Belgian road classic cycling season has begun
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad kicked off the 2011 Belgian road classic cycling season.
Garmin-Cervélo had three riders in the top fifty on Saturday, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, with Martijn Maaskant claiming the team’s best placing in 7th followed by Thor Hushovd in 33rd and Andreas Klier in 34th. The following day in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne things were looking good as the race came down to a bunch sprint but Tyler Farrar got boxed in as the sprint opened up and manage 4th place.
“I had two flats today,” Farrar told Belgian sports television Sporza, “I flatted at the foot of the Knokteberg and received the wheel from Daniel Lloyd. Together with Travis Meyer I chased back, but at the top of the Knokteberg I had a flat again.”
Tyler Farrar still had a bit of hope left, but one unfortunate line in the sprint meant it was all over for the American. “I still had good legs and went all out in the sprint. But when I went to pass on the right, I was boxed in.”
This wasn’t a dream start of the classics season that the Garmin-Cervélo was looking for, but with names such as Hushovd, Farrar, Maaskant, Hammond, Millar, Klier, Haussler etc. things will change soon. After a superb start of the season with Meyer in Australia, Haussler in Qatar and Fischer and Farrar in Spain, we’ll soon be seeing big things from the guys in the coming races.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itayU0tUrOU[/youtube]
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2011 – Highlights
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5IwoYojmO4[/youtube]
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2011 – Final six kilometers
Video: Sporza.be – Photo: Team Garmin-Cervélo