The Tour of Flanders 2010, also known as De Ronde (of Ronde van Vlaanderen, the Flemmish name of the race), was won by Fabian Cancellara (Team Saxo Bank) this afternoon.
The 94th edition was very selective as usual, but surprisingly the two big favourites created a decisive gap with still 45 kilometers to go. First they worked together but it was finally the Swiss rider of the Danish team who placed the decisive attack in Geraardsbergen to become the second Swiss in the history of the Tour of Flanders to win this classic.

A summary of the Tour of Flanders 2010

This morning, a bit after 9.45AM, a 198 riders strong peloton took the start of Vlaanderens Mooiste on the Market of Brugge.

Immediately after the start a leading group was formed after an attack by the Spanish rider Vicente Garcia Acosta of the Caisse d'Epargne team, accompanied in this group by Michele Merlo (Footon-Servetto), Nicolas Rousseau (AG2R La Mondiale), Joost van Leijen (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team) and Floris Goesinnen (Skil-Shimano). While the peloton allows this group to create a gap, Michail Ignatiev (Team Katusha), Olivier Bonnaire (Française des Jeux) and David Boucher (Landbouwkrediet) bridge the gap one hour and a half after the leading group was formed.

The group of 8 riders continued to extend its gap until Quick Step and Team Sky and later also Team Saxo Bank try to get back on them.
The most remarkable rider in this leading group was most probably Michail Ignatiev because he was not wearing the usual helmet for Katusha, but a yellow helmet ... with the Flemmish lion drawn on it!

In the Knokteberg two riders of the leading group, Michele Merlo and David Boucher can no longer follow while several riders in the peloton have to put a foot on the ground since the Saxo Bank team slows down at the head of the peloton without allowing any rider to get away.
In the climb of the Oude Kwaremont, Nicolas Rousseau and William Bonnaire are the next riders to leave the leading group which is led at that time by Floris Goesinnen.

A bit further, a small group of favourites temporarily gets away from the peloton. In this group Matti Breschel and Fabian Cancellara represent Saxo Bank, Tom Boonen Quick Step, but Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam), Leif Hoste (Omega Pharma-Lotto), George Hincapie (BMC Racing Team), Juan Antonio Flecha (Team Sky) and Steve Chainel (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) are present as well. Rapidly these favourites allow other riders to join them, while Juan Antonio Flecha is the 5th rider who can no longer follow the 3 other riders of the leading group.

On the Eikenberg, 4 riders of Team Sky take the lead of this group and bridge the gap with the 3 leading riders at 60 kilometers from the finish. A bit later Team Saxo Bank seems to lose all hopes for a potential victory because after Fabian Cancellara having to change his bike, Matti Breschel has to make a change as well, twice!

While the Danish rider is in trouble, his team mate Fabian Cancellara surprises everyone by placing an attack at 45 kilometers from the finish and only the Flemmish rider Tom Boonen (Quick Step) can follow him! This rider's team mate, Stijn Devolder (who declared this morning before the start: I slept well. It's D-Day today, this is the most important spring race. I hope I'm ready for it, but if necessary I will sacrifice my own chances for Tom Boonen.), controls the group behind the two leading riders to counter-attack all riders who try to escape and only the Scottish rider David Millar (Garmin-Transitions), recent winner of the final time trial of the Critérium International 2010, manages to get away.
In the climb of the Berendries, Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Björn Leukemans (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team) try their last chance and bridge the gap with the Scottish rider.

The two big favourites stay ahead however and on the Mur de Grammont (Geraardsbergen) Millar can no longer follow and at 15 kilometers from the finish, Tom Boonen seems to place an attack but with his counter-attack Fabian Cancellara gets away from Boonen and the Swiss rider shows with his power why he has the sirname Spartacus.

He stays ahead and a very happy Fabian Cancellara (Team Saxo Bank) crosses the finish line of this 94th edition of the Tour of Flanders alone with a Swiss flag in his hand!
Not really surprising when we know that since Heinrich Sutter in 1923 no other Swiss had ever won the Tour of Flanders!

Tom Boonen finishes second at 1'13" in front of his public who's happy to see him finish second behind Spartacus. After the race he declared being a bit disappointed because I've never really had a bad moment. When he (Fabian Cancellara) suddenly accellerated I tried to follow him but I got some cramps at that time and couldn't follow him. I was at 55 kilometers an hour, but he was still going faster! The Belgian rider however keeps good hope for Paris-Roubaix which he won for the third time last year.
Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) sprints for the third place ahead of Björn Leukemans (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team) who finished 4th.

The classification of the Tour of Flanders 2010

The top 10 of this Ronde is as follows:
1/ Fabian Cancellara (Team Saxo Bank)
2/ Tom Boonen (Quick Step)
3/ Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto)
4/ Björn Leukemans (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team)
5/ Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions)
6/ George Hincapie (BMC Racing Team)
7/ Roger Hammond (Cervélo TestTeam)
8/ Maxim Iglinsky (Astana)
9/ Danilo Hondo (Lampre-Farnese Vini)
10/ William Bonnet (Bbox Bouygues Telecom)

door Thomas Vergouwen
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this publication is published in: Cycling general (except Tour de France) | Classics

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