Saxo Bank's Fabian Cancellara took a convincing win in the E3-Prijs today, with a powerful move from more than a kilometer out to finish off breakaway companions Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and Juan Antonio Flecha (Team Sky). The Swiss champion's win comes on the heels of a strong performance in Dwars door Vlaanderen this past Wednesday, where teammate Matti Breschel made a bold solo move for the victory with 20 kilometers remaining.
Italian champion Filippo Pozzato confirmed his form by winning the sprint from the chase group behind, which contained the Rabobank trio of Sebastian Langeveld, Lars Boom and Paul Martens, and the Vacansoleil duo of Björn Leukemans and Marco Marcato.
The first half of the race featured a group of 24 that was allowed to break clear of the main peloton including Kevin Hulsmans (Quick Step), Jeremy Hunt (Cervélo TestTeam), Sebastian Rosseler (Radioshack), and Chris Sutton (Team Sky), but the gap remained minimal with Quick Step and Saxo Bank riding a solid tempo behind.
Hunt took the initiative on the cobbled climb of the Eikenberg, but paid for his efforts missing out on the newly formed foursome at the front that included Kasper Klostergård (Saxo Bank), Rosseler, Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank) and Maxime Vantomme (Katusha). Further behind Belgian champion Tom Boonen used the cobbles on the Taaienberg to unload an attack. The move forced the Team Sky duo of Edvald Boasson Hagen and Juan Antonio Flecha to follow, causing a split and reducing the gap to the leaders.
Boonen's Quick Step team worked hard for their leader, with Spaniard Carlos Barredo tapping out the pace on the Oude Kreiskens, and two-time Tour of Flanders winner Stijn Devolder working hard up to the Paterberg. Boonen took the reins again on the Paterberg, hammering up the cobbles to force the winning break, with only Cancellara and Flecha able to hang on. The remnants of the break didn't make it over the Oude Kwaremont in the clear, with the Belgian and Swiss keeping the pace high up the climb with Flecha just able to keep the pace.
Last year's winner Filippo Pozzato tried to close the gap to the three favorites on his own, but the Rabobank trio wouldn't let the Italian break clear.
The three leaders worked well to maintain their distance over the chase, and with 30 seconds in hand at the 2 kilometer mark, both Cancellara and Flecha began to plot how they would rid themselves of the Belgian champion. It didn't take long for the triple time trial World Champion to make his move, and with more than a kilometer remaining he attacked, with Flecha leaving it to Boonen to chase. It was too late by the time the Spaniard realized Boonen couldn't close the gap to the Saxo Bank rider, with the frustrated Belgian finishing him off with his sprint for second.
2010 E3-Prijs results:
1. Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) 4hrs 44’ 36”
2. Tom Boonen (Quick Step) @ 3s
3. Juan Antonio Flecha (Team Sky) s.t.
4. Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) @ 53s
5. Lars Boom (Rabobank)
6. Sebastian Langeveld (Rabobank)
7. Bjorn Leukemans (Vacansoleil)
8. Paul Martens (Rabobank)
9. Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil)
10. Fabio Felline (Footon-Servetto-Fuji)