91st Ronde van Vlaanderen - PT

Belgium, April 8, 2007

Photography

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Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

• The world champion works for his team
• Ballan soloing on the Kappelmuur
• Hoste gives a huge effort to bridge up to Ballan
• Boogerd and Boonen trying to chase the leaders
• Hoste fades in the final metres
• Ballan came around Hoste who started the sprint a bit too early
• Ballan can't believe he just won the Ronde
• Overjoyed, Ballan give the salute
• Flowers for the winner
• Ballan hoists the trophy
• The final podium Hoste, Ballan and Paolini
• Ballan almost feels bad for Leif Hoste (Predictor-Lotto)
• On the podium Ballan was jubilant
• Ballan gets a big hug from his team-mates
• Numero uno! Alessandro Ballan
• Ballan takes a turn on the climb and has a sizeable gap
• Alessandro Ballan after the race
• Ballan makes his move
• Boonen couldn't keep up with Ballan's attack on the Kappelmuur
• Alessandro Ballan leaves the rest behind
• Ballan attacks the Kappelmuur
• Tom Boonen follows Boogerd up the climb
• Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) gasps for oxygen
• Bettini couldn't close the gap for Boonen
• The roll-out from Brugge
• The early breakaway
• Paolo Bettini looks ahead on the climb
• Tom Boonen
• Boogerd and Van Petegem
• Paolini and Ballan crest one of the early climbs
• Pozzato looks calm - perhaps too calm.
• Boonen gets no help from Oscar Freire
• The crowds cheer on Ballan
• Pozzato (Liquigas) on the Muur
• Paolini comes in ahead of Kroon and Gusev
• Champagne for the podium boys
• Ballan rolls through sign-in in Brugge
• The peloton awaits the start
• A sea of riders heads through Brugge

Images by Brecht Decaluwé/Cyclingnews.com

• Leif Hoste was devastated
• Leif Hoste raising his hands to his head
• The Lampre team happy that their efforts brought the win
• The Lampre team have winner Ballan in their ranks
• Björn Leukemans was strong today, but couldn't go after teammate Hoste

Images by Luc Claessen/www.ctm-images.com

• Hoste throws his bike but it's too late
• Ballan surprised himself by coming around Hoste just before the line
• Stuart O'Grady leads a bunch home
• Hoste thinks hmmm… should have waited a bit later to sprint…
• Hoste with visible disappointment
• Ballan was triumphant
• Kisses for the winner
• Spoils of victory
• Ballan's trophy
• The podium
• Ballan gives the thumbs up
• Ballan attacks!
• Bettini leads on the cobbles
• Paolo Bettini leads the chase ahead of Boonen
• Nick Nuyens (Cofidis)
• David Boucher (Landbouwkredit)
• Kevin Huslmans (Quickstep)
• Stijn Devolder (Discovery) chases
• Crowds atop the Muur van Geraardsbergen
• Laurent Mangel (AG2r) leads on the Molenberg
• Erik Zable and Paolo Bettini tucked in behind Steven De Jongh and a Rabobank rider
• The peloton passes over one of the cobbled sectors
• Leif Hoste (Predictor-Lotto) in the front group
• Filippo Pozatto on the Molenberg

Images by AFP

• Heinrich Haussler find the cobblestones an uncomfortable place to land
• Not much room for error
• Fabian Cancellara (CSC) followed by Gert Steegmans

Start

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Images by Gregor Brown/Cyclingnews.com

• A lovely day to start a race; Easter in Brugge.
• Tifosi Italiani were out to support riders like Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Fondital), Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas) and Paolo Bettini (Quickstep-Innergetic).
• Italian Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Fondital) is one of the race favourites.
• From Arezzo to Brugge Daniele Bennati (Lampre-Fondital)
• Bennati's fan club from Belgium.
• Antonio Cruz (Discovery Channel) lines up minutes before the race start.
• boisterous Paolo Fornaciari (Lampre-Fondital) will be called upon to guide Benna and Ballan to the win.
• Markel Irizar (Euskaltel-Euskadi) explains that "This race is about building experience. ... I will follow riders like Mattan, but it is not possible to follow Boonen."
• Oleg Tinkov riding around the start area on one of his team bikes.
• Milanese Luca Paolini (Liquigas) was surprisingly relaxed at the start.
• Pozzato was very concentrated before the start.
• In Brugge, Pippo looks forward to the start.
• Pozzato ponders the day's race.
• A festive start in Brugge.
• Riders roll into the start.
• Moments before the start.
• Merckx? An Eddy Merckx look-a-like at the start.
• Eddy Merckx look-a-like starts with the riders in the 91st Ronde van Vlaanderen.

Images by Brecht Decaluwé/Cyclingnews.com

• The night before the race there was a concert on the historical market of Bruges
• The night before the race there was a concert on the historical market of Bruges
• As usual, lots of people at the start in sunny Bruges
• Skil-Shimano was early to sign on
• Dirk Demol and Johan Bruyneel from Discovery Channel
• Vladimir Gusev
• Vladimir Gusev showing his bike
• Irizar is happy to be in Bruges
• Marcus Burghardt catching up with his fans
• Nick Nuyens and his Cofidis squad
• Erik Zabel is an outsider today
• Michael Boogerd on the starting podium
• Leif Hoste, the team leader of Predictor-Lotto
• Hoste checks his bike one last time
• Niko Eeckhout is relaxed, he crashed last week
• The bunch gets ready for the start
• Where did this guy come from?
• Florent Brard was relaxed this morning
• Johan Bruyneel was in the car today

Images by Tim Van Keer/Cyclingnews.com

• World champion Paolo Bettini talking on the starting podium in Bruges
• Stijn Devolder greets his colleagues
• What's Gert Steegmans talking about?
• Gert Steegmans will have to lead Boonen to a third consecutive victory
• Jimmy Casper on his way to the starting line
• Who will win today Tom?
• Andreas Klier was injured and is an outsider for the win
• Roger Hammond hopes to do well in the Tour of Flanders