Rosseler scores with bad legs

Yesterday's semi classic la Fleche Brabanconne marked the start of the second half of the spring classics campaign, which culminates on 26 April with Liege-Bastogne-Liege. The next races are hillier and will see other names, of solid climbers, appearing in the result lists. Boonen and Cancellara are already on holiday.

Yesterday's race saw Sebastien Rosseler emerge victorious after a long breakaway lasted until the line. Together with compatriots Thomas de Gendt and Jurgen Vandewalle, the Wallonian rider - a teammate of Lance Armstrong at Team RadioShack - stayed out of reach of the race favourites after an attack that was launched with 172 kilometers to go. Afterwards, he confessed he had attacked so early because he had bad legs and did not feel well, and merely thought of grabbing some TV publicity before the big guns would unload. But that happened too late. And so Rosseler grabbed the most significant win of his pro career despite a pair of bad legs.

Race favourites Philippe Gilbert and Oscar Freire probably already had their minds set on next Sunday's Dutch classic Amstel Gold Race. They still made top ten yesterday, though. It is good to see that Greg Van Avermaet - eighth - is keeping his chin up after what is turning out to be another disappointing spring campaign. The then 21-year-old Van Avermaet burst onto the professional scene in 2007 and especially 2008 with several victories and a string of impressive rides, a.o. the points classification and a stage win over Cunego and Rebellin at the Vuelta a Espana. But since then his rush to the top of pro cycling has stalled without an obvious explanation. Could it be that Van Avermaet is simply better equipped for the hillier races a la Amstel and Liege than for the Flemish cobblestone races?

Result Fleche Brabanconne

1. Sebastien Rosseler (BEL, Team RadioShack)
2. Thomas de Gendt (BEL, Topsport Vlaanderen)
3. Jurgen Vandewalle (BEL, Quickstep)
4. Paul Martens (GER, Rabobank)
5. Philippe Gilbert (BEL, Omega Pharma Lotto)
6. Thomas Voeckler (FRA, B Box Bouyges)
7. Bjorn Leukemans (BEL, Vacansoleil)
8. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL, Omega Pharma Lotto)
9. Oscar Freire (ESP, Rabobank)
10. Daniel Moreno (ESP, Omega Pharma Lotto)