Tour of Flanders
This year's Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) was again won by Stijn Devolder, the fourth win for the Belgian Quick Step cycling team in five years and Devolder's second victory in a row.
Speaking at a press conference after the event on 5 April, Devolder said things had looked "really bad" for him following the Paterberg, but he later broke away to win comfortably, at a time of six hours, one minute and four seconds, almost a minute ahead of German cyclist Heinrich Haussler. Belgian cyclist Philippe Gilbert of team Silence-Lotto took third place. Star Belgian cyclist Tom Boonen, who has himself won two Tour of Flanders in the last five years, came in 20th.
The 262-kilometre race includes 16 climbs and much riding over bone-shaking cobblestones. Belgians are known for winning the race more than half the time. Devolder made his break at the top of the infamous Wall of Geraardsbergen climb. "I was already ahead by one minute in the final climb, but I could only really enjoy my victory in the last two or three kilometres," he said.
German cyclist Ina-Yoko Teutenberg won the women's Tour of Flanders, her ninth victory of the season. The women’s tour shares 100 kilometres of the men’s route and 30 more kilometres on a different route. Coming in second and third respectively in the race from Oudenaarde to Ninove was Dutch cyclist Kirsten Wild and Swedish cyclist Emma Johansson, who took silver in women’s road racing in last year’s Olympic Games.
