Sebastien Rosseler is back on form after winning the 4th and final stage of the Circuit Franco Belge. The stage took the peloton 161km from Chateau d’Havré to Grand Place de Tournai. The win came out of a two-man breakaway where the Belgian rider got the better of Spaniard Juan Antonio Flecha from Team Rabobank sealing up his 5th career victory.
“The weather today was absolutely awful,” explained Rosseler about his 2nd victory of the season. “The conditions were so bad that the organizers decided to shorten the race by about 30 kilometres. During the final I made my attack taking 7 other riders along with me. On the final Côte about 15 kilometers from the finish line I decided to up the pace. The bunch was gaining time and catching up with our small group. I didn’t want them to catch up with me without attempting another attack. Flecha was the only rider that resisted my attack. He was thinking of the general classifications so we both worked together up to the final. I am really pleased with this victory. It was a great feeling holding my hands high up in the air crossing the finish line in first position. When you win the Time Trial you certainly don’t have the time to enjoy the victory as much as I did during today’s stage!”
For his efforts, Rosseler moved up to second place in the Final General Classification behind his breakaway compatriot Juan Antonio Flecha.
The bad news for team Quick Step was that team leader Tom Boonen hit the ground at around 75 kilometers into the race. He was fortunate enough to land in the grass on the side of the road, but has injured his right wrist. Boonen will visit the doctor tomorrow to have his wrist x-rayed as a precaution so he can rule out any serious injury. For now he is set to take the start at Paris-Tours next week.