Robbie McEwen enjoys sprint success

Bewley with today's winner Robbie McEwen ©Graham Watson (file photo)

After winning a stage in this year's Tour de Wallonie, McEwen won today's opening stage of the four-day stage race around the Belgian-French border.

In a mass sprint he was clearly faster than last year's overall winner Adam Blyth (Omega Pharma – Lotto) and 3rd placed Rüdiger Selig (Leopard Trek).

"My teammates brought me in a perfect position," explained McEwen (39) who had Kiwis Sam Bewley and Jesse Sergent for support.

"Sky was pulling for Russell Downing. Behind their trio of Sutton, Henderson and Downing, Blyth was there with his teammate Vandousselaere.  

"I was in the wheel of Blyth who accelerated. I could easily go around him and his teammate. My sprint was very regular, no explosiveness, but I continuously accelerated. I had to as the last 150m were really uphill. I could keep up my pace and won quite easily. This makes me happy. My third victory of the seaon."

"It is always a pleasure to work with Robbie McEwen," said Team Director Dirk Demol. "Despite his age that lends to less explosiveness, he never gives up and is always fighting for his position. He is an example for all other riders. The team also believed in him and worked a lot for him."

"With Sam Bewley, Michal Kwiatkowski and Gregory Rast I still had three teammates with me," continued McEwen. "Rast and Kwiatkowski brought me through the last kilometre and then Kwiatkowski guided me to the 6th position to start the sprint. An ideal situation for me."

The first stage from Mouscron to Péruwelz started very fast. The average speed the first hour of the race was more than 50 kph. After that, three riders managed to stay away from the peloton but were finally caught in the local laps.

McEwen, who won this tour back in 2002, starts tomorrow in the yellow leader's jersey, "The overall victory is not the main objective here as we came for stage wins, but you never know. Most important is that I get ready for Paris-Tours, my last objective of the season."

Tour de Wallonie Picarde results....