2011 Tour of Flanders
The 95th cycling classic Tour of Flanders took place on April 3, 2011. The one-day race was part of the UCI World Tour 2011 and within this the seventh race. The race distance was 258 kilometers.
The participants
Eligible were the 18 ProTeam. In addition, the organizers distributed seven wildcards Professional Continental teams, three of which came from the host country of Belgium. The same seven teams had incidentally obtain a permission to start even for a week earlier discharged race Gent- Wevelgem.
As were favorites before the start especially last year's winner Fabian Cancellara of Saxo Bank SunGard and last year's runner Tom Boonen of the Quick Step Cycling Team. Both had won in advance of the " Ronde " with the E3 Prize Flanders and Gent- Wevelgem race -like character. Other candidates for the top places were Philippe Gilbert ( Omega Pharma- Lotto), Leif Hoste, Luca Paolini and Filippo Pozzato (all Katjuscha ) and the Garmin - Cervélo professionals Heinrich Haussler, world champion Thor Hushovd and Tyler Farrar, Alessandro Ballan and the most promising German participants Marcus Burghardt from BMC Racing Team, Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky Procycling ), Stijn Devolder and Bjorn Leukemans ( Vacansoleil -DCM ) and Nick Nuyens of Saxo Bank SunGard.
The route
The launch took place shortly before ten clock in the morning at the market square of Bruges. The race deciding difficulties were like every year, the so-called " slipways ", ie short and steep climbs, many filled with cobblestones. In addition, flat cobbled sections were also still happens. The first slipway followed by 68 kilometers of road to south with the Tiegemberg. Many hundreds of fans cheered the riders at the " festival of Flanders ", as if this famous hill including the Oude Kwaremont or the Koppenberg happened. The most difficult Helling was again the steep cobbled ramp " Muur - Kapelmuur ". This was followed by the Bosberg before eight flat miles were on the program to the finish in Ninove Sea Beeke.
Race course
After 31 kilometers, five riders sat on the field: the British Jeremy Hunt and Roger Hammond of Sky Procycling Garmin- Cervélo and Stefan van Dijk ( Verandas Willems ), Sébastien Turgot ( Team Europcar ) and Mitchell Docker ( Skil- Shimano ), the to a maximum lead of eight minutes worked. After 180 kilometers, the quintet has been obtained, after it had previously been numerous attacks from the field. One of them brought Sylvain Chavanel of Quick Step as a soloist at the head of the race, after he had obtained the original outlier with Simon Clarke from Pro Team Astana and then released from his companions. Forty kilometers from the finish was then carried out on Leberg a seemingly decisive attack of favorite Fabian Cancellara: the Swiss Leopard Trek rode Tom Boonen, who had tried just about themselves, and the other candidates win it. Cancellara finished five kilometers later on the leading Chavanel. Although the Frenchman took no tempo work and Cancellara was driving alone in the wind, the duo extended its lead to one minute. But then drew especially the BMC Racing Team responsible for the melting of the distance to the pursuers quickly. Located on the famous Wall of Geraardsbergen Chavanel and Cancellara were obtained. The next Bosberg the Belgian Philippe Gilbert launched an attack and drove a few seconds out to lead to the other favorites. However, these included seven kilometers from the end to the man of Omega Pharma-Lotto. Twelve professionals were now at the head of the race. Other attacks followed, the crucial fired again last year's winner Nick Nuyens and Chavanel, Cancellara with the rear wheel. The other riders in the leading group had nothing more to add, so it came to a sprint of the trio for the win. Here, Nuyens of Saxo Bank SunGard sat by Chavanel and Cancellara against and celebrated the biggest success of his career up to that point. Best German Danilo Hondo was of Lampre- ISD 16