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RACE REPORTS: ENECO TOUR STAGE 5: BAK WINS STAGE AS BOASSON HAGEN TAKES OVERALL LEAD
Road Bike Action & AFP
August 23, 2009
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(Photo: Yuzuru Sunada)
Dane Lars Bak of Saxo Bank won Sunday's fifth stage of the Eneco Tour at Sittard as Norwegian rider Edvald Boasson Hagen of Columbia took the leader's jersey after placing second on the day. Bak made his dash for the line five kilometers out to edge Boasson Hagen by 2-seconds with Italian Francesco Gavazzi third.
Previous overall leader Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Slipstream missed out in the late breakaway and came in 30-seconds adrift to see Hagen pass him overall by 15-seconds following the 204.3km stage. Bak was among an 18-strong group including Boasson Hagen, Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel and Belgian Maxime Montfort who broke away around 50km from the line and the Dane proved to have the legs to see his challenge through to the finish.
"I am not a sprinter. I wanted to win it and knew if I was to do so I had to go for it well before the finish line. I really had to attack as the peloton came back strongly over the final 20 kilometers," said the 29-year-old Danish time trial champion. "But I had my doubts right to the final meter," admitted Bak, who was glad to go one better after several second places this season.
Monday's penultimate stage is a 163km ride from Genk in Belgium to the Dutch town of Roermond. The final stage on Tuesday is a short time trial which Boasson Hagen should be looking forward to, according to team manager Tristan Hoffman. "It's quite short and totally flat so it suits Edvald, but it's also a good distance for Tyler Farrar and the riders are all very close, said Hoffman. "This race is going to go down to the wire, but we're in a good position."
Boasson Hagen, who this year notably won the Ghent-Wevelgem classic, paid tribute to his teammates for their work on Sunday, adding: "Now I've got a pretty good chance of winning, but I'll have to see how much energy I used up today. "I came close to victory last year but lost it when I got dropped in the crosswinds and this year I want to get it right."
Eneco Tour Stage 5, 204.3km
1. Lars Ytting Bak (Den/Team Saxo Bank) 5:13:16
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen/Nor) Team Columbia-HTC) @ .02
3. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita/Lampre-N.G.C.) @ s.t.
4. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel/Silence-Lotto)
5. Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa/Rabobank)
6. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned/Rabobank)
7. Joost Posthuma (Ned/Rabobank)
8. Jan Bakelandts (Bel/Topsport Vlaanderen)
9. David Deroo (Fra/Skil-Shimano)
10. Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel/Saxo Bank)
Overall Classification After Stage 5
1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/Team Columbia-HTC) 23:04:45
2. Tyler Farrar (USA/Garmin-Slipstream @ .15
3. Lars Ytting Bak (Den/Saxo Bank) @ s.t.
4. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra/Quick Step) @ .21
5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Liquigas) @ .23
6. Joost Posthuma (Ned/Rabobank) @ s.t.
7. Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa/Rabobank @ .25
8. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita/Lampre-N.G.C.) @ .28
9. Jan Bakelandts (Bel/Topsport Vlaanderen) @ s.t.
10. Maxime Monfort (Bel/Team Columbia-HTC) @ .29 |
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