Thomas Voeckler went up the road solo and celebrated his first ever victory at Brabantse Pijl. There was rain. There was VoecklerFace and Voeckler Tongue. Rarely has a rider made bike racing look more difficult than Thomas Voeckler.
In the post-race interview, Voeckler said he didn't expect his attack to be the race-winning move, and in fact, as is often the case with solo breakaways, he would really have liked a couple riders to come along with him. Today marked Voeckler's first win this year. It's been a nice week for Europcar so far, with Voeckler's win today and Sébastian Turgot finishing on the podium at Paris-Roubaix.
Oscar Freire won the sprint for second. What did I say about Oscar Freire and Brabantse? They love one another. Really, they do. Freire said he has good form, and is hoping for a good result at the Amstel Gold Race, though he was also quick to say, it's an entirely different bike race than today's romp. Pieter Serry finished third.
Peter Sagan, one of the favorites for this - and every - race, crashed at around 15 kilometers to race. In a statement, Sagan's Liquigas-Cannondale team said he did not appear to be seriously injured, but they would assess things further in the coming days and hours.
And, if you're looking for something to read today, check out this CycleSport interview with Thomas Voeckler.
Photos © Fotoreporter Sirotti