Although yesterday's stage was the queen stage of this years Ster Elektrotoer it wasn't exactly an easy stage today. The
riders had to climb many Amstel Gold Race's ascents on the 170 kilometres long stage with start and finish in Nuth.
After 23 kilometres Julien Mazet (Astana), Wout Poels (P3Transfer - Batavus), Johannes Fröhlinger (Gerolsteiner), Sébastien
Delfosse (Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner) and Joost van Leijen (Van Vliet - EBH Elshof) escaped. The five riders had a maximum
lead of 3 minutes but that wasn't enough and the bunch caught the escapees.
In the finale Michael Blaudzun (CSC - Saxo Bank) attacked, but overall leader Enrico Gasparotto (Barloworld) jumped with
him to defend his yellow jersey. The sprinter teams reacted and the race was decided with a bunch spint, won by Tom Boonen.
Boonen's teammate made it a double victory for Quickstep. Nikolay Trusov (Tinkoff) finished third.
It was the first victory for Boonen after a tough few weeks following his positive test for cocaine. Boonen said: "My objective was to put Weylandt in the best position to make his sprint. I started to pull at 400 mt
from the finish line as fast as possible to launch the sprint and when I saw that Wouter wasn't able to pass me I went straight
ahead up to the finish," Boonen said.
"In the last few days I've learnt a lot of new things about myself and about the cycling world and I have understood that
there are many people who supportive. The decision that I took together with my team to return immediately to the races has
been the right choice. I'm really satisfied.”
Team CSC Saxo Bank's Matti Breschel came in fourth and managed to grab the Green Point's Jersey.
Breschel already
wore the jersey during today's stage, but at the time he was second in the Point's Competition behind Enrico Gasparotto (Barloworld),
but as Gasparotto was leading the overall and wore the yellow jersey, Breschel got to wear the jersey. After Friday's 170
kilometer route with start and finish in Nuth however it is the Danish talent who is leading this particular competition.
"Matti
himself thought he finished fourth today but we don't actually know yet. He's up on the podium right now getting the jersey,"
said Team CSC Saxo Bank's sports director Dan Frost right after third stage.
About the stage itself he had the following
comments:
"We did well today. I definitely think we dominated today's stage. At first we tried to create as much separation
as possible in the side winds but we didn't succeed. With 20 kilometers to go the two final riders from a break had to be
caught and the peloton was taking it a bit too easy, so we stepped up and took the lead. But we were powerless in the sprint
against Boonen. We deserved a better result for our efforts today, I guess but it doesn't always work that way in cycling,"
said Frost. The Danish sports director was still happy with the outcome of the day though.
"Three or four kilometers
from the finish line Michael Blaudzun tore loose from the peloton but Gasparotto followed suit and there was no point in sitting
there with him so it didn't pan out. But we're very satisfied with our guys' efforts today for sure," concluded Frost.
Team Barloworld's Enrico Gasparotto (winner of yesterday's third stage) defended his yellow jersey. Gasparotto maintained
the control of the race thanks to the great effort of his team mates.
The Ster Elektrotoer will end tomorrow
with a pretty flat stage, from Sittard to Gemert (150km).
