Back in the saddle now. And starting tomorrow it's all Paris-Roubaix...
- If you missed Big Thor's electrifying win today, check out race reports here from CyclingNews or Pez or VeloNews or Eurosport. Had enough yet? Try the DagBladet for the local take.
- CSC put the hammer down at the Sarthe. For the full gloat, check the CSC site.
- Sammy Sanchez wins again in Euskadi, although all that gets him is a dead heat for the overall. The Basques haven't got much going right now, so you gotta root for them to take their home tour. Of course, the same logic doesn't apply in France...
- Personal note of the day: every morning I pass a guy on the Burke Gilman sporting a Norwegian Champions jersey. Gonna give him the big shout out tomorrow.
Back to Gent-Wevelgem...
- Pez is playing tourist all week on the cobbles. They ride the G-W route, so you don't have to.
- Some choice quotes from the lower podium steps:
David Kopp: "I am overjoyed, the second place in this Classic makes up for my bad luck last Sunday on the Koppenberg. I had great legs and the fact that the team counted on me for the sprint gave me extra confidence. We had four men in the first group, my compliments on René Haselbacher, Sebastian Lang, Frank Hoj and Heinrich Haussler, who worked their tails off for me. In the end I lost by three centimetres, but on the other hand, I outsprinted Petacchi - I can be satisfied with that!"
Alessandro Petacchi: "I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to win this classic. My teammates gave all they had to take the break back, and then to control the counter-attacks coming from those who feared that I would beat them in the sprint. In the finale, because of the strong headwind, the race didn't get to great speed and, unfortunately, I suffer in that type of sprint. But I still think I've passed the test, as I was able to be in the front as I had planned for myself this morning. I'll be back next year, knowing that I can win here."
- Speaking of Petacchi, he just isn't a cobbles guy:
"That casino on the Koppenberg and the stampede towards the foot of that climb! Fear? Of course I was afraid!," Petacchi told HNB. "Even in the sprint I feel that fear, but I can push that aside when the peloton races towards the finish. In the Ronde, I was thinking of all the races that are still to come though: the Giro, the Tour. No, you don't take any crazy risks in a race in which you aren't one of the top favourites. That's why I'm not riding Paris-Roubaix. There's too much risk to ruin the important part of my season. And, we do have Zabel! But I'm going to keep racing for at least another three seasons, so I've got plenty of time to ride that famous Hell of the North."