Cancellara cruises to victory in late solo breakaway

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Fabian Cancellara (Trek Leopard) took a repeat win in the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen-Harelbeke with an impressive comeback and a powerful lone attack after a series of punctures almost cost him the race.

The Swiss rider bounced back from several tyres and a bike change before blowing the peloton apart on the Oude Kwaremont climb. He then surged away and crossed to the front of the race and then quickly left the lead group behind in the crosswinds before the final climb.

Cancellara’s prowess stunned his rivals as much as his speed and power. They cracked mentally and physically and he went on to finish almost a minute clear. Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma – Lotto) beat Vladimir Gusev (Katusha) for second place but it was little consolation after being beaten so clearly by Cancellara.

“I'm really surprised about the way I won. It impressed me even more than last year,” Cancellara said. “I was really far back on the Taaienberg but I just continued with my plan to make the selection on the Kwaremont; I just went on instinct.”

No early breakaway in a fast E3

Perhaps due to the lack of race radio, there were endless attacks but none stuck during the first part of the race and so there was no traditional early break. At the start of the hills, after more than 100km, a group of eight riders had a small gap on the peloton but the race would soon change.

Stuart O'Grady (Leopard Trek), Sep Vanmarcke (Garmin-Cervélo), Jurgen Van De Walle (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Sebastien Hinault (AG2R), Aleksander Kushynski (Katusha), Michael Morkov (Saxo Bank-Sungard), William Bonnet (FDJ) and Benjamin King (Team Type 1) were in the move. After the second climb of the day, Garmin-Cervélo and Leopard-Trek stopped chasing and so allowed the breakaway group to extend their lead up to almost three minutes. But with sixty kilometres to go the handbrake in the peloton was taken off and Garmin-Cervélo put the hammer down while Cancellara was struggling in the back with a flat tyre and a chain problem on the Stationsberg.

After the Taaienberg climb, Haussler continued the team's strategy work with an attack and he powered away with Gustav-Erik Larsson (Saxo Bank-Sungard), Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step), Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Steve Chainel (FDJ) and Vincent Jerome (Europcar).

The chasers got to within one minute of the leaders on the Kruisberg, while the peloton was half a minute further back. Bram Tankink (Rabobank), Svein Tuft (Spidertech) and later Jos Van Emden (Rabobank) and former E3-winner Sergey Ivanov (Katusha), profited from a cease-fire in the peloton to hit the steep cobbled Paterberg climb on the front. On the Paterberg Vanmarcke dropped O'Grady and the rest of the lead group without really wanting to.

“I was riding an easy pace but suddenly I found myself alone in the lead,” Vanmarcke told Cyclingnews.

A few moments later world champion Hushovd upped the pace on the Paterberg, creating some gaps in the peloton. While steaming towards the important Oude Kwaremont climb Vanmarcke gained half a minute on the first chasers with the peloton led by Cancellara, Hushovd, Hoste, Posthuma, Iglinsky, Boom and Langeveld following a further minute behind.

Halfway up the tough climb, Cancellara unleashed his anger. The rest of the peloton blew apart and let Spartacus go. After completing the climb Cancellara picked up several riders on his way to the front of the race. With thirty kilometres to go the situation was as follows: Vanmarcke was leading by half a minute, ahead of Haussler, O'Grady, Terpstra, Jerome, Larsson, Hinault and Roelandts. Cancellara and ten others followed at almost a minute down on Vanmarcke, with the Swiss rider only receiving help from Vladimir Gusev (Katusha).

On the Knokteberg climb, O'Grady realized – without needing a race radio – that he would be of better help for his teammate by dropping back from the first chase group to help Cancellara close the gap.

Meanwhile up front Terpstra accelerated and caught Vanmarcke thus keeping the Cancellara group at a distance. After the Knokteberg Terpstra, Haussler, Jerome, Roelandts and Vanmarcke still had about twenty seconds on the Cancellara group but O'Grady closed the gap on the cobbles of the Varent with 19km to go.

While heading towards the final climb of the day, Tankink attacked coming off the cobbles but a counter-attack from Cancellara proved lethal. When trying to follow him, Tankink was hit by cramp all over his body and had to ease up.

“I anticipated Cancellara's attack but while climbing the Tiegemberg I had cramp so I slowed down. Then Cancellara came and the cramps immediately returned,” Tankink said.

A comeback effort from Haussler faded too and after the Tiegemberg Cancellara quickly opened a gap of half a minute on the chase group. It was impressive work stuff and the Swiss rider extended his lead all the way to Harelbeke. He eventually won by a minute and had time to celebrate alone as he crossed the finish line.

Vanmarcke seemed set to win the sprint for second place but he was passed by Roelandts and Gusev at the line. Tankink finished fifth.

“I should have finished at least third but I couldn't pedal anymore in the final metres due to cramp; I'm disappointed,” Vanmarcke said.

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