The A&D Omloop van Vlaanderen is the fifth round of the Kroon-Oil Belgian Rally Championship Division 1 this weekend. The opening day consisted of 5 special stages, good for 44 km against the clock. A short opening evening, but the rain made the course particularly treacherous. It resulted in a few slides on the second stage.

Niels Reynvoet, the leader in the championship, was surprised on the second stage, Koolskamp. “I had a puncture on the first stage and that is why I had to drive the second stage in the rain with a slick. That caused us to slide off the track, into a field and the car ended up on the side. We lose 3’20” there, mainly because we could not get the engine going. But, we keep driving, because tomorrow is still a long day,” said a combative Niels Reynvoet, who started in Roeselare with his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. After the opening day, Reynvoet is in 15th place. 
There is no trace of direct title rival Maxime Potty in the standings. The Toyota driver went off the track on SS 2. “I pushed too hard on the brake pedal and the wheels locked. I couldn’t stop the car and we crashed into a pile of roof tiles. We’ll see you in the East Belgian Rally,” said Maxime Potty, who lost a joker.
Cédric Cherain, third in the championship standings, is provisionally the winner, although he is starting the Omloop van Vlaanderen for the first time since 2014. Cherain ends the opening day as leader with a 1″4 lead over Jos Verstappen. 
“We had explored the stages very well and had everything on paper very well. Also the pitfalls on the stage in Koolskamp. This leading position opens up perspectives, but I realise that Jos Verstappen is particularly fast on a dry track. In terms of the championship, I can also be satisfied with second place. It’s still a long day tomorrow,” said the Hyundai driver.

Jos Verstappen follows in the footsteps of Cédric Cherain. The Skoda driver thus has an ideal starting position for the 15 remaining stages on Saturday. “It was a very treacherous opening night, due to the changes in grip on the asphalt. It was very difficult in the rain,” said the former F1 driver.
Andy Lefevere also went off the track on the second stage. Vincent Verschueren is therefore the fastest Belgian after the opening night in third place. The difference remained limited to 15″6 tonight, but the Citroën driver is not under any illusions. “I am very satisfied with the first night, especially because these were my first stages in the rain with the C3. It will be dry tomorrow, but catching up 15″ compared to Verstappen or Cherain, that is not easy…,” Verschueren explained. 
Fourth place seemed to go to Bjorn Syx for the time being, but a mistake when clocking out of service cost him a 20″ penalty time, which pushed Nicola Stampaert up to 4th place. Unexpected, but confirmation of his progress. Bjorn Syx was very critical of himself. “There was really more in it, but I made a few mistakes.”
Nicola Stampaert is therefore in fifth place, ahead of Roger Hodenius, who had a puncture on the first test and then had another “moment” on the Zoning. Emile Breittmayer is 7th ahead of Thibaud Mazuin and Lander Depotter, the fastest in the RC3 category. Gunther Monnens fell back from 6th place to 11th place on the last test due to a defective light box, but he remains the clear leader in RGT. The fastest in the Junior category is Maxim Decock.
The 64th Tour of Flanders continues tomorrow morning from 8am with 15 special stages to be ridden, good for 142 km at speed.