Three Days of De Panne winner Westra downplays Tour of Flanders prospects

It’s hardly the most romantic of races, but for years, Lieuwe Westra had quietly endured an unhappy love affair with the Three Days of De Panne. Dating back to his professional debut with Vacansoleil in 2009, the Dutchman has been a committed performer on the North Sea coast, but had to settle only for near misses, placing second overall in both 2011 and 2012.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.