Rick Scott's Weekly Rap: Cavendish 8, Voigt 5
3 April 2009By Rick Scott
We’ve got some California love for you this week along with victories for the vigilant attacker and the fastest finisher in the game. As we reach the treacherous cobblestone Classics, a pair of stars prepare for their return from injury.
The Beat
The National Racing Calendar opened in - where else? - California at the 25th Redlands Bicycle Classic. Fly V Australia presented by the Successful Living Foundation’s Ben Day won the opening uphill time trial, but BMC flew faster the rest of the way with stage wins by Jeff Louder and Jackson Stewart. Colavita-Sutter Homes’ Kyle Wamsley, no doubt fueled on his sponsor’s pasta and vino, won the difficult final stage along with the sprint points jersey. However, it was Louder’s name that was added to the prestigious list of overall champions.The Energizer Bunny, otherwise known as Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank), entered Criterium International with the goal of winning his fifth overall title at the French race often referred to as a mini-Tour de France. The first stage is a long flattish route favoring the sprinters. The second day consists of two stages: a hilly morning road race followed by a short afternoon time trial. With sprinter Jimmy Casper (Besson Chaussures) winning the opener, Voigt went on the attack in round 2. Even though he was clearly a marked man, no one proved stronger than the 37-year-old German, who won solo after a long break. Voigt finished 5th in the time trial behind Tony Martin (Columbia-Highroad) to salute the crowd from the top step of the final podium for the fifth time with a two-second edge over Columbia-Highroad’s Frantisek Rabon and nine seconds over American Danny Pate (Garmin-Slipstream).
The final test before this weekend’s Belgian biggie – the Tour of Flanders – was Three Days of De Panne, which is comprised of four stages (two on the final day). Confirming the excellent form that delivered him the win at last weekend’s E3 Prijs, Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) sprinted to victory on Stage 1. Just as he did last year, speedy Brit Mark Cavendish (Columbia-Highroad) won stages 2 and 3, going back-to-back like he did at the Amgen Tour of California. The final stage was a 14.75-km time trial and Bradley Wiggins (Garmin-Slipstream) conquered the course. Overall kudos went to Frederik Willems (Liquigas) ahead of defending champion Joost Posthuma (Rabobank).
Which brings us to one of the biggest one-day races in cycling: the Ronde van Vlaanderen a.k.a. the Tour of Flanders. The legendary 260-km trek through the Flemish countryside tortures riders over sixteen steep cobblestone sections called “hellingen.” Win this monument and you’ve assure yourself a permanent place in cycling history and you’ll never have to open your wallet in a Belgium bar again. Last year’s winner, Stijn Devolder, will defend his crown, but odds are favoring his Quick Step teammate, Tom Boonen, a two-time winner of the fabled race. Adding a third possible candidate for victory from Quick Step is Sylvain Chavanel. Other marquee stars to watch will be Pozzato, Heinrich Haussler (Cervelo TestTeam) and Leif Hoste (Silence-Lotto), the latter of whom finished 2nd three times in five attempts. A personal favorite is George Hincapie (Columbia-Highroad), who is in the best shape of his stellar career and passionately desires to win in Flanders or at next weekend’s Paris-Roubaix.
Mid-week many of the same riders will compete on the cobblestones at Gent-Wevelgem. The flatter course will also bring out the likes of gravity-intolerant fast men Cavendish and Robbie McEwen (Katusha). Hincapie won at Gent-Wevelgem in the past as has his teammate, Marcus Burghardt, but their man Cav, who already has eight triumphs this season, will be the odds on favorite.
The Flow
Lance Armstrong (Astana) continues his recovery after surgery to repair a broken collarbone. The Texan climbed back on the bike a few days after the surgery to twirl his legs for thirty minutes on an indoor trainer… Happy to see that three-time World Champion Oscar Freire will return to racing next week at the Vuelta al Pais Vasco in his native Spain. The Rabobank leader broke a couple of ribs in a crash during Stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California…# # #
