Radsport 2005

Wo ich gerade den Prolog von Paris-Nizza sehe, dachte ich mir, es fehlt noch ein allgemeines Thema zum Profi-Radsport. Gibt ja noch mehr als nur T-Mobile und Jan Ullrich. Also, hier alles rein, was mit ProTour, Radsportlern, Frühjahrsklassikern und kleineren Rundfahrten zu tun hat.

Will ich auch gleich mal Content reinbringen, nämlich die Ergebnisse des Prologs von Paris-Nizza:

1 Jens Voigt (All) CSC 5.15
2 Fabio Cancellara (Sui) Fassa-Bortolo +0.2
3 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank +0.3
4 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) CSC +0.3
5 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis +0.4
6 Nico Mattan (Bel) Domina Vacanze +0.4
7 Alberto Contador (Esp) Liberty Seguros +0.4
8 David Zabriskie (Usa) CSC +0.5
9 Oscar Pereiro (Esp) Phonak +0.6
10 Michael Rogers (Aus) Quick Step +0.6
11 Thomas Dekker (NED) Rabobank +0.6
12 Kurt-Asle Arvensen (Nor) CSC +0.7
13 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Fdjeux +0.7
14 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom +0.7
15 Nicki Sorensen (Dan) CSC +0.7
16 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kzk) T-Mobile +0.7
17 Bobby Julich (Usa) CSC +0.7
18 Didier Rous (Fra) Bouygues Telecom +0.8
19 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner +0.8
20 Jorg Jaksche (All) Liberty Seguros +0.8

Auf Platz 140 übrigens Lance Armstrong!

Meinetwegen auch gerne Mountainbiking, da hab ich allerdings keine Ahnung von. Aber fühl dich frei und erleuchte mich!

Aber es geht doch eigentlich nichts über einen schönen Bergetappensamstag - sechs Stunden live mit Kommentaren über lokale Käsesorten! Kann gar nicht verstehen, wie man das langweilig finden kann....

Der erste Frühjahrsklassiker gestern, mit einem aus deutscher Sicht sehr respetablen Ergebnis: Petacchi siegt im Massensprint vor Danilo Hondo (Gerolsteiner). Also wie im vergangenen Jahr ein zweiter Platz für einen deutschen Sprinter - nur dieses Mal nicht so dösig wie bei Ete letztes Jahr.

Das führt zu folgender Fahrerwertung in der Protour:

1 Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) Fassa Bortolo 93
2 Oscar Freire (ESP) Rabobank 78
3 Danilo Hondo (GER) Gerolsteiner 70
4 Bobby Julich (USA) CSC 50
5 Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Illes Balears 41
6 Thor Hushovd (NOR) Credit Agricole 35
7 Fabrizio Guidi (ITA) Phonak 35
8 Constantino Zaballa (ESP) Saunier Duval 35
9 Jens Voigt (GER) CSC 31
10 Stuart O'Grady (AUS) Cofidis 30
11 Laurent Brochard (FRA) Bouygues Telecom 25
12 Jörg Jaksche (ESP) Liberty Seguros 25
13 Franco Pellizotti (ITA) Liquigas 25
14 Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Francaise des Jeux 20
15 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel 20
16 Angel Vicioso (ESP) Liberty Seguros 15
17 Frank Schleck (LUX) CSC 15
18 Tom Boonen (BEL) Quick Step 12
19 Markus Zberg (SUI) Gerolsteiner 10
20 Cadel Evans (AUS) Davitamon-Lotto 10
21 Patrice Halgand (FRA) Credit Agricole 5
22 Jose Angel Gomez (ESP) Saunier Duval 5
23 Manuele Mori (ITA) Saunier Duval 1
24 Andreas Klier (GER) T-Mobile 1
25 Davide Rebellin (ITA) Gerolsteiner 1
26 Vicente Reynes (ESP) Liberty Seguros 1
27 Servais Knaven (NED) Quick Step 1
28 Fabian Cancellara (SUI) Fassa Bortolo 1
29 Joost Posthuma (NED) Rabobank 1
30 Gilberto Simoni (ITA) Lampre-Caffita 1

Dafür hat er für einen Sprinter sehr gut Qualitäten am Berg entwickelt. Daraus ergeben sich ganz neue taktische Möglichkeiten. So wie ich aber T-Mobile kennengelenrnt habe, nutzen die die mit Sicherheit nicht.

Mal ein paar Egebnisse der letzten Tage - ist ja viel passiert:

Rund um Köln:

Zitat

David Kopp hat überraschend die 90. Auflage des Straßenradrennens "Rund um Köln" gewonnen. Der 26 Jahre alte Profi vom Team Wiesenhof kam mit deutlichem Vorsprung vor seinem Landsmann Stefan Schumacher (Team Shimano) ins Ziel. Damit muss das T-Mobile-Team weiter auf den ersten Saisonsieg warten.

Vorjahressieger Erik Zabel kam abgeschlagen mit dem Hauptfeld ins Ziel. Der Vorjahreszweite Danilo Hondo vom Team Gerolsteiner ging ebenfalls leer aus.

Das T-Mobile Team mit Vorjahres-Gewinner Erik Zabel wartet somit weiter auf den ersten Saisonsieg. Der 34-Jährige fuhr als 29. (6:00 Minuten zurück) ebenso hinterher wie der im Vorjahr zweitplatzierte Danilo Hondo, der mit einer Sekunde Vorsprung auf Zabel 18. wurde. Rolf Aldag war als Achter bester T- Mobile-Fahrer.

"Das ist der absolute Hammer bei meinem Heimrennen", kommentierte der 26 Jahre alte Kopp seinen Sieg nach 4:44:26 Stunden, 32 Sekunden vor Schumacher. "Ich bin überglücklich", sagte der ehemalige T- Mobile-Fahrer, der nach eigenem Bekunden im vergangenen Jahr gezeigt hat, "dass ich ein bisschen Rad fahren kann".

Kopp machte zusammen mit dem Südafrikaner Tiaan Kannemeyer (Südafrika) und dem Franzosen Cedric Vasseur lange das Rennen. Doch die Drei wurden "gestellt", ehe sich Kopp wenige Kilometer vor dem Ziel erneut ein Herz fasste und allen davon fuhr: "So gut war ich noch nie drauf, ich bin jetzt da, wo ich hinwollte", sagte der strahlende Gewinner.

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Pfeil von Brabant

Zitat

Freire gewinnt "Pfeil von Brabant"

Der dreifache Weltmeister Oscar Freire siegte beim belgischen Halbklassiker "Pfeil von Brabant" über 198 km, bei dem auch Lance Armstrong am Start war und abgeschlagen ins Ziel trudelte.

Schon am Start machte Armstrong einen ausgelaugten Eindruck. Doch von einer Ruhepause kann für den sechsfachen Tour de France-Sieger keine Rede sein. Denn in einer Woche bestreitet Armstrong die Flanderrundfahrt am 3. April. Nur als Helfer, wie der US-Amerikaner bereits im Vorfeld verkündete.

Criterium International:

Zitat

Bobby Julich (Team CSC) hat die dritte und letzte Etappe des französischen Criterium International gewonnen. Der US-Amerikaner verwies seinen Teamkollegen Jens Voigt auf Platz zwei. Gleichzeitig holte sich Julich den Gesamtsieg. Der Ansbacher Jörg Jaksche kam im Gesamtklassement auf Rang drei.

Eine Woche vor der Flandern-Rundfahrt gewann Julich das aus drei Teilen bestehende Criterium International in Frankreich. Der 33-Jährige war im Zeitfahren nicht zu schlagen. Selbst Vorjahressieger Jens Voigt musste auf der 8,3 km langen Etappe in Charleville-Mézières seinem Teamkollegen den Vortritt lassen.

"Für Jens tut es mir sehr leid", sagte Julich anschließend, "aber momentan verfüge ich über sehr gute Beine. Ich habe sieben Jahren lang auf solch einen Erfolg gewartet. Ich sehr glücklich über meinen Sieg." Julich feierte damit seinen zweiten großen Triumph in dieser Saison. Vor gut zwei Wochen hat der 33-Jährige die Fernfahrt Paris-Nizza dominiert.

Jörg Jaksche kam im Gesamklassement auf den dritten Rang und holte sich das Bergtrikot des besten Kletterers. Noch am Vormittag lag der Ansbacher hinter Thomas Dekker (Rabobank), der die zweite Etappe über 98,5 km entlang der Maas in den franzöischen Ardennen für sich entschieden hatte. Beim Einzelzeitfahren kam der 20-jährige Neuprofi aus den Niederlanden auf den zweiten Platz.

Vorjahressieger Jens Voigt beendete das Rennen auf dem hervorragenden fünften Rang. Der CSC-Fahrer hatte das Criterium International in seiner Karriere bereits zwei Mal für sich entschieden (1999 und 2004).

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Nicht zu vergessen, die Bahnrad-WM in LA:

Zitat

Wolff holt zweites WM-Gold

Der Olympia-Dritte René Wolff holte bei der Bahnrad-WM in Los Angeles das zweite Gold für Deutschland. Zwei Tage nach dem Triumph von Robert Bartko in der Einzelverfolgung über 4000 m war Wolff nicht zu schlagen und setzte sich gegen den Franzosen Mickael Bourgain in zwei Läufen durch.

Platz drei im Sprint-Finale belegte der zweimalige Vizeweltmeister Jobie Dajka aus Australien.

Außer den beiden Goldmedaillen gab es für die 17-köpfige deutsche Mannschaft durch das Sprint-Team mit Wolff, Matthias John (Erfurt) und Stefan Nimke (Schwerin) eine Bronzemedaille zu bejubeln. Damit belegten die Athleten vom Bund Deutscher Radfahrer (BDR) nach 15 Entscheidungen hinter Großbritannien (4 Gold/1 Silber/1 Bronze) und die Neiderlande (2/3/3) den dritten Rang in der Medaillenwertung.

Die deutsche Equipe verbuchte zudem drei fünfte Plätze durch Nimke (1000 m Zeitfahren), Jan van Eijden (Dudenhofen/Keirin) und Guido Fulst (Berlin/Punktefahren über 40 km), drei sechste Ränge durch Carsten Bergmann (Chemnitz/1000 m Zeitfahren), Andreas Müller (Berlin/Scratch über 15 Kilometer) und in der Mannschaftsverfolgung über 4000 m. Die beste Frauen-Platzierung erzielte Verena Jooß (Friesenheim) als Achte in der Einzelverfolgung über 3000 m.

Am Abschlusstag belegten Charlotte Becker (Unna) im Scratch-Rennen über 10 Kilometer und die Olympia-Vierten Robert Bartko/Guido Fulst im Madison über 50 Kilometer jeweils neunte Plätze. Den Frauen-Wettbewerb gewann Olga Sljusarewa (Russland) vor Katherine Bates (Australien) und Ljudmilla Wipirailo (Ukraine). Beim Madison siegten Mark Cavendish/Robert Hayles (Großbritannien) vor Robert Slippens/Danny Stam (Niederlande) und Matthew Gilmore/Iljo Keisse (Belgien).

Im Keirin-Rennen der Frauen war die Französin Clara Sanchez vor Elisa Frisoni (Italien) und Yvonne Hijgenaar (Niederlande) erfolgreich. Susann Panzer (Cottbus) schied als Vierte ihres Hoffnungslaufes aus.

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Quelle jeweils http://www.eurosport.de

Gestern war die Flandern-Rundfahrt. Sehr spannendes Rennen, auch aus deutscher Sicht ein gutes Ergebnis. T-Mobile war ausnahmsweise taktisch sehr gut, nur Ivanov braucht noch mal eine Nachhilfestunde. Langer, aber lesenswerter Bericht über das Rennen von http://www.cyclingnews.com:

Zitat

Flahute Fiesta! Tom Boonen wins Ronde Van Vlaanderen

By Tim Maloney, European Editor, with additional reporting from Jeff Jones
Although he's usually known as a sprinter, 24 year-old Belgian Tom Boonen (Quick.Step) made an audacious solo move from a breakaway of six riders with 9km to go in today's 89th edition of the Tour of Flanders. Boonen's move stuck as the other riders in the escape were caught by surprise and hesitated to go after the talented young rider from Balen, near Antwerp. Boonen is a big, strong guy; 1m92cm tall and 80kg, so he wasn't going to just sneak away up the road. Hunched over his bike, the Quick.Step rider nicknamed "Staf" got a gap and then just rode vollgas (all out) to capture the biggest race of his four year professional cycling career.

"I knew I couldn't go to the finish with fast guy Zabel there still, he was so strong today," said Boonen after the finish. "Especially also because Klier and Van Petegem were with me; they would have killed me in the final kilometres. So I decided to take my chances and attacked. I don't quite grasp yet what's happened today, I will need some more time for it to sink in."

For a Belgian bike racer, there is only one race more important than the World Championship or the Tour De France: a victory in De Ronde Van Vlaanderen simply makes a career for a flahute (French cycling slang for a Belgian rider). But for Boonen, his win is a consecration. After a superb third place in Paris-Roubaix 2002 at 21 years-old on the US Postal squad, Belgium's greatest modern classics rider Johann Museeuw called Boonen "my successor". After today's performance, Johan may be right on the mark. Museeuw and Quick.Step director Patrick Lefevere convinced Boonen to leave US Postal and after a slow start in 2004, he exploded in 2004 with 24 wins, including Gent-Wevelgem and two Tour de France stage wins, including Paris Champs Elysées.

Although he crashed earlier this week in the 3 Days of DePanne and got stitches in his hand, Boonen had shown that he was in form for the northern classics with a recent win in GP E3 Prijs Vlaanderen in Harelbeke eight days ago. For Boonen's main rival today, crafty, experienced 35 years old Peter Van Petegem (Davitamon-Lotto) there would be no hat trick. Already winner of Flanders in 1999 and 2003, De Peet is a consummate classics man, but a sickness earlier in the week at De Panne may have compromised the fitness of the Davitamon-Lotto rider. Although he led over the penultimate ascent of the Muur van Geraardsbergen, the opportunistic rider from Opbrakel seemed to lack the explosiveness of years past, but still ended up third on the podium.

"Without a doubt, the strongest rider won today," said Van Petegem after the finish. "Andreas Klier probably went a bit too early on the Bosberg and at the top he slowed. Then Tom reacted and I could hold on. When Tom went again, I couldn't anticipate it well and immediately the bird had flown. Still, I didn't exactly do nothing. On the Muur I went full-out once, and I wanted to reduce our group, but that didn't work because at the top we slowed down. And I was in the pincers, also because of the team tactics of T-Mobile. But if you win like Boonen here today, then you don't have to plan it. That was excellent."

"Can I win the Ronde van Vlaanderen a third time? Maybe if Boonen doesn't ride? No, I still have a contract until the end of 2007 and certainly want to have another crack at the prize that the Ronde van Vlaanderen definitely is."

In fact, the podium today was identical to last week's E3 Prijs, as Belgian-residing German Andreas Klier (T-Mobile) took second after attacking the chasing group in the closing kilometres. Klier admitted afterwards that he wasn't as strong as either Boonen or Van Petegem on the Bosberg. "It was a very difficult finale," he said. "No-one was still fresh. Actually I was the worst of the three. On the Bosberg I was nearly gone. When Tom went, no-one had an answer. Actually I'm happy that I could still finish second. But once again, it wasn't a win for T-Mobile, which seemed to have the numbers up front when Zabel attacked going into Brakel, then Klier bridged up on the Valkenburg, with Ivanov and Aldag in the next group. "But against Boonen today it was not possible. He was really the best."

T-Mobile's team manger Walter Godefroot agreed. "We indeed were the best team in the race today and it's a pity we didn't get that first win of the season here, but it's no disgrace to get beaten today in that way. Boonen was super. Tactically we did everything right. Don't be fooled; the move by Ivanov - appearing to be chasing while Zabel and Klier were in the break - was calculated, he didn't close the gap at all. Overall we rode a great race."

Touted pre-race as one of the strongest teams on paper, the Discovery Channel pro cycling team had leader George Hincapie and emerging talent Stijn Devolder backed up today by none other than six-time Tour de France champ Lance Armstrong. But Discovery missed the key move late in the race and a strong Hincapie could only manage 7th. Post-race, Discovery sports director Johan Bruyneel told Belgian TV tersely that "for the team, it was a big disappointment."

Bruyneel was positive about the performance of his team's superstar Armstrong in Flanders, explaining that, "Lance was into the race today...he was nervous beforehand and he showed he was in good form and motivated to race." After Flanders, Armstrong and his companion Sheryl Crow left for the USA, where Armstrong will prepare for the upcoming Tour de Georgia and his major press conference the day before on April 18. Hincapie and the rest of the Discovery Channel cycling team will be looking for revenge in Wednesday's Gent-Wevelgem and Sunday's Paris-Roubaix.

How it unfolded

After a moment of silence to commemorate the death of Pope John Paul II, the 89th edition of the Tour of Flanders departed the Grote Markt in Brugge at 9:40am on a warm, sunny spring morning. 196 riders started today, with some notable absences such as World Champion Oscar Freire (Rabobank), who was suffering from both saddle sores and flu. Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) wasn't there either, as the Italian classics specialist has come down with mononucleosis. ProTour leader Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) had never planned to race at Flanders, so no rider took the start wearing the ProTour leader's jersey.

With a huge crowd estimated at 1 million spectators enjoying the warm, sunny day, the Tour of Flanders parcours heads west from Brugge to the North Sea coast at Oostende, then southeast to Kortrijk and Oudenaarde, then weaved its way east through the climbs of the "Vlaamse Ardennen" hills where the first of the 17 climbs of the venerable race begins after 143 km.

After the first two hours of racing and 95km, a seven man break managed to get clear outside of Kortrijk. The riders were Magnus Bäckstedt (Liquigas), David Boucher (Mr.Bookmaker), Samuele Marzoli (Lampre-Cafitta), who had replaced the out of shape Dario Pieri, sent home by team management after dropping out of the 3 Days of De Panne. There was miniscule Francis Mourey (FDJ), Tino Zaballa (Saunier Duval-Prodir) and Carlos Barredo (Liberty). Just after the first feed zone in Harelbeke, last year's Flanders winner Flanders Steffen Wesemann abandoned.

As the break reached climb #1, Molenberg, their lead was 4'30, with Marzoli struggling. The Italian was dropped on climb #2, Wolvenberg as Bäckstedt was pounding hard in the break, perhaps trying to get a workout for next Sunday's Paris-Roubaix. At the now six rider escape hit the Oude Kwaremont with 86km to go, Bäckstedt's tempo blew Mourey and Boucher out the back, while the recently in-form Nico Eeckhout (Chocolade Jacques) abandoned in the peloton. Boucher chopped his back on to the break before the steep Paterberg, but he was soon out the back again.

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Teil 2 des Artikels:

Zitat

Once over the top of the Kwaremont, it was onto Ronde van Vlaanderenstraat and a ride past the monument to the founder of the Ronde, Karel van Wijnendaele. The gap between the break was still hovering around 4'00, and on the next climb of the Koppenberg, climb #5, Zaballa attacked the break with 74km to race. Quick Step's Cretskens was still riding hard tempo on the front of the peloton, but then Klier and Flecha moved to the front and this surge formed a front group of 20 chasers, with 0'10 back to a big chase group of 50 riders which struggled up the steep cobbles of the Koppenberg.

At the second feed zone on the N60 just before climb #6, Steenbeekdries with 70km to race, the gap to the four front runners was down to only 1'40, with Swiss champ Gregory Rast (Phonak) and Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) on the attack. Boucher didn't get back on this time, so on Steenbeekdries, then the flat cobbles of the Mariaborrestraat, it was Zaballa who took the points atop Steenbeekdries. Next climb, #7 Taaienberg, the break still had 1'30 and the Quick.Step led peloton just sucked up the move by the German and Swiss riders. Zaballa continued to rack up the points. With 60km to race, Zaballa grabbed the points once again on climb #8 of Eikenberg. In the chase group, rockin' Russian Ivanov (T-Mobile) and race favourite Van Petegem (Davitamon-Lotto) were pounding hard on the front.

On climb #9, Boigneberg, big Bäckstedt came off the back, while Barredo and Zaballa rode on. In the chase group, T-Mobile seemed frustrated by Quick.Step and Davitamon-Lotto's stranglehold on the race. Erik Zabel attacked again, but Dutch champ Erik Dekker (Rabobank) covered his move, as did O'Grady (Cofidis). Maggie finally gave up the ghost on the next climb, #10 of Foreest with 50km to go just as Zaballa made his move and dropped Barredo for good. Behind, T-Mobile sprung Marcus Burghardt on Foreest who got a gap, but right behind the German, lanky Italian Alessandro Ballan, who won Stage 1 of De Panne last week made a major surge and bridged across to Burghardt, who absorbed Bäckstedt and Barredo. At the top of Foreest, with 45km to go, Ballan went again and quickly got across to the race leader Tino Zaballa. As the front duo hit the top of climb #11, Steenberg, after 209km of racing, Ballan and Zaballa had 0'45 on the Quick.Step led peloton.

Next up was Leberg, climb #12 where the front duo's lead was down to 0'30 and the chase group caught Bäckstedt, Barredo and Burghardt. Up front, Ballan accelerated hard on the Berendries, the 13th climb of the Ronde and it was bad luck for Tino, as the Italian blew past him. Half a minute behind Ballan, Karsten Kroon (Rabobank) tried to jump away and bridge to the Italian, as Discovery Channel decided to flex their muscles on Berendries. Kroon came back while Lance Armstrong was pounding away on the front, with George Hincapie and Slava Ekimov sitting just behind. Ballan was riding brilliantly up front with 35km to go as he approached the 14th climb of the day of Valkenberg. The Lampre-Cafitta man had gained almost 1'00, and no one was going after him...yet.

On the descent into Brakel, Zabel attacked again and got a gap with Petito (Fassa Bortolo) and this duo caught the fading Zaballa, who managed to hang on to the counter-attackers for a moment before climb #14, Valkenberg. Suddenly from the chase group, Boonen, Klier and Van Petegem attacked and bridged across to Petito and Zabel. This decisive counter move suddenly turned into a dangerous situation for Discovery Channel, who were put on the defensive as neither Hincapie nor Devolder had made it up front with 30km to go. Ballan was caught one kilometre later and this sextet were riding flat out. From that point on, the Tour of Flanders was over for the rest of the riders.

Armstrong was still riding hard on the front with the six front runners just 0'25 up the road, but Davitamon-Lotto, Quick.Step and Fassa Bortolo were just not cooperating. The gap between the six escapees and the Discovery Channel-led chasers was steady at 0'30 over climb #15, Tenbosse. On the slight downhill, fast 10km between the base of the Tenbosse and climb #16, the almost always decisive Muur van Geraardsbergen, Discovery Channel knew it was almost their last chance to bring the break back, but despite their best efforts, Davitamon-Lotto, Quick.Step and Fassa Bortolo smothered any effort to regain the leaders. At 20km to go and with the wooded hill of Geraardsbergen looming, the lead break had gained time on the chasers and was now 0'50 ahead. Clearly the move of the day, the sextet had two T-Mobile riders as well as Belgians Van Petegem and Boonen, and opportunistic Italians Ballan and Petito.

At the penultimate climb of the Ronde Van Vlaanderen, the Muur van Geraardsbergen began, Boonen moved to the front in the town square with cagey Van Petegem right on his wheel. Van Petegem then made his move on the steep section of the Kapelmuur, but couldn't shake Klier and Boonen. Gussev (CSC), Hincapie (Discovery Channel) and Flecha (Fassa Bortolo) were leading the chase 1'00 behind. Petito and Zabel were dumped, but then came back on the front group on the descent.

As the final ascent of the day, climb #17 of the Bosberg approached with 13km to race, the nerves jacked up in the break while the chasers kept coming behind. Klier attacked first, but Boonen was right there. Van Petegem was waiting behind, while Zabel was clearly suffering. Then Boonen attacked over the top, while Van Petegem, Klier and Ballan came back to him. Finally Petito chased back with Zabel right on his wheel, while the chasers were at 0'50.

With 10km to go, there were still six riders together as the finish in Meerbeke approached. Klier kept pace high for a kilometre of so, and when he slacked off, Van Petegem went hard to test the rest. Boonen countered Van Petegem with 9km left and the Davitamon-Lotto rider looked back to the T-Mobile riders to chase. But they all just looked as Boonen flew the coop. The Quick.Step man quickly gained 50 meters on the rest, as no-one in the break expected Boonen to make a solo move. The young Belgian had turned the tables on T-Mobile with 7km to go, while Klier and Zabel were chasing desperately and even the opportunistic two-time winner Van Petegem had joined the pursuit.

With 5km, the Ronde became a nail biter with Boonen just 0'10 ahead of the chasers. But the five chasers couldn't get past looky-loo, while Boonen made the most important solo move on his career stick. Boonen made the right turn onto Halsesteenweg in Meerbeke with enough time to sit up, raise his hands over his head in triumph and savor the sweet taste of success, the sweetest race of all for a Belgian. T-Mobile's Klier dumped the rest to solo in for second, improving on his sixth place in 2004, but was once again runner-up to Boonen as he was a week ago in Harelbeke. Van Petegem won the sprint for third to take the final podium spot, while George Hincapie won the sprint from the chasing group for 7th, 1'40 behind Boonen. Even though the American improved on his 10th place in last year's Flanders, Hincapie shook his head in disappointment as he crossed the finish line in Meerbeke.

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Nächste Woche die "Hölle des Nordens"! Will ja nicht gemein sein, aber hoffentlich regnet es da - ich liebe dieses Matschrennen dann.