This season was supposed to be a renaissance for Vanendert, who had suffered three years of injury between 2008 and 2010, including a fractured hip and a serious knee injury. In the beginning of the season he helped his other leading team-mate, Philippe Gilbert, to three victories. Thanks to the unfortunate fate of Van den Broeck, he has now been able to add one of his own, after taking advantage of the fact that the leaders were more concentrated on each other than on him. He caught up with leader Sandy Casar, and then left him behind, with only six kilometres to go. “I decided to wait until we were higher on the climb before making my move,” he said later.