Tour of Flanders 2010 [FULL RACE]

April 4, 2010

Tour of Flanders 2010 – Brugge – Meerbeke : 262 km

The 2010 Tour of Flanders cycle race was the 94th edition of this monument classic and took place on 4 April. The course was 262.3 km long, starting in Brugge and finishing in Ninove.

The skies may have been dark everywhere else in Belgium, but a ray of light shone on Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) as he rode to the victory in the Tour of Flanders. The world time trial champion showed his huge power advantage by dropping Tom Boonen (Quick Step) on the Kapelmuur climb and then riding away to glory with more than a minute’s lead by the line.

Flashing his lucky charm for the camera as he pulled into Meerbeke en route to his the third Monument victory, the Swiss champion, who won Paris-Roubaix in 2006 and Milan-San Remo in 2008, had ample time to celebrate with team director Bjarne Riis and grab a Swiss flag from the fans to wave as he crossed the line.

Boonen and Cancellara broke free of the lead group on the Molenberg more than 40km before the finish, and thanks to a strong tailwind were able to distance a group of chasers which was whittled down to Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Bjorn Leukemans (Vacansoleil) by the top of the Kapelmuur.

Cancellara chose the steepest part of the climb to put in a bid to drop Boonen, and the effort was a success. By the famous chapel at the top of the climb in Geraardsbergen, the Swiss had a dozen seconds on the fading Belgian champion. With his world-renowned time trialing abilities, Cancellara steadily added time to his lead in the final 20km. Boonen came across the line, head bowed, in second place 1:14 later. Gilbert easily out-sprinted Leukemans to claim the final podium spot, while not far behind Americans Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) and George Hincapie (BMC) were fastest in the bunch sprint.

“It wasn’t easy knowing I was the favourite but that was more of a weight on my shoulders in the build-up to the race rather than today,” Cancellara said immediately after winning.

“I suppose it was a perfect race. Even my attacks were perfectly timed. Going on the Molenberg was the right moment and then I had to try on the Muur because that’s where the legend and history of this race are made. When I realised I’d dropped Boonen it was like having wings on my feet and kept going all the way to the finish.”

“Winning big races like this isn’t easy and I have to thank my family and my team for the support they always give me. My next objective? There are still two monuments I haven’t won….”

Boonen admitted that he was up against a tough rival today, but said things will be different next Sunday in Paris-Roubaix.

“Battling up against Fabian as a team is ideal. I’m already happy that I was able to keep up with him. I don’t fear him. I’ve got a simple plan. If he goes I have to stay with him. You can’t give him a few meters or he’s gone,” Boonen said after the race.

“Cancellara and I started co-operating without saying a word. It was a beautiful race. I liked the new course a lot. In the past riders were able to come back and attack, but now that was impossible. The Molenberg didn’t make the difference. It’s the part just before and after the Molenberg that makes it very hard.”

It was Boonen’s third runner-up finish after Milan-San Remo and the E3 Prijs, but the Belgian champion had a positive view on his latest result. “It makes me the best regular rider of the peloton.”

A fast start from Brugge

The first attacks of the race were launched right after leaving Brugge. The first five riders to get a gap over the peloton were Michele Merlo, Nicolas Rousseau, Joost van Leijen, Floris Goesinnen, and veteran José Vicente Garcia Acosta. When arriving at the coast after half an hour of racing the five had a gap of one minute over the peloton. Three riders then made a counter-attack, with Olivier Bonnaire, Mikhail Ignatiev and natural attacker David Boucher setting off in pursuit of the five.

After sixty kilometres of early racing the three chasers bridged up with the leaders, creating an eight-man leader’s group. The peloton let them go and were soon thirteen minutes behind them, with Quick Step, Team Sky, Saxo Bank and Astana all helped controlled the gap.

On the first climb called Den Ast, the gap had dropped below the ten minutes. The speed increased in the peloton as the roads were getting more technical and narrow. Several crashes occurred and ruined several riders’ chances, although no favourites were included. However Lars Boom and Sergey Ivanov were caught behind and had to work hard to get back to the peloton, using a lot of energy to get back near the front of the peloton where Saxo Bank was driving the pace.

When the race reached the Kluisberg, the second climb of the day, the huge gap had fallen to just four minutes and the race between the big teams was on.

Saxo Bank controlled the peloton, with eight men on front of the peloton. Saxo Bank put the hammer down as the race headed towards the first real testing climb, the Oude Kwaremont. Again, the peloton split apart, with about hundred riders were in the first peloton that trailed the leaders by two minutes.

After the Oude Kwaremont there were only four leaders left from the early break: Van Leijen, Garcia Acosta, Goesinnen and Ignatiev. In the peloton Stuart O’Grady led the group at a steady pace over the 2200 metre-long cobbled stretch. Once again, the peloton reduced in number, with Stijn Devolder being the most important absentee.

The first selection on the Paterberg

On the Paterberg climb, with 80km to go, Matti Breschel upped the pace and this time the favorites had to move. Only nine men survived this selection, indicating what would happen later in the race. Breschel, Fabian Cancellara, Tom Boonen, Lars Boom, Juan Antonio Flecha, George Hincapie, Steve Chainel, Leif Hoste and Thor Hushovd were all there.

The rest of the peloton wasn’t too far away and got back just before tackling the Koppenberg but then the pace went up yet again. Breschel and Boonen impressed on the famous cobbled climb. Cyclo-cross rider Chainel had to stop and put his foot down, blocking other riders and forcing him to run up the climb on the 22% part of the Koppenberg.

Up front Garcia Acosta got dropped and the three remaining leaders had about forty seconds on a leading peloton of about forty riders that also including Lance Armstrong. There was no organisation in the peloton and on climb eight, the Taaienberg, several riders managed to bridge back up to the first peloton, including Devolder and Sergey Ivanov. This was the quiet before the decisive attacks.

On the next climb, the Eikenberg, 60km kilometres from the finish, Team Sky closed the gap on Ignatiev, Goesinnen and Van Leijen. Behind the Saxo Bank team had a scare as both Cancellara and Breschel were forced to switch bikes. For Breschel the mechanic couldn’t seem to find the right bike and the Danish champion lost a lot of time and was forced to chase amongst the long line of team cars. The problem definitely compromised his race.

The door swings open on the Molenberg

Due to the hesitations in the peloton Mathew Hayman sneaked away and on the cobbles and for a moment, it was Armstrong who led the chase. Then before the important Molenberg climb, with 45km to go, Bernhard Eisel, Daniel Oss, Matthew Lloyd and Maarten Wynants carved out a small gap but they were no match when Cancellara and Boonen blasted past them near the summit. It was the key moment of the race.

Boonen and Cancellara quickly opened a gap of fifteen seconds on a group with Flecha, who narrowly missed the attack. On a crosswind section Philippe Gilbert blew the chase group apart but was marked by Bjorn Leukemans, Hoogerland, Chainel, Hoste, David Millar, Sebastian Langeveld, Hincapie, Iglinsky, Flecha and the Quick Step duo Wynants and Devolder who neutralized the attacks.

Meanwhile Boonen and Cancellara were sharing pulls in front, opening a gap of half a minute. Millar attacked the chase group after climbing the Leberg but the Brit didn’t get any closer on the leading duo. On the Berendries climb he received help from Gilbert and Leukemans who had left the rest of the original chase group behind but even the trio failed to get close to Boonen and Cancellara.

With less than thirty kilometers the race seemed to be between Boonen and Cancellara, with Millar, Gilbert and Leukemans at fifty seconds, and a nine-man chasing group with Devolder, Wynants, Langeveld, Iglinsky, Flecha, Chainel, Hoogerland, Hincapie and Hoste at little over a minute. On the thirteenth climb, the Tenbosse, the leaders had 54 seconds on the three chasers and 1’20” on the other chasers.

A moment in time and one good line…

At the foot of the famous Muur in Geraardsbergen the gap for the leaders was down to 43″ but everything seemed to be under control for the Belgian and Swiss national champion. The Kapelmuur would see the shown down between the two.

Both look strong but on the last section of the Muur, Cancellara had something extra – a bit more power and a slightly better line over the cobbles – and he surged away from Boonen. Over the top of the Kapelmuur, Cancellara already had a gap over ten seconds and Boonen seemed to have thrown in the towel.

He tried to chase but lost time all the way to the finish. Cancellara used his time trialing skills to open a huge margin and then began celebrating as soon as he entered the long finishing straight in Merebeke. He showed a special good luck charm he had kept in his pocket and celebrated with Saxo Bank team Bjarne Riis manager in the team car. He then collected a Swiss flag before slowly rolling over the line in celebration. Despite racing for 262km and over six hours, he hardly seemed out of breath.

Boonen also rolled home, just over a minute behind, while Philippe Gilbert beat Bjorn Leukemans to take third place.

The USA’s Tyler Farrar won the sprint for fifth, with George Hincapie sixth.

Results :
1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank 6:25:56
2 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step 0:01:15
3 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:02:11
4 Bjorn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 0:02:15
5 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Transitions 0:02:35
6 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team
7 Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervelo Test Team
8 Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana
9 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre-Farnese Vini
10 William Bonnet (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
11 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
12 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha
13 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Professional Cycling Team
14 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
15 Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank
16 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team HTC – Columbia
17 Steve Chainel (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
18 Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française Des Jeux
19 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Quick Step
20 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team
21 Roy Sentjens (Bel) Team Milram
22 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank
23 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Team HTC – Columbia
24 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step
25 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step
26 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
27 Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack
28 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
29 Leif Hoste (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
30 Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini
31 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha
32 David Millar (GBr) Garmin – Transitions
33 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team
34 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Professional Cycling Team
35 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:02:48
36 Koen De Kort (Ned) Skil – Shimano 0:05:13
37 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
38 Dimitri Muravyev (Kaz) Team Radioshack
39 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
40 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
41 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
42 Dominique Rollin (Can) Cervelo Test Team
43 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
44 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
45 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram
46 Grégory Rast (Swi) Team Radioshack
47 Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas-Doimo
48 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
49 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank
50 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha
51 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française Des Jeux
52 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step
53 Kurt Asle Arvesen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team
54 Karsten Kroon (Ned) BMC Racing Team
55 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin – Transitions
56 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Cervelo Test Team
57 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
58 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 0:06:58
59 Koen Barbe (Bel) Landbouwkrediet 0:10:33
60 Bobbie Traksel (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
61 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
62 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator
63 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step 0:13:20
64 Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Astana
65 Javier Aramendia Lorente (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
66 Allan Davis (Aus) Astana
67 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana
68 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Team HTC – Columbia
69 Floris Goesinnen (Ned) Skil – Shimano
70 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
71 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
72 Frédéric Amorison (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
73 Tiziano Dall’antonia (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
74 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team HTC – Columbia
75 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Team HTC – Columbia
76 Yoann Offredo (Fra) Française Des Jeux
77 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank
78 Michael Barry (Can) Sky Professional Cycling Team
79 Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
80 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Quick Step
81 Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Team Radioshack
82 Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil – Shimano
83 Roy Curvers (Ned) Skil – Shimano
84 Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team
85 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank
86 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank
87 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
88 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Team Katusha
89 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Sky Professional Cycling Team
90 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin – Transitions
91 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Team HTC – Columbia
92 Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
93 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
94 Frank Hoj (Den) Team Saxo Bank
95 Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
DNF Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step
DNF Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Kristof Goddaert (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Nicolas Rousseau (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Scott Davis (Aus) Astana
DNF Valeriy Dmitriyev (Kaz) Astana
DNF Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana
DNF Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana
DNF Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
DNF Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
DNF Mathieu Drujon (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
DNF Imanol Erviti (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
DNF Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Caisse d’Epargne
DNF José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
DNF José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
DNF Andres Sergio De Lis (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF Inaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF Romain Sicard (Fra) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF Pablo Urtasun Perez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF Fabio Felline (Ita) Footon-Servetto
DNF Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Footon-Servetto
DNF Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Por) Footon-Servetto
DNF Vidal Celis Zabala (Spa) Footon-Servetto
DNF Thomas Patrick Faiers (GBr) Footon-Servetto
DNF Johnnie Walker (Aus) Footon-Servetto
DNF Michele Merlo (Ita) Footon-Servetto
DNF David Gutierrez (Spa) Footon-Servetto
DNF Olivier Bonnaire (Fra) Française Des Jeux
DNF Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française Des Jeux
DNF Mikael Cherel (Fra) Française Des Jeux
DNF Anthony Geslin (Fra) Française Des Jeux
DNF Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française Des Jeux
DNF Alfredo Balloni (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
DNF Marcin Sapa (Pol) Lampre-Farnese Vini
DNF Vitaliy Buts (Ukr) Lampre-Farnese Vini
DNF Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
DNF Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
DNF Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
DNF Aliaksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas-Doimo
DNF Mickael Delage (Fra) Omega Pharma-Lotto
DNF Adam Blyth (GBr) Omega Pharma-Lotto
DNF Sebastian Lang (Ger) Omega Pharma-Lotto
DNF Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank
DNF Thomas Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
DNF Nick Nuyens (Bel) Rabobank
DNF Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Rabobank
DNF Greg Henderson (NZl) Sky Professional Cycling Team
DNF Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin – Transitions
DNF Matthew Wilson (Aus) Garmin – Transitions
DNF Steven Cozza (USA) Garmin – Transitions
DNF Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin – Transitions
DNF Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC – Columbia
DNF Martin Velits (Svk) Team HTC – Columbia
DNF Marco Bandiera (Ita) Team Katusha
DNF Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Team Katusha
DNF Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Team Katusha
DNF Mikhaylo Khalilov (Ukr) Team Katusha
DNF Wim De Vocht (Bel) Team Milram
DNF Markus Eichler (Ger) Team Milram
DNF Thomas Fothen (Ger) Team Milram
DNF Servais Knaven (Ned) Team Milram
DNF Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Milram
DNF Paul Voss (Ger) Team Milram
DNF Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Team Radioshack
DNF Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Team Radioshack
DNF Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Team Radioshack
DNF Sebastien Rosseler (Bel) Team Radioshack
DNF Baden Cooke (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
DNF Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank
DNF Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
DNF Mathieu Claude (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
DNF Yohann Gene (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
DNF Damien Gaudin (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
DNF Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team
DNF Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team
DNF Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
DNF Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Cervelo Test Team
DNF Martin Reimer (Ger) Cervelo Test Team
DNF Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervelo Test Team
DNF Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
DNF David Boucher (Fra) Landbouwkrediet
DNF Davy Commeyne (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
DNF Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
DNF Kevin Neirynck (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
DNF Geert Verheyen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
DNF Mitchell Docker (Aus) Skil – Shimano
DNF Steve Houanard (Fra) Skil – Shimano
DNF Job Vissers (Ned) Skil – Shimano
DNF Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil – Shimano
DNF Johan Coenen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator
DNF Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator
DNF Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator
DNF Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator
DNF Geert Steurs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator
DNF Maarten Neyens (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator
DNF Steven Van Vooren (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator
DNF Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
DNF Jens Mouris (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team