18, P. Roes (Vlaanderen 2002);
19, S. Russell (VC Astar);
20, H. Frison (Lotto) all st.