88th Ronde van Vlaanderen/1st Women's Ronde van Vlaanderen - CDM

Belgium, April 4, 2004

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Photography

Race Day, April 4

Images by Jurgen De Backer

Igor Astarloa (Cofidis) gets ready to start
Johan Museeuw (Quick.Step) makes sure everything's snug

Images by Luc Claessen/Cyclingnews/www.actiefotos.be

Chris Peers (Chocolade Jacques) rolls down to the line
Daniele Nardello (T-Mobile) at the start
Fabio Baldato (Alessio) ready to go
Frank Vandenbroucke (Fassa Bortolo) was a favourite
Gianluca Bortolami (Lampre) waits for the off
Johan Museeuw (Quick.Step) ready for his final Flanders
Johan Vansummeren (Bodysol) enjoying the morning sunshine
The Lampre boys looking forward to the day
Ludovic Capelle (Landbouwkrediet - Colnago) waits to go
Mario Aerts (T-Mobile) heads for the line
Michel Vanhaecke (MrBookmaker.com) with ready-prepped helmet hair
Mirko Celestino (Saeco) at the start
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) looking very serious before the off
Peter Wuyts (MrBookmaker.com) rolls out
Roger Hammond (MrBookmaker.com) shows off the UK champion stripes
Romans Vainsteins (Lampre) cracks a rare smile
Salvatore Commesso (Saeco) happy to be in Flanders
Servais Knaven (Quick.Step) ready to go
Stefan Wesemann (T-Mobile) doesn't need to look so worried
Win De Vocht (Bodysol) waits to start
The early break starts to form through Gistel
George Hincapie (USPS-Berry Floor) is helped back onto the peloton after a puncture
Van Petegem and Bettini drive the pace up Tenbossestraat in Brakel
De Peet - Peter van Petegem (Lotto-Domo) put in one of his trademark accelerations on Tenbossestraat, to help catch the leaders
Mirko Celestino (Saeco) with Kirsipuu and Museeuw in tow on Tenbossestraat
Danilo Hondo (Gerolsteiner) on Tenbossestraat
Thierry Marechal leads an early break at Oudenaarde-Eine
Rolf Aldag (T-mobile) does all he can to catch up with the leaders
Stefano Zanini, Jan Shafrath and Johan Coenen (Palmans)
Jan Van Velzen returning after a flat tire
Jacky Durand in the Mater cobblestone zone
Nico Mattan rode a very strong race, in the company of Servais Knaven at Mater
The big group at the Mater cobblestones - Steffen Wesemann in front
Matthew White at the Mater zone
The lead group at Steenbeekdries - Marechal (Lotto) and De Jongh (Rabo) in front
Martin Elmiger (Suisse) - always good in Flanders
Antonio Cruz at the Steenbeekdries
The group with Tom Boonen and Van Petegem
Maarten den Bakker gives it all on the Steenbeekdries
Time trial specialist Bert Roesems - Flanders is not his kind of thing
Stuart O'Grady ended up chasing the peloton halfway into the race
Philippo Pozatto in the background
Dario Pieri - one of the main players last year wasn't at his best
FD Jeux rider Frederic Guesdon - a previous Paris-Roubaix winner
Tom Boonen tries all he can at the Eikenberg - but came too late to catch the leaders
Paolo Bettini looks defeated at the Eikenberg
Steffen Wesemann looks at ease while the others are suffering
Frank Vandenbroucke (Fassa Bortolo) didn't ride as well as hoped

Images by Chris Henry/Cyclingnews

George Hincapie (US Postal Service) puts on his pre-race game face
Riders head for the start in the Brugge Grote Markt
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) was relaxed and happy at the start
The peloton heads into Gistel, hometown of Johan Museeuw
Benoît Joachim (US Postal Service) finds time to chat in the early break
Salvatore Commesso (Saeco) works in the lead group on the cobbles between Eine and Doorn
Previous Tour of Flanders winner Gianluca Bortolami rides next to Australian champion Matt Wilson
Stefano Zanini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) leads the break
Not far behind the leaders, another Quick.Step man is minding the chase
Quick.Step's Johan Museeuw and Wilfried Cretskens
World champion Igor Astarloa, back in action after injury in an automobile accident
A chasing group on the eighth climb, the Steenbeekdries
The Steenbeekdries takes its toll as the pace picks up
Saeco's Dario Pieri didn't have his best day out
Belgian hard man Ludo Dierckxsens sets the pace in the lead group
George Hincapie (US Postal Service) leads eventual winner Steffen Wesemann and Thor Hushovd on the Eikenberg
Johan Museeuw (Quick.Step-Davitamon) finished 15th in his final Ronde van Vlaanderen
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) leads world champion Igor Astarloa on the Leberg
Michele Bartoli (CSC) fights to stay with the heavy favourites
Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) digs deep on the Leberg
Belgian champion Geert Omloop (Mr. Bookmaker) looks to see who's coming up behind
George Hincapie (US Postal Service) looks for some assistance from Paolo Bettini in the final kilometre

Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

Oscar Freire (Rabobank) faces his opposition
Oscar Freire (Rabobank) looking forward to the race
The start in Brugge
Tom Boonen and Johan Museeuw - Quick.Step-Davitamon teammates at the start
Fans wait in the wind
Marichal, Zanini and Hoste were the driving forces behind the front break
Tom Boonen (Quick.Step) on the Kwaremont
The Paterberg is steep all the way to the top
A lone rider on the Paterberg
Crowds wait on the Muur van Geraardsbergen
Paolo Bettini and Tom Boonen (Quick.Step-Davitamon) working hard
Michele Bartoli (CSC) didn't come into the equation today
Wesemann leads Bruylandts and Hoste on the steep part of the Muur
Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) found it tough going on the Muur
Last year's winner Peter van Petegem (Lotto-Domo) didn't have it today
Johan Museeuw (Quick.Step-Davitamon) was there, but didn't quite have it at the end
Oscar Freire (Rabobank) grits his teeth on the Muur
Mirko Celestino (Saeco) bearing the marks of an early crash
Romans Vainsteins (Lampre) on the Muur van Geraardsbergen
World Champion Igor Astarloa (Cofidis) rides on the Muur
George Hincapie (USPS-Berry Floor) on the Muur
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) wasn't there when it counted
Mirko Celestino (Saeco, R) on the Muur
Steven De Jongh (Rabobank) suffers on the Muur
The famed steep corner of the Muur van Geraardsbergen
Baldato and Backstedt (Alessio-Bianchi) on the Muur
Steffen Wesemann (T-Mobile) wins the Ronde van Vlaanderen in front of Leif Hoste (Lotto-Domo)
Steffen Wesemann (T-Mobile) celebrates his victory in the Ronde
The final podium (L to R): Leif Hoste (2nd), Steffen Wesemann (1st) and Dave Bruylandts (3rd)
Steffen Wesemann (T-Mobile) hefts his Ronde van Vlaanderen winner's trophy
Steffen Wesemann (T-Mobile) the Ronde champion

Images by Olympia Photo

The peloton is usually quite thin by the Berendries - not this year!
Champions in action - rainbow jersey Igor Astarloa (Cofidis) and World Cup leader Oscar Freire (Rabobank)
Stijn Devolder (US Postal) goes for it on a welcome tarmac section
Ludo Dierckxsens (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) worked like a trooper all day
Teamwork from Relax - Bodysol
The top of the Gramont was crowded as ever
Salvatore Commesso (Saeco) gets plenty of encouragement on the Gramont
Jörg Ludewig (Saeco) tackles one of the many cobbled climbs
Viatcheslav Ekimov (USPS) climbs the Molenberg
Lilian Jegou (Credit Agricole) caught up among the motos
Johan Museeuw (Quick.Step) rolls out at the starting presentation
Johan Museeuw (Quick.Step) demonstrates the fine art of cobblestone cornering
Luca Paolini (Quick.Step) working hard on the Muur
The start just qualifies as organised chaos
Stefan Wesemann pounds up the Muur
Stefan Wesemann takes the final sprint for his first Flanders victory
Stefan Wesemann kisses the trophy

Images by AFP

Stefan Wesemann shows off his RVV cobble, and that of 1942/48 winner Briek Schotte who died at the weekend
Stefan Wesemann poses with his bike in front of a wall of RVV winners' team jerseys
Stefan Wesemann and a painting that sums up the grittiness of RVV
Stefan Wesemann shows off his personal RVV cobble

CSC press conference, April 3

Images by Jeff Jones/Cyclingnews.com

Bjarne Riis (CSC team manager) explains the game plan for Flanders
Michele Bartoli is CSC's top man for Sunday
Frank Høj in the spotlight
Bjarne Riis (CSC team manager) discusses his views on doping at the CSC press conference
Bjarne Riis being interviewed by James Startt and Sam Abt