Great race by Hansen with a 5th place overall. The team is really doing well.

He did well and would have won the youth jersey, but before the last stage he was only 13th, then there was a huge crash and 8 riders better than Jesper Hansen in the GC found themselves on the road...

Now it’s time for the cobbleriders to find their topform before Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Stage 1 - TT
The race starts with a 6 km prologue. Hopefully Hushovd and Bak will do well today. First Falcon to set a good time was Nybö who got provisional third, as did Jens Erik Madsen when he finished. Last Falcon and 2nd last rider overall was Hushovd, who rode a brilliant race finishing in best time only to be beaten by the last rider on the course Popovych.

Results:
1. Yaroslav Popovych, Andalucía
2. Thor Hushovd, Falcon - STARK
3. Vladimir Karpets, Movistar
10. Lars Ytting Bak, Falcon – STARK

Stage 2
Mostly flat but a few steep hills in the first half of the stage might help a breakaway to escape.
The first half of the race was characterized by numerous small breaks. Most of them including Havard Nybö, who in heavy competition with Gorka Izagirre just manage to grab the mountain jersey.
Endura was really determined to get a win for Veelers today, so they lead the peloton practically all day, and in they got full value for their hard work and well organized train. Bak and Bäckstedt did good in working for Hushovd, but sadly Jens Erik Madsen failed his leadout completely leaving Hushovd in a very poor position for the sprint.

Results:
1. Tom Veelers, Endura Racing
2. Thor Hushovd, Falcon - STARK
3. Cyril Gautier, Europcar
Mountains Jersey: Havard Nybö
Points Jersey: Thor Hushovd



Stage 3
A hilly day with an uphill finish leaving good possibilities for breaks, but also essential for riders with GC ambitions.
Right from the start a lot of riders go on the attack and is allowed a gap in first try. Among those Havard Nybö, who is out seeking mountain points. Movistar takes the initiative already on the first uphill section of the day, splitting the peloton completely. In the end they decide not to capitalize on the situation allowing the other favourites to rejoin the three Movistar riders and Hushovd.

In front Nybö can’t keep up with the rest of the break. And the peloton isn’t really gaining fast enough on them either, so 8 km from the finish line Hushovd takes a chance and attacks hoping to catch the break and leave the other GC riders behind. The first bit succeeds but his attacks triggers the real battle and Thor has spent too much energy to be able to counter the counterattacks.

Results:
1. Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, Endura Racing
2. Yaroslav Popovych, Andalucía
3. Matej Paterski, Liquigas - Cannondale
10. Thor Hushovd, Falcon – STARK



Stage 4
The race organizers claim that this is a flat stage, but anyone who has seen the profile will know that is not quite the case.
BOTD is formed on the initiative of Thomas Riber-Sellebjerg, who also wins the two first KOM-sprints today. With 30 km to go the break has a gap of 3 minutes. Everything is still possible…
At the finish line four riders from the original break sprint for victory. Sadly they got rid of Riber-Sellebjerg on the hill. A battle that leaves Thomas so tired that he even gets passed by four riders who have attacked from the peloton. When the favourites 3 minutes later sprint for 9th place Thor is the fastest, gaining a little of the lost ground on the points-jersey battle.

Results:
1. Edward King, Liquigas - Cannondale
2. Marco Coledan, Colnago – CSF Inox
3. Cesar Fonte, Efapel - Glassdrive
9. Thomas Riber-Sellebjerg, Falcon – STARK
10. Thor Hushovd, Falcon – STARK



Stage 5
This last stage is laid on a hilly course with a steep uphill finish.
Liquigas, Movistar and Endura seemed to have agreed that today was not a day for the breaks and no one was allowed to get a real gap. In the finish Popovych managed to get 25 seconds on the pack thus winning both the stage, the points jersey and the GC.

Results:
1. Yaroslav Popovych, Andalucía
2. Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, Endura Racing
3. Matej Paterski, Liquigas - Cannondale
12. Thor Hushovd, Falcon – STARK



Final standing:
1. Yaroslav Popovych, Andalucía
2. Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, Endura Racing
3. Thor Hushovd, Falcon – STARK

Mountain: Miguel Minguez, Euskaltel – Euskadi
Points: Yaroslav Popovych, Andalucía
Young rider: Mikel Landa, Euskaltel – Euskadi
Team: Liquigas - Cannondale

Hushovd a few podiums here. Great job!!

Omloop should be good

Hushovd performed really well in Spain

Now it’s finally time for the team to show they’re ready to conquer the cobbles. Last year Kasper Jebjerg surprised with a 5th, but his year the hopes will lie on Hushovd, Bak and Madsen.
Riber-Sellebjerg gets in BOTD along with among others Jens Keukeleire. That forces Rabobank and BMC to the front right from the beginning.
With 30 km to go Keukeleire is alone at the front chased by a 30-rider group with most of the favourites.

10 km to go. Langeveld and Cancellara on the attack, but Boonen, Bak and Ballan do well to neutralize the attack.

It all comes down to a sprint between Boonen and Hushovd. The Belgian champion goes first with 1.6 km to go and the mighty goes after. He catches in on Tom but not fast enough.

Results:
1. Tom Boonen, Rabobank
2. Thor Hushovd, Falcon – STARK
3. Jan Ghyselinck, Cofidis, le credit en ligne
9. Lars Ytting Bak, Falcon – STARK

Always hard to beat Tom on the cobbles. Second is a really great result too though

Very nice riding excellent way of showing Belgium what this team is about!

A Great performance in Belgium from Thor

Shame that Boonen was on form though

Great 2nd place. Hushovd on fine form for the classics.

It took about 50 km of attacking before a break finally got away. 13 riders including Keukeleire and Bäckstedt. As Magnus is leading the break over the peloton Radioshack and Rabobank have made an alliance in front of the peloton.

With two so strong teams determined to take the win, the break never really stood a chance, and about 40 riders are left with 8 km t goal. Cancellara attack and is alone 20-30 seconds in front of the peloton for a good few kilometers – using too much energy to be a real factor in the finish. Boonen surprise everyone by attacking early and again today Tommeke gets the win as Hushovd just fails to catch him.

Results:
1. Tom Boonen, Rabobank
2. Thor Hushovd, Falcon – STARK
3. Tony Gallopin, Argos – Shimano

2nd again. Boonen is doing great.

Hushovd continues to be the best (I'm not counting Boonen, he's too good)

2 good results with Hushvd!!

Yeah, Hushovd is really staring to look good.
Wonder how things will go in Le Samyn - first cobble race of the season without Tom Boonen...

Hushovd

Right from the start of the day HÃ¥kan Nilsson gets in a break with Clarke and Fortin, but they quickly prove to be worthless uphill, so with 150 km to go Nilsson is left on his own.

With 100 km to go Nilsson has 1’40’’ to the nearest followers and nearly 8 minutes to the peloton.
With 55 km to go 6 riders catch up with Nilsson. The group now has 4’04’’ to the peloton.
With 17 km to go 37 riders make up the front group, lead by Stefano Garzelli (Acque & Sapone).

8 km from the finish Nibali triggers what would become the decisive attack allowing a group consisting of 5 riders to get a gap just big enough for them to sprint for the win. Jsper Hansen is in there, but he is not much of a sprinter...

Results:
1. Francesco Failli, Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
2. Rob Ruijgh, Nippo
3. Daniel Moreno, Katusha
4. Jesper Hansen, Falcon – STARK
10. Christopher Juul-Jensen, Falcon – STARK

Fourth is definitely not bad for a non sprinter

That's a really good result