Argentine sprinter avoids a crash with 8km to go to take his first win of 2012 for under pressure Saxo Bank
Juan Jose Haedo (Saxo Bank) has taken his first victory of 2012, winning a bunch sprint to take the 53rd edition of the GP Denain Porte du Hainaut. The Argentine sprinter, whose best results of the year so far have been two second places in his home Tour de San Luis, managed to avoid a crash with ten kilometres to go that took out three of his teammates, to finish clear of Alex Rasmussen (Garmin-Barracuda) and Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia).
"There has been a lot of pressure around the team since the beginning of the season,” said Haedo after his victory, according to directvelo.com. “We’ve had only two victories since the beginning, the Tour of Taiwan…
“I was the only leader of the team at the start of the GP Denain, I was very motivated.
“There was a crash in the finale,” the Argentine explained. “I lost half the team including my brother Lucas and Michael Mørkøv. It was they who were supposed to help me in the finale. I found myself a little alone, but ultimately I still had two riders with me, and they did a great job. I did the best I could; I managed to hold off the other riders.
“My form has been slow in coming this season but I feel I'm on track,” he added. “I will now compete in the Tour of Turkey and the Giro [d’Italia].”
The 199.km race, which was made up of three different loops, and then 15.2km finishing circuits around Denain, just outside Valenciennes, close to the border with Belgium, was dominated by a long attack from David Boucher (FDJ-BigMat) and Rémi Cusin (Team Type 1-Sanofi). The two Frenchmen got away after just three kilomtres, and managed to open up a lead of 9’50” by the 39 kilometre point, before the peloton began to reel them in again.
“Of course, we discussed the opportunities before the race and we agreed to enter the race aggressively so when two escapees left the field we went to the front and controlled the pace of the pack,” said Saxo Bank directeur sportif Fabrizio Guidi.
With 25km to go, with the peloton on the leaders’ heels, Cusin dropped back, but was replaced in the lead by an attacking Tosh Van Der Sande (Lotto-Belisol), who managed to bridge across to Boucher. The sprinters’ teams were in full cry by now though, and the two riders were caught shortly before they crossed the line to start the final 15.2km lap.
As soon as the duo was caught, a new one went clear, in the shape of Clement Koretsky (La Pomme Marseille) and Jimmy Engolvent (Saur-Sojasun). The new breakaway was not allowed to go very far however, and it was all over with eight kilometres to go, when there was a crash that split the peloton.
Result GP Denain Porte du Hainaut
1. Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Saxo Bank
2. Alex Rasmussen (Den) Garmin-Barracuda
3. Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
4. Fabien Bacquet (Fra) BigMat-Auber 93
5. Arnaud Démare (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
6. Guillaume Boivin (Can) Spidertech p/b C10
7. Kenny van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
8. Denis Flahaut (Fra) Roubaix-Lille Metropole
9. Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) Team Europcar
10. Jimmy Casper (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale