THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Tuesday's EuroFile: Brochard wins Paris-Camembert; Hincapie ready for De Panne; Freire for Flanders
Laurent Brochard (Bouygues Telecom), won the Paris-Camembert semi-classicrace in Vimoutiers, France, for a third time Tuesday.Former world champion Brochard crossed the line after 200km of ridingwith a lead of a few seconds over the first group of pursuers, includingsix-time Tour de France winner American Lance Armstrong.Brochard, 37, also won the French Cup event - a one-day race from Magnanville,west of Paris, to Vimoutiers in Normandy - in 2001 in 2003."I have really found my form," Brochard said afterwards. "PhysicallyI feel just as good as a few years ago and mentally I'm stronger."
Results
1. Laurent Brochard (F), Bouygues Telecom 4hr 45min 25sec
2. Brett Lancaster (AUS), Ceramica Panaria, at 0:07sec
3. Sandy Casar (F), Française des Jeux
4. Vladimir Gusev (Rus), CSC.
5. Lenaic Olivier (F), Agritubel
6. Mikhaylo Khalilov (Ukr), LPR
7. Didier Rous (F), Bouygues Telecom
8. Anthony Geslin (F), Bouygues Telecom
9. Samuel Dumoulin (F), AG2r Prévoyance
10. Patrice Halgand (F), Crédit Agricole, all s.t.Others
17. Thomas Voeckler (F), Bouygues Telecom s.t.
24. Lance Armstrong (USA), s.t.
Hincapie set to defend at De Panne
George Hincapie will line up Tuesday as defending champion at the Three Days of De Panne in the final warm-up before the northern classics. The four-stage race, held Tuesday to Thursday, is the last test before Sunday’s Tour of Flanders and the upcoming cobbled ProTour races at Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix.
Hincapie appears to have shaken off the ill-effects of a flu bug that zapped him the night before Milan-San Remo, causing the New Yorker to forfeit the first classic of the season. In Sunday’s Brabantse Pijl, Hincapie worked himself into the lead break and came through sixth behind winner Oscar Freire (Rabobank).
Other favorites include Tom Boonen (Quick Step), Peter Van Petegem (Davitamon-Lotto), Fabian Cancellara (Fassa Bortolo), the soon-to-be retired Ludo Dierckxsens (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago), Nico Eeckhout (Chocolade Jacques-T Interim) and defending Flanders champion Steffen Wesemann (T-Mobile).
The opening stage features 11 climbs, including assaults on the Leberg, Berendries, Grotenberge and Kloosterbosstraat. Wednesday’s second stage is a long day in the saddle at 231km while Thursday’s finale is split, with the morning sector hitting the Monteberg, Rodeberg and Vidaigneberg climbs. The afternoon time trial usually tips the balance in the GC.
Three Days of De Panne
Stage 1, March 29: Middelkerke to Zottegem (202 km)
Stage 2, March 30: Zottegem to Coxyde (231 km)
Stage 3, March 31: De Panne to De Panne (116 km)
Stage 4, March 31: De Panne-De Panne (13.7 km ITT)
Final overall standings - Three Days of De Panne -2004
1. George Hincapie (USA) U.S. Postal
2. Danilo Hondo (G) Gerolsteiner, at 0:10
3. Gerben Löwik (Nl) Chocolade Jacques, s.t.
4. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Fassa Bortolo, at 0:11
5. Marc Wauters (B) Rabobank, at 0:12
Freire optimistic
Fresh off his historic win at Brabantse Pijl on Sunday, Oscar Freire says he’s optimistic about his chances in the upcoming Belgian classics. The win was Freire’s seventh on the year and the first time a Spanish rider has won the Belgian semi-classic.
Freire is skipping this week’s Three Days of De Panne and instead will train in Switzerland only to return this weekend for Flanders.
“I hope to maintain this good form until then,” Freire said. “I’ve had a good start to the season and I haven’t been bothered with injury. I have forgotten what happened in Milan-San Remo. I simply made a bad sprint there. Let’s see what happens in Flanders.”
Rabobank is optimistic that their three-time world champion can win in Flanders, but admitted the local riders will have an advantage.
“Oscar can win in Flanders, even though the Flanders classic will be another story,” said team sport director Erik Breukink. “The Dutch and the Belgians know these roads since they were kids.” Course changes at Giro
Giro d’Italia officials have modified the course for the 13th stage set for May 21 for technical reasons, officials said. The 217km stage features a summit finish at Ortisei/St. Ulrich and is sure to be decisive.
Officials have replaced the two opening climbs of the stage, taking out the 1758-meter Passo Costalunga and the 2239m Passo Pordoi and substituting them with 2214m the Passo Sella and the 2121m Passo Gardena. From there the course will hit the Passo Campolongo and Passo della Erba as planned before the final assault to Ortisei.
The Passo Stelvio, at 2758m, remains in place and will be the “Cima Coppi” as the highest point of this year’s Giro d’Italia.
Absalon eyes world’s
Olympic mountain bike champion Julien Absalon says his life’s changed a lot since taking gold last summer in Athens. The French rider said he’s been surprised at the level of media interest since becoming Olympic champion. “A lot of things have changed, I can’t deny it. In the past I was barely known even by mountain bike fans, today I’m regarded as a VIP in France at least,” he said in an interview on the Bianchi team’s web page. “I knew that the Olympic medal would increase my fame but didn’t expect to such a point. It is true that any activity deserves hard training: the “job” of being famous too. Invitations, television programs, prizes, or simply the fact that people recognized you in the street; and my phone doesn’t stop ringing.”
Absalon insists it’s the “same, old Julien” despite the media glare and says he’s been training harder than ever for the upcoming season. The mountain bike World Cup debuts April 24 in Belgium, but Absalon says he wants another rainbow jersey.
“First of all the world championships in Livigno. It’s especially appealing to me because it will be held in Italy and I would like to give Bianchi a world victory on home turf as a present,” he said.
