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51st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen - 1.HC
Belgium, March 29, 2008
Complete Live report
Live commentary by Bjorn Haake
14:31 CET
Hello and welcome back to Cyclingnews'
live coverage from the heart of Flanders. Today's E3 Prijs Vlaanderen is one
of the last opportunities for the racers to get familiar with each individual
cobble stone before the big one, the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Sunday in a week.
With Dwars van Vlaanderen last Wednesday and the Brabantse Pijl tomorrow, the
classics season is definitely in full swing here in Belgium. And the tension
is building up for the Ronde, so just one thing left to say: Enjoy!
14:35 CET
One racer did not start today, Alexander
Egger (Team Volksbank). The rest of the riders are enjoying a nice, sunny day,
a welcome change from the previous week, where people got soaking wet every
time they set the foot on a cobble stone.
14:45 CET
One person at the start is Tom Boonen.
The Belgian has won the race for the last four years! He will be eager to win
today, but we aren't sure about his form for 2008. He has kept quiet so far,
but he could be just in hiding until next Sunday, of course.
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14:48 CET
The riders are soon approaching the
first climb of the day, la Houppe. It's almost three kilometres in length and
averages just above three percent. Good enough for warming up.
14:52 CET
"My form is good and I have good morale
for the next two weeks," confirmed Rabobank's Juan Antonio Flecha to Cyclingnews'
Gregor Brown. The Spaniard had just returned from Italy, where he helped Oscar
Freire make the winning break in Milano-Sanremo. "Today is a serious race. I
will try to do the best I can in this first test in Belgium."
14:54 CET
Favourites? "The favourites are always
the same here in Harelbeke," according to Flecha.
The number one
favourite tomorrow, in the Brabantse Pijl, will be Freire. Flecha will form
a Spanish one-two for Rabobank and then spend the next week going back over
the Ronde van Vlaanderen parcours.
"I will be there tomorrow, and
then I will be back again for Flanders. I will preview some of the parcours
on Monday. I have already had a chance before Het Volk, where we were able to
look at the entire course. [Familiarity] is not a problem for me anymore."
14:58 CET
The hills that the riders have to
deal with today are:
La houppe Berg Stene Boigneberg Eikenber Stationsberg Taaienberg Oude Kruiskens Kapelberg Paterberg Kwaremont Knokteberg Tiegemberg
So no Koppenberg today, but supposedly Fabian Cancellara was training there Thursday, in the rain...
14:59 CET
Alessandro Ballan (Lampre), winner
of last year's Ronde van Vlaanderen, is always happy to talk at the races. He
confirmed to Gregor Brown of Cyclingnews that he is building for a repeat
win. "Today will be a little bit of training, and then using Three Days De Panne
for Flanders." Expect more about the Italian from Castelfranco Veneto in the
coming news edition.
15:03 CET
While Tom Boonen is going for a fifth
win today, Oscar Freire (Rabobank) will be trying to make it four in a row tomorrow.
Freire has achieved a clean hattrick, having won the last three editions of
De Brabantse Pijl. This will automatically qualify him as the hottest favourite
for the race on Sunday, in addition to the fact he's a rider to watch in any
race he enters. The Spaniard will have breakaway-experienced riders Thomas Dekker
and Juan Antonio Flecha with him, who can try to disrupt potentially dangerous
moves, but go for the win themselves if a sprint does not materialise for the
team captain. The full preview of
the race is here
15:06 CET
"Today is a hard race, it is similar
to The Tour of Flanders," confirmed Enrico Gasparotto (Barloworld) to Gregor
Brown of Cyclingnews. "I don't know what I will do today because I think
that tomorrow's Brabantse Pijl is better suited for me.
"I will see
what happens today, how hard I will go. Maybe I will save the legs; it depends
how I will feel. Last year, I retired in the feed-zone, and the day after I
had a good race."
15:06 CET
"Today is a hard race, it is similar
to The Tour of Flanders," confirmed Enrico Gasparotto (Barloworld) to Gregor
Brown of Cyclingnews. "I don't know what I will do today because I think
that tomorrow's Brabantse Pijl is better suited for me.
"I will see
what happens today, how hard I will go. Maybe I will save the legs; it depends
how I will feel. Last year, I retired in the feed-zone, and the day after I
had a good race."
15:10 CET
The scene at start was fairly relaxed.
Freire, Boonen and Cancellara could all be seen smiling and giving some autographs.
A dozen people were lifted up in the air, chairs and table included, some 30
metres and enjoying their lunch! We hope the meal was heavy enough that there
was no risk of blowing off the table.
15:11 CET 132km/71km to go
We are a good 70 kilometres
form the finish and there is a break pedaling ahead of the peloton with an advantage
of about four and half minutes.
15:14 CET 134km/69km to go
The peloton is on
the second climb of the day, the Berg Stene. Not a very difficult climb, but
enough to make the legs a bit more tired for later in the race.
15:19 CET 137km/66km to go
The front group is
a good dozen strong and includes Michael Schär (Astana), Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team
CSC), Wim Vansevenant (Silence-Lotto), Mauro Da Dalto (Liquigas) and Janek Tombak
(Mitsubishi-Jartazi), among others. The lead is around 4'15, as some riders
in the peloton take a short cut through the meadow on a right hand bend. With
the roads being narrow, this is the best way to get closer to the front front.
It is hard to pass otherwise.
15:21 CET
"I had a good experience last Wednesday
in Dwars," Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) noted to Gregor Brown. "I had good legs
there, and I hope to have a good race today. The team is ready, and I am ready.
We will work with Tom Boonen as a leader, and if possible I will have my chance
in the finale."
He raced in Tirreno-Adriatico in the last week. "My
trip to Italy was good. I was a little sick beforehand, but we had good weather
there and I came away with good condition."
Following the E3 Prijs,
Devolder will race in Three Days of De Panne and then Ronde van Vlaanderen and
Paris-Roubaix. "De Panne is important, but the main thing for me is Flanders
and Roubaix. I will want to wear the Belgian champion jersey in the Tour de
Flanders. It is very important for me."
15:29 CET 143km/60km to go
The peloton hits the
Eikenberg, with Rabobank's Flecha leading and Tom Boonen right behind him. The
lead of the front group has gone up by half a minute and is now close to 5 minutes.
15:31 CET
Andy Capelle is in the break and had
a rear-wheel puncture. He was quite unhappy with the team car not coming up
quick enough.
15:33 CET
Bernhard Eisel (High Road) is slightly
ahead of the break, as they make their way up the Stationsberg. There are some
clouds, but it is dry, which nice, especially on those cobbled climbs,
15:36 CET 146km/57km to go
The front group includes
Janek Tombak (Mitsubishi-Jartazi), Franck Renier (Bouygues Telecom), Jan Kuyckx
and Andy Capelle (Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner), Bernhard Eisel (High Road),
Michael Schär (Astana), Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team CSC), Wim Vansevenant (Silence-Lotto),
Gert Steegmans (Quick Step), Mauro Da Dalto (Liquigas), Janek Tombak (Mitsubishi-Jartazi).
The gap has decreased a little bit again, as the peloton is getting serious.
Lots of riders are out of the saddle and desperately trying to keep up with
the backend of the main bunch.
15:37 CET
The peloton is now hitting the Stationsberg,
some four minutes after the break. It is Rabobank and CSC, with Skil Shimano
and Quick Step right behind. The wind is coming from the left, so the riders
form their echelon accordingly.
15:39 CET
Gert Steegmans (Quick Step) told Cyclingnews
Brecht Decaluwé before the race: "We shall see how it goes today. My
thigh is still looking dark blue and my back hurts as well. The biggest problem
is right now at the start. Everybody wants to give me a friendly knock on the
back to say hello, it's terrible," Steegmans said.
"In the past I
could get ready outside the team bus without a problem but that's no longer
possible."
"As soon as the first attacks are launched I'll know how
my body reacts. Let's hope it goes well because it would be such a shame to
miss out on the true Spring Classics."
15:40 CET
Steegmans knows now, as he is in the
break! This will mean even more people want to pad his back in the next races.
A vicious cycle!
15:41 CET 149km/54km to go
And Steegmans attacks
on the Taaienberg! The cobbles are in bad shape, but Steegmans makes it look
like it's pavement. Eisel is the only who can catch up with the Belgian for
now.
15:42 CET
The spectators form a small corridor
on the climb, moving away in the last moment. Not quite like in some of the
mountain stages in the Tour, but it does look a bit scary at times.
15:43 CET
Ouch, one spectator is actually trying
to put a sticker on Steegmans' helmet. Crazy guys!!!
15:44 CET
And now it is none other than Tom
Boonen to attack on the Taaienberg! And who comes up in the gutter? Fabian Cancellara.
Wow.
15:46 CET 152km/51km to go
Boonen is leading
now as the Swiss is following the Belgian through the gutter. It's always nice
to avoid the cobbles, but sometimes it's not possible with the spectators. The
duo is less than three minutes behind the leaders, and have a good gap to the
peloton, too.
15:46 CET
Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank) is
trying to come up to the duo. He is a good power rider.
15:49 CET
Flecha is having a hard time. He seemed
to have been closing in well, but then the road went upwards and he is now struggling
and going backwards.
15:49 CET 154km/49km to go
Franzoi (Liquigas)
is leading the peloton, as Flecha is reeled back in.
15:51 CET
Boonen and Cancellara have about a
half minute on the peloton. Lotto is trying to organise a chase. Racing at its
finest!
15:53 CET 156km/47km to go
There is a lot of
looking around now in the peloton. Who will work? Who will try to do a move
like Boonen and Cancellara and try to bridge up? The Swiss and the Belgian are
sharing the lead work and look almost effortless as they pedal along the Belgian
country side, carefully avoiding the puddles.
15:56 CET 158km/45km to go
The break is on the
Oude Kruiskens. More cobbles to shake the riders. But with their speeds the
suffering never lasts too long. It is incredible how quickly they go up these
hellingen. But it is too fast for some riders, as they drop off the pace.
15:58 CET
A lot of work is now done by Roy Sentjens
(Silence-Lotto). But on the climb Staf Scheirlinckx (Cofidis) attacks, similarly
to what he did on Wednesday in the Dwars van Vlaanderen.
16:02 CET
It is Eisel again who wanders off
the front in the break, while Boonen and Cancellara calmly get closer to the
front, still maintaining a good half minute over the peloton.
16:03 CET 162km/41km to go
It is actually Thomas
Voeckler in the break, and he attacks on a little rise! Even Eisel doesn't have
an answer for that and the Frenchman gets a good gap quickly.
16:04 CET
Stuart O'Grady is close to the front
of the peloton, together with Stijn Devolder (Quick Step).
16:06 CET
Cancellara and Boonen still look like
they are out on a Sunday stroll. They are only 90 seconds behind the lead group
now, and over 45 seconds ahead of the peloton, which is now led by Française
des Jeux.
16:08 CET
Voeckler is reaching the Paterberg.
It's almost as steep at the Koppenberg, but has a nice gutter, so he can avoid
the cobbles. Except for the part where there is a lot of dirt, but after a quick
switch over to the cobbles he is back on the left hand side.
16:09 CET 166km/37km to go
The spectators are
nice enough to leave the gutter available for the riders. On the top there is
a sharp left, which most people have no trouble making, the speed reduced to
close stand still.
16:09 CET
But those guys are going up really
fast, Eisel leading the break. Boonen and Cancellara are on the bottom now.
16:10 CET
They pass Mauro Da Dalto (Liquigas),
who was in the break. And Boonen gaps the Swiss rider a bit! Boonen is very
comfortable with the cobbles.
16:12 CET 168km/35km to go
The peloton climbs
up. Erik Zabel is in the field. The gap between the chasing duo and the front
group is 1'39, so it has been going out again slightly since the last check.
Voeckler's adventure on the front is over.
16:14 CET
Three more climbs to go! The Kwaremont
is the next one, followed by the Knokteberg and the Tiegemberg.
Current race situation
- Group of about 15, including Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom), Janek Tombak (Mitsubishi-Jartazi), Jan Kuyckx and Andy Capelle (Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner), Bernhard Eisel (High Road), Michael Schär (Astana), Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team CSC), Wim Vansevenant (Silence-Lotto), Gert Steegmans (Quick Step), Mauro Da Dalto (Liquigas), Janek Tombak (Mitsubishi-Jartazi)
- Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) at 1.23
- Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank)
- Peloton at 2.27
16:17 CET
On the Oude Kwaremont the front group
has shattered. It is now three leaders, with Michael Sch�r (Astana),
Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team CSC) and Greg Van Avermaet (Silence-Lotto)
16:18 CET
The cobbles on that second part of
the climb, which didn't feature in Dwars, is pretty bad and Sch�r is
having trouble to follow the pace of the other two.
16:19 CET
Cancellara and Boonen make their way
up the cobbles to. A slight right hand bend and they soon will hit the pavement
again. The peloton is breaking up, too, now. Four, five riders are of the front.
16:23 CET
After the climb there was a bit of
regrouping. Six leaders are together, with Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom),
Bernhard Eisel (High Road), Michael Sch�r (Astana), Kurt-Asle Arvesen
and Lars Bak (Team CSC), Greg Van Avermaet (Silence-Lotto). Sch�r looks
tired, as he is leaving a gap and forced to chase back on.
16:24 CET 173km/30km to go
Boonen and Cancellara
have reached former breakaway rider Kristof Vandewalle (Topsport Vlaanderen).
How long will the Belgian be able to hang on to those two power riders? The
gap is down to just a above a minute.
16:27 CET
Vandewalle is hanging on at the back,
not taking a pull. The two others will understand, Vandewalle had been in the
break for a while. Vandewalle's DS gives some instructions through the window
of his follow car. It is unclear if the Belgian can hear his coach, tired as
he is.
16:28 CET 178km/25km to go
A four-man group around
Gert Steegmans, which had been dropped earlier, is about to catch up with the
front again, making it a ten-rider move.
16:30 CET 179km/24km to go
The break hits the
Knoktenberg. Voeckler is leading them up, out of the saddle, but Arvesen takes
over. Steegmans at a standstill! It's over for him.
16:31 CET
David Kopp (Collstrop) has attacked
on the front. The break is once again splintering.
16:33 CET
Van Avermaet is driving the pace behind
Kopp. Riders like Eisel are now having a hard time following the vicious tempo
over the Flemish roads. Hoste and Devolder, together with Breschel (CSC) and
another rider, are trying to catch up with the front now, too. The fourth rider
is from Cofidis, looks like Scheirlinckx.
16:34 CET 181km/22km to go
Boonen and Cancellara
have dropped their companion. They look a little more serious now and Boonen
spits to the right. They are hunched over their handlebar and are still 47 seconds
behind the front. Only one more climb for them to catch up
16:38 CET
Another acceleration has split the
front again. There are seven leaders now, with Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom),
Bernhard Eisel (High Road), Michael Sch�r (Astana), Kurt-Asle Arvesen
(Team CSC), Greg Van Avermaet (Silence-Lotto), Janek Tombak (Mitsubishi-Jartazi),
David Kopp (Collstrop). Boonen and Cancellara are catching Sch�r and
Bak.
16:40 CET
Sch�r is asking for a drink,
but he has to be careful. Cancellara is eager to get to the front. Only 22 more
seconds, as Vandewalle is dropping back to the Steegmans group. It also incudes
Devolder, Hoste and Scheirlinckx.
16:44 CET
The front group is on the last climb
of the day, the Tiegemberg. They are still 30 seconds ahead of the second group.
Van Avermaet again, who is out of the saddle and really gives it a go, before
Eisel takes over. Why are those guys working so hard they are both good sprinters!
16:45 CET
Cancellara gives it a sot! A hard
acceleration, but Boonen chases him down. A first warning shot by the Swiss.
16:46 CET
The power duo is not really closing
in, the gap is still half a minute. Bak and Sch�r were not able to follow
the two. CSC still has Arvesen in the front.
16:48 CET 192km/11km to go
Eisel was a bit dropped,
following his attack, and is now making his way back up to the front group.
Cancellara and Boonen have been caught by three riders, Bak, Sch�r and
the Lotto rider.
16:50 CET
Sch�r and Arvesen are yoyo-ing
at the back. They have been in the break all day. The gap does not change, still
half a minute. It will be hard for the chasers to catch, while Arvesen is listening
intently to what is said on his race radio. His gestures suggests he either
has no connection or doesn't agree with what is said.
16:52 CET 194km/9km to go
Eisel is leaned over
his handlebar like a time trial rider. The speeds on the slightly downhill roads
are 65 km/h. Nine more kilometres and with still seven at the front, Boonen
and Cancellara are unlikely to come back, unless there is too much cat-and-mouse
going on. Kopp is leading the break.
16:54 CET
The Devolder group has caught the
Boonen group. As Devolder rides by he shouts something to Boonen and immediately
takes over at the front. But the gap is now 42 seconds.
16:56 CET 198km/5km to go
Devolder is pulling
hard at the front, gritting his teeth. There is indeed a bit of hesitation in
the front group, the only chance now for the chasers. But they pass the 5km
to go sign, and it's still over 40 seconds.
16:57 CET 199km/4km to go
Van Avermaet tries
to bring some order back and he manages to organise it. Tomak and Kopp are pulling
through nicely. But then - attack by Voeckler!
16:57 CET
He gets 50m, but the chasers are still
switching the lead well, and slowly get back to the Frenchman.
16:58 CET
Immediate counter by Kopp! 3.5 km
to go.
16:59 CET 200km/3km to go
Shortly after they
pass the 3km to go Kopp is almost caught. But he goes again and now gets a gap.
Voeckler chases but looks around for help. This could be good for Kopp!
17:00 CET 201km/2km to go
Arvesen finally counters,
with Voeckler on his wheel. But the Frenchman does not take over and Van Avermaet,
who has caught up with the two, attacks and is in pursuit of Kopp.
17:00 CET
Van Avermaet pushes a gigantic gear.
He is 100m behind Kopp now.
17:01 CET
Kopp goes under the railroad tracks.
Van Avermaet has been caught again and Arvesen is the next to chase the German.
It does look good for Kopp.
17:02 CET
But Arvesen's counter is promising
and he closes in.
17:02 CET
Arvesen reaches the German and passes
him. Kopp looks done.
17:03 CET
Arvesen takes the wide right and enters
the last few hundred metres. He wins it! Kopp can't do anything.
17:06 CET
Greg Van Avermaet wins the sprint
for third, but is visibly upset that it didn't work out. Breschel sprints past
Boonen in the sprint behind.
17:13 CET
Thanks for joining us at our live
coverage. We will be back in the first Sunday of April, with the big one, the
Ronde van Vlaanderen. Then Cancellara and Boonen will have to actually catch
the front group, should they want to win. Until then, tot ziens.
Results
Provisional 1 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC 2 David Kopp (Ger) Cycle Collstrop 3 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence-Lotto 4 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 5 Janek Tombak (Est) Mitsubishi-Jartazi 6 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) High Road 7 Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC 8 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step 9 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step 10 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Cofidis
