The mercurial Belgian all-arounder, Stijn Devolder, is renowned for his consistently inconsistent racing. In 2008 and 2009, he managed to coerce the stars into alignment for one day each season to provide the one win that matters most for a Belgian hardman: the Ronde van Vlaanderen. His luck snapped completely in 2010 though. The trifecta at the Tour of Flanders was never a possibility on Easter Sunday, and even worse, nary a result throughout the entirety of the Spring would be his penance for the fruits of the previous two years.
Looking back at the first four months of 2010, the best Devolder could muster was a 23rd overall at De Panne. He placed a woeful 25th at Flanders and 42nd at Roubaix. His Classics campaigned was crowned perfectly with a forgettable ride at La Doyenne, which netted him 138th on the day.
Devolder's fortunes seem to have hit rock bottom at that point, and from there, started the slow trend in the successful direction. Two weeks after his dismal showing at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Devolder took 19th overall at the 4 Days of Dunkerque. Under normal circumstances, that's nothing to even take note of, except that was the best performance by Devolder for all of 2010...that is, up until this past weekend.
The two-time Tour of Flanders champion took a three week break between Dunkerque and the Tour of Belgium. He spent that time training at altitude in Spain's Sierra Nevada and returned to Belgium, the scene of his spring's frustrations, a changed man.
After a quiet start to the Tour of Belgium, his overall prospects took a big turn for the positive with a third place in the Stage 4 time trial - his best result of 2010. This would by itself seem to be cause for rejoicing, but Devolder admitted afterwards to frustration at losing by such a narrow margin to the young Dominique Cornu of Skil-Shimano: 4 seconds.
Devolder got his revenge and then some on the final day of the Tour of Belgium - a difficult trip through the Ardennes. Devolder made the elite selection of three, which included young Ben Hermans and Philippe Gilbert. Gilbert met his demise with a terribly timed puncture, leaving Hermans and Devolder to settle the race amongst themselves. Their cooperation was without question: Hermans would take the stage, Devolder the overall, and so it was.
Hermans took his first ever professional victory, whilst Devolder took his first win of the 2010 season and could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
It didn't take long for Devolder to deliver the line he has been waiting far too long to recite: "This victory does a lot of good after all the criticism I received early in the season."
Devolder is of course referring to the harsh words directed at him by his manager, Patrick Lefevere, following his forgettable start to the season, which ended up being a 13-month vacation of sorts between victories: April 2009, the Tour of Flanders; May 2010, the Tour of Belgium.
Devolder, winner of the Tour of Belgium for the second time in his career, now looks to the Tour de Suisse as preparation for the Belgian Championships, where he hopes to regain his Tricolor jersey from 2008 on a course that suits him almost as well as it suits top favorite, Philippe Gilbert.
"I want to race well at the Tour of Switzerland, but in the midst of that race, the Belgium Championships will be calling to me. I want to regain the Tricolor jersey!"
Following those two important appointments, there's one other race that's never far from anyone's mouth at this time of the year: the Tour de France. Devolder has had a dismal go of it at the Tour de France and swore it off following 2009's unfortunate race around the great Hexagon.
Recent success and time are softening his opinion though, and now he confesses to considering the possibility of racing in France in July.
"We will see. I must decide together with the team. If I am welcome on the team, then it is likely that I will race."