Eneco Tour 2008 - 3

The eight day Eneco Tour started on Wednesday August 20 with a prologue in Sittard and ends a week later in Mechelen, Belgium, with a time trial. The race begins in the Netherlands and Belgium taking in some iconic sections of historic road such as the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg.

Stage 3 Nieuwegein/Terneuzen (NL) (185,9 km)
Once more a five man break went clear, but today, with the sun shining, the race was not slumbering and they were soon back in the pack.

The racing on stage three was lively and no more so than when Tom Boonen (Quick Step,) confusingly wearing a Lotto branded shirt as leader of the points competition, went to the front and raised the pace high enough to split the race and created a big lead group featuring all the main contenders.

As ever the road to the finish line saw a frantic high speed display of riders dodging, bunny hopping and generally showing their skills as they avoided the town of Terneuzen traffic calming measures. Thankfully there were no incidents and the straight finish allowed the sprinters full reign. At the line Italian Giro star Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) went early and held off Boonen to win and take over the race lead.

1 Daniele Bennati Liquigas 4.46.08 (39.694km/h)
2 Tom Boonen Quick Step
3 Jürgen Roelandts Silence / Lotto
4 Kenny Van Hummel Skil/Shimano
5 Borut Bozic Cycle Collstrop
6 Tom Leezer Rabobank
7 Alberto Curtolo Liquigas
8 David Kopp Cycle Collstrop
9 Robert Förster Gerolsteiner
10 Roger Hammond Team Columbia
11 Aurélien Clerc Bouygues Telecom
12 Jeremy Hunt Crédit Agricole
13 Daniele Righi Lampre
14 Robert Wagner Skil/Shimano
15 Cyril Lemoine Crédit Agricole
16 José Gutierrez Caisse d'Epargne
17 Bram Tankink Rabobank
18 Elia Rigotto Team Milram
19 Franck Rénier Bouygues Telecom
20 Steven De Jongh Quick Step

General Classification
1 Daniele Bennati Liquigas 12.59'21
2 Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia 1
3 André Greipel Team Columbia 4
4 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios Caisse d'Epargne 4
5 Cyril Lemoine Credit Agricole 5
6 Jurgen Roelandts Silence/Lotto 6
7 Sébastien Rosseler Quick Step 8
8 Michael Rogers Team Columbia 10
9 Koen De Kort Astana 10
10 Marlon A. Perez Arango Caisse d'Epargne 12
11 Tom Boonen Quick Step 12
12 Joost Posthuma Rabobank 13
13 Stijn Devolder Quick Step 14
14 Michiel Elijzen Rabobank 14
15 Bram Tankink Rabobank 14
16 Piet Rooijakkers Skil/Shimano 16
17 Mauro Da Dalto Liquigas 16
18 Aaron Kemps Astana 20
19 Borut Bozic Cycle Collstrop 20
20 Tom Veelers Skil/Shimano 21

Points
1 Tom Boonen Quick Step 72
2 Jurgen Roelandts Silence/Lotto 59
3 Daniele Bennati Liquigas 55
4 Kenny Van Hummel Skil/Shimano 50
5 Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia 46
6 André Greipel Team Columbia 35
7 Robert Forster Gerolsteiner 33
8 Juan José Haedo Team CSC 25
9 Bram Tankink Rabobank 24
10 David Kopp Cycle Collstrop 23

Stages
Aug 20 Prologue: Sittard/Geleen (NL) (4,4 km)
Aug 21 Stage 1 Beek (NL) - Roermond (NL) (173,8 km)
Aug 22 Stage 2 Roermond (NL) - Nieuwegein (NL) (173,3 km)
Aug 23 Stage 3 Nieuwegein (NL) - Terneuzen (NL) (185,9 km)
Aug 24 Stage 4 Terneuzen (NL) - Ardooie (B) (213 km)
Aug 25 Stage 5 Ardooie (B) - Oostende (B) (167 km)
Aug 26 Stage 6 Maldegem (B) - Brussel (B) (186 km)
Aug 27 Stage 7 Mechelen (B) (TT 18,8 km)
Total: 1.122,2 km

Website - www.sport.be/enecotour/