Valles wins for Liverpool at Zolder

The former Spyker Formula One test driver became the fifth different winner in as many races this season, scoring victory by 2.257 seconds and thus denying Anderlecht's Craig Dolby a popular home win for the Belgian club.

Valles won this race in the pitlane. He made his mandatory pitstop earlier than the other leading cars and pumped in a succession of fastest laps to take advantage of delays for Dolby and poleman Paul Meijer (Borussia Dortmund) as they made theirs.

The Spaniard showed supreme concentration to win a race punctuated by two safety car periods - the second turning the end of the race into a two-lap sprint to the flag.

He ran third at the start, mirrors occupied by Sevilla's Borja Garcia as series debutant Meijer ran wide at the first turn and allowed Dolby through to lead.

Meanwhile, AC Milan's Robert Doornbos put himself out of the race immediately - running into the turn one gravel trying to avoid the half-spinning Davide Rigon (Beijing Guaon) who would later retire in the pits.

The first safety car came after just four laps, when fourth placed Garcia ran wide at turn four, the Lucien Bianchi Bocht, and fired his car across the track and into the wall.

The race restarted five laps later and Valles pitted immediately - suffering problems with his first set of tyres.

He was 1.5 to 2secs per lap faster on his new set and thus able to leapfrog Dolby, who lost time with a slow right-rear tyre change at his stop, and Meijer - who pitted last of all the runners on lap 18 - lost five seconds trying to find first gear after his stop and fell to third.

A lap later the safety car came out again after Enrico Toccacelo threw away a safe fifth in the Kanaal Bocht gravel trap and Galatasaray's Alessandro Pier Guidi hit standing water and slid off.

Valles sprinted clear at the restart and romped home to a comfortable win from Dolby, who took his third consecutive second place finish and Meijer, who was delighted to make the podium in his first Superleague race.

Behind the podium finishers, Atletico Madrid's Andy Soucek (fastest of all in practice and qualifying) looked set for a safe fourth after avoiding trouble, but he lost out to FC Basel's Max Wissel on the restart and fell to fifth.

Ranger's Ryan Dalziel took a solid eighth spot after re-passing Antonio Pizzonia (Corinthians) on the last lap, while Tottenham's Duncan Tappy suffered a front-left puncture on the first lap and finished a lap down in 12th.

Pos Driver                  Team                       Gap
 1. Adrian Valles           Liverpool            45:51.628
 2. Craig Dolby             Anderlecht              +2.257
 3. Paul Meijer             Borussia Dortmund       +4.045
 4. Max Wissel              FC Basel                +5.928
 5. Andy Soucek             Atletico Madrid         +8.201
 6. Tristan Gommendy        FC Porto                +9.111
 7. Yelmer Buurman          PSV Eindhoven          +11.435
 8. Ryan Dalziel            Rangers                +11.601
 9. Tuka Rocha              Flamengo               +12.784
10. Antonio Pizzonia        Corinthians            +13.650
11. Bertrand Baguette       Al Ain                 +14.482
12. Duncan Tappy            Tottenham Hotspur       +1 Lap

Retirements

    Enrico Toccacelo        AS Roma                18 laps
    Alessandro Pier Guidi   Galatasaray            18 laps
    Kasper Andersen         Olympiacos             17 laps
    Borja Garcia            Sevilla FC              3 laps
    Davide Rigon            Beijing Guoan           1 laps
    Robert Doornbos         AC Milan                0 laps


Fastest lap, Valles 1:38.031 on lap 14