4th Na Tour Broker Criterium - NE

Diksmuide, Belgium, July 29, 2008

2007 Results Results Past winners

Freire ahead of Steegmans

Green-man Oscar Freire (Rabobank)
Photo ©: Stijn Vercaemer

Oscar Freire (Rabobank) was the fastest sprinter at Tuesday evening's post-Tour criterium in Diksmuide, Belgium. The Spaniard, who claimed the Tour's green jersey this month, won the race ahead of Gert Steegmans (Quick Step), while the Tour's mountain classification winner Bernard Kohl (Gerolsteiner) placed third.

Freire and Steegmans broke away from the peloton four kilometres from the finish, and contested the sprint between themselves. Kohl tried to bridge across to the two leaders but was unable to ride across the gap. He finished just 50 meters behind the pair.

At the finish the green jersey winner from the Tour was too fast for the winner of the final stage into Paris.

"I was beaten [by a] small man," Steegmans said, who replaced Cadel Evans (Silence Lotto) in the event's lineup after the Australian failed to show up at the criterium (see separate story). "Freire went through the last corner better than me, and because of that I timed my run too late."

"The sprint was difficult, but worked out perfectly for me," Freire said.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Stijn Vercaemer/www.CyclingView.be

Cyclocross rider Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb) is one of the 33 riders in Diksmuide.
Green-man Oscar Freire (Rabobank) is one of the public favourites.
Gert Steegmans and Stijn Devolder (Quick-Step).
Bernhard Kohl (Gerolsteiner) rode a great race and finished on the third place.
Sebastien Rosseler (Quick-Step).
Wim ‘red lantern’ Vansevenant (Silence-Lotto) in one of his last career races.
And there goes the champagne (l-r): Gert Steegmans, Bernhard Kohl, Oscar Freire & Erik Zabel.

Results

1 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
2 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quick Step
3 Bernard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner
4 Erik Zabel (Ger) Milram

Past winners

2007 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Discovery Channel
2006 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step-Innergetic
2005 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep