70th Gent-Wevelgem - ProT

Belgium, April 9, 2008

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net

• The day's escape artist: Ermanno Capelli (Saunier Duval-Scott) – the Italian took a gap of over ten minutes in an escape that lasted 75 kilometres.
• Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) descends the Kemmelberg.
• The race heads down the Kemmelberg.
• Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) pumping up the Kemmelberg.
• Italian Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas) looking ever so cool on the Kemmelberg.
• Frédéric Guesdon (Française des Jeux) leads the escape with Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas) and Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team CSC) in tow.
• Here comes the sprint: Oscar Freire (Rabobank) (l) goes forward to the win.
• Aurélien Clerc (Bouygues Telecom) (c) challenges against Oscar Freire (Rabobank) (l) in the sprint.
• Oscar Freire (Rabobank) wins.
• Oscar Freire (Rabobank), 32, becomes the first Spaniard to win Gent-Wevelgem as he wins the sprint up the road's right side.
• The first Spaniard ever in Gent-Wevelgem to win: Oscar Freire (Rabobank) takes the 70th edition.
• Podium time: Spaniard Oscar Freire (Rabobank) tops with Aurélien Clerc (Bouygues Telecom) (l) and Wouter Weylandt (Quick Step) (r).
• Oscar Freire (Rabobank) on top with Aurélien Clerc (Bouygues Telecom) (l) and Wouter Weylandt (Quick Step) (r).

Images by Bjorn Haake/Cyclingnews.com

• There were a ton of spectators at the start in Deinze. Cycling is a national sport in Belgium.
• The Astana team had to leave the bikes on the cars at a few races this year, but today they were welcomed and where they race these days they may win as well.
• Heinrich Haussler (Gerolsteiner) at the first weather check, when the bus arrived.
• High Road has the #1 car by virtue of André Greipel leading the ProTour standings, but the German is sick and can't defend his lead.
• Haussler was disappointed with Flanders and was looking to redeem himself today.
• Cavendish reflected on his pancake breakfast the day before and smiled that "it was good for the morale."
• Erik Dekker checks his messages but couldn't find any better predictions than his own, hoping that Freire would take the win, sprint or not.
• Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank) was happy with his race in Flanders, but not with the result.
• Aurélien Clerc (Bouygues Telecom) chatted with spectators and gave autographs.
• Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas) will have less trouble keeping his shoes clean today.
• Oscar Freire was all smiles at the post-race press conference.
• Freire was happy to answer the questions from the assembled media

Images by Brecht Decaluwé/Cyclingnews.com

• Robbie McEwen is ready to go after a dissapointing sprint in Gent-Wevelgem
• Greg Van Avermaet showed signs of a crash
• Tom Boonen has his personal bodyguard to get him safely out of the mass in Wevelgem
• Race director Hans De Clercq was happy with a Kemmelberg without crashes, but not with the amount of motorbikes
• The podium of Gent-Wevelgem 2008: Clerc, Freire and Weylandt
• While Freire has a sip of his champagne, the others wonder where the Spaniard found that bottle
• Aurélien Clerc was happy with his second place in Gent-Wevelgem