Hammond: Finally making the break

It's been a tough start to the 2007 season for Britain's Roger Hammond but the tables are starting to turn in his direction. Cyclingnews' Brecht Decaluwé caught up with the T-Mobile rider after his podium place at Gent-Wevelgem.

When Roger Hammond headed to Belgium last month he hoped for a few strong showings in the events preceding this weekend's Spring Classic Paris-Roubaix race. Instead, the T-Mobile rider's best result was at the Dwars door Vlaanderen where he came home 15th in a large lead bunch. Hammond's next best result was 26th at the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen a few days later, which was followed by a 39th at De Panne-Koksijde and an abandonment at last weekend's Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders).

At that point Hammond's lead up to his beloved Paris-Roubaix was looking less than impressive. That was until yesterday, when Hammond charged home at Gent-Wevelgem in second place behind teammate Marcus Burghardt.

"You know I don't like it the easy way," joked Hammond at the finish. "All year long I have been trying to get into breakaways and this time I made it. When we were up there we waited for the cavalry to come - Quick.Step that is - but nobody came."

Hammond was off the front, in the lead bunch with Christophe Mengin (Française des Jeux), Oscar Freire Gomez (Rabobank), Francisco Ventoso (Saunier Duval-Prodir) and Florent Brard (Caisse d'Epargne). Eventual winner Burghardt bridged to the break a little later in the race.

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