Circuit Franco-Belge, Stage 4

Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Belisol)

A sunny Sunday afternoon in Belgium can mean only one thing – the perfect day for a bike race! Today marked the final stage of the four-day Circuit Franco-Belge, a stage race throughout Wallonie in southern Belgium. The ultimate stage went from Mons in the southeast to Tournai, a small town on Belgium’s French border near the city of Lille.

The preparations being made for the race’s arrival in Tournai were every bit as elaborate as for a Grand Tour, and fans certainly didn’t seem to notice any difference, team buses from all the World Tour teams squeezing through Tournai’s narrow backstreets. Race jerseys from every team and country were available to eager spectators, BMC fans able to buy direct from the source thanks to the team van parked alongside the race route. Belgian French and Flemish commentary mingled with police sirens and cheering of fans to provide the classic auditory backdrop to a European race.

The day’s breakaway held a slim lead over the peloton as they approached the finish line to begin the first of seven laps around Tournai, but the lead had been reduced to barely a hundred metres by the end of the first lap. This didn’t suit the breakaway riders, clearly hoping for an underdog victory, and the septet kicked again in the third lap, building up a massive lead of more than 3’30” over the peloton again. They were reeled in with plenty of time to spare, and a second breakaway of around nine riders had no more success in escaping the hungering peloton.

The whole race was together and the atmosphere at the finish very, very tense as the big screen counted down the final few kilometres of the stage. Various teams were jostling for position and it was still any man’s race as they reached the final 1000 metres of the race. An unexpected crash carved a hole in the middle of the peloton and left the watching audience in Tournai gasping, unsure who was down and who was still pelting for the finish.

It became evident a moment later as a black-and-red streak and a blue-white-and-red-striped streak raced across the finish line, French national champion Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ-Bigmat) just edging out BMC’s Adam Blythe to take the final stage win. The riders involved in the day’s late crash rolled slowly over the line a few minutes later tailed by British national champion Ian Stannard. Lotto Belisol team leader Jurgen Roelandts managed to hang onto his race lead and yellow jersey, as well as taking home the green points jersey. Topsport Vlaanderen Mercator’s Stijn Neirynck took out the mountains classification, while crowd favourite Guillaume Van Keirsbulck donned the best young rider’s white jersey and Lithuanian national champion Gediminas Bagdonas claimed the honours in combativity.

Paris - Brussels 2012

The small town of Soissons in Picardie, northern France, is just like any other little French town – that is to say, they love their cycling. The host town of a stage of this year’s Route de France, the women’s Tour de France, on Saturday the attention turned to men’s road racing as Soissons hosted the départ of the 2012 Paris-Brussels.

A mix of both ProContinental and WorldTour teams made their way to Picardie to contest the race through the stunning French countryside. The summer sun promised a beautiful day and warm temperatures ahead for riders and spectators alike. Those lucky enough to have a race pass sipped beverages in the shade of the pavilion as they watched the team presentations, while others jostled for the best positions to watch from the side.

For some it was the chance to meet the riders that had people turning out in their hundreds. FDJ-Bigmat and their young rider Arnaud Démare and Omega Pharma-Quickstep with the Classics rider of the moment, Tom Boonen, were particularly popular, fans swamping the team buses to get autographs or photos with their heroes. Even the promising Danish youngster Jonas Aaen Jörgensen was more than happy to smile for photos as he strapped on his helmet and headed for the starting banner.

Despite their smiling faces for the fans, the riders were still focused on the race to come. I spoke with one of Team Rabobank’s Australian riders before the race got underway, and Graeme Brown had a very pithy description of what lay ahead. “Long day,” he put it simply. Brown was part of the leadout for Rabobank’s other Australian rider, sprinter Mark Renshaw. “Absolutely, I think Mark could be on the podium today. We’ve put everything on him, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Unfortunately it wasn’t going to be Rabobank’s day. The five-man breakaway was brought back in time for the sprint, but Omega-Pharma Quickstep’s train proved too strong for Rabobank, and Renshaw was left to sprint against Boonen in the final few metres. There was nothing the Australian could do to prevent the Belgian superstar taking his 13th victory for the season, adding a Paris-Brussels win to his Classics repertoire. With the World Championships on the way, Boonen has certainly shown himself to be the rider to beat.

Roy Will Be Less Combative

Jérémy Roy sets off on the roads of the Tour de France

Last year, Jérémy Roy, inspired columnist in his free time, was designated Super-Combative* rider of the Tour de France thanks in particular to his 735km spent in the lead, the second- highest total behind his teammate, Mickaël Delage. But there’s no need to expect him to win a double like riders before him, such as Laurent Jalabert (2001-02), Jacky Durand (1998-99), Richard Virenque (1996-97), and also Eddy Merckx (1969-70, 74-75).

“Unlike past years, we have a sprinter on the team (Belarussian Yauheni Hutarovich),” he says. “It’s more necessary to protect him and perhaps that will be my role, that of breaking the wind, so I won’t be able to join breakaways as much. I will perhaps be less spirited but that will tire me just as much. That’s part of my job. Of course, I wouldn’t turn my nose up at another supercombative title either. But if I get it, it will mean that I’ve had some beautiful breakaways. The Tour that I had last year was fabulous and the hardest is yet to come. I hope to get there in winning a stage.”

* At the end of each, a jury composed of journalists, former cyclists and commissaires selects the Most Combative Rider of the day, rewarded for their spirit. At the end of the Tour, the jury also awards the Super-Combative Rider of the Tour through a separate vote.

On his second place during the French Time Trial Championships

“I’m trying to forget,” he says, half-jokingly. “13 seconds, that’s nothing over fifty kilometres. To come so close to the tricolour jersey… In a year, we will have forgotten that I finished second, we only remember the winner. But I have no regrets, I was at my max. I was a little weakened at the end, unlike Sylvain (Chavanel), but even so, I’ve succeeded in better managing my high-intensity efforts. Before, I perhaps used to go out a little too fast. I’ve always liked this exercise and I’ve always had reasonable results, especially in the time trials over 20kms. I've practised my position, my equipment and above all I’ve gained confidence."

Written by X.C. for L’Équipe at http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Roy-sera-moins-combatif/295003

Translated by Caelli Greenbank