bike race in Belgium

The northern classics are now fully underway in the Belgian world of pro cycling as the Three Days of De Panne enters its second day. My favorite rider, Rabobankk's Joost Posthuma is defending his win last year, but the competition is fierce.

He good-naturedly complains that a late-race break by Frederik Willems was aided by two of the media-motorcycles that left too small a gap enabling him to draft as he jumped away. Filippo Pozzato , whom Joost and everyone else calls Pippo, was able to bridge up to Willems and the two of them managed to keep a winning margin over a chase group that included Joost and more than a couple dozen others.

You can read race reports here, here, and here or on the official site (Dutch and French only) here.

Cycling news has the first page of photos.

Joost writes on his blog that he'd hoped to get on the podium yesterday, but the pace was outrageously too quick. He's OK with his current position in the general classification, feels his form is excellent, and still has hopes for a top-three finish tomorrow.


This photo, from his web site, shows Joost in the leaders jersey at the last race he won -- the Ruta del Sol.