Fabian's Flanders

   This spring has been a big disappointment so far, with most of days being either to cold, windy or rainy to make any bike ride enjoyable. This weekend proved to be the highlight of the season so far with some of the best weather we’ve had in a long time. Saturday afternoon Sue and I went on a nice ride through Phoenixville towards Audubon and returned on the Schuylkill Trail, while on Sunday morning I sat down to watch the Tour of Flanders, surrounded by the fantastic smell of hot crossed buns being baked!

 

   The race was mostly uneventful, lacking any significant breaks among the favorites, which I suspect was mostly due to the strength of the field and rivals wanting to keep each other in sight. The Radio Shack team (pictured above during pre-race training), who had been criticized for their lack of results in major events, did a lot of work on the front during the first 230 kilometers of the race, keeping the pace high for their leader, Fabian Cancellara.

   In a reprisal of his winning move in the E3 semi-classic race just over a week ago, Cancellara attacked in the same spot on the Oude Kwaremont, except this time around, Peter Sagan was able to stay with him on the steep, cobbled road. The duo was able to distance the peloton over the penultimate climb and linked up with Belgian Jürgen Roelandts, who was the last remnant of any earlier breakaway.

   Sensing a bit of weakness in his companions, Cancellara put the hammer down on the Patterburg (photo below), and although Sagan hung close for a bit, the Cannondale rider faded near the top of the climb. Cancellara, the four-time world time trial champion and 2008 Olympic gold medal winner at that discipline, had the gap he needed and averaged nearly 30 mph by himself over the last 12 kilometers (amazing, after 244 km of racing!) to win the Tour of Flanders for the second time.

 

 

   British Eurosport commentator David Harmon said it all, “Will someone please, please get me a set of those legs for Christmas next year?”