Eneco Tour 2008 - 5

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.

We love cycle racing but this race tests the patients of everyone - the script for each day is that the day will end in a mass sprint and again that's what we saw. OK, the charge into town, this time the sea port of Oostende, is very exciting, more so if there is plenty of street furniture to dodge.

Prior to Oostende the race had split early on and a large lead group had formed, from this Carlo Westphal (Gerolsteiner) sneaked by to win.

Stage 5 Ardooie/Oostende(167 km)
1 Carlo Westphal Gerolsteiner 3.57'38
2 Yauheni Hutarovich Française Des Jeux
3 Borut Bozic Cycle Collstrop
4 André Greipel Team Columbia
5 Jurgen Roelandts Silence/Lotto
6 Gert Steegmans Quick Step
7 Sébastien Turgot Bouygues Telecom
8 Mathew Hayman Rabobank
9 Tom Leezer Rabobank
10 Robert Wagner Skil/Shimano
11 Lars Ytting Bak Team CSC
12 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios Caisse d'Epargne
13 Angelo Furlan Credit Agricole
14 Daniele Righi Lampre
15 Laurent Mangel Ag2r la Mondiale
16 Serguei Ivanov Astana
17 Roy Curvers Skil/Shimano
18 Bram Tankink Rabobank
19 Joost Posthuma Rabobank
20 Wilfried Cretskens Quick Step

General Classification
1 André Greipel Team Columbia 21.57'26
2 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios Caisse d'Epargne 11
3 Jurgen Roelandts Silence/Lotto 12
4 Sébastien Rosseler Quick Step 16
5 Michael Rogers Team Columbia 18
6 Koen De Kort Astana 18
7 Joost Posthuma Rabobank 21
8 Stijn Devolder Quick Step 22
9 Bram Tankink Rabobank 22
10 Piet Rooijakkers Skil/Shimano 24
11 Borut Bozic Cycle Collstrop 24
12 Carlo Westphal Gerolsteiner 27
13 Steven De Jongh Quick Step 31
14 Frederik Willems Liquigas 31
15 Laurent Mangel Ag2r la Mondiale 31
16 Wilfried Cretskens Quick Step 32
17 Mathew Hayman Rabobank 34
18 Serguei Ivanov Astana 35
19 Marco Velo Team Milram 35
20 Sébastien Turgot Bouygues Telecom 44

Points
1 Jurgen Roelandts Silence/Lotto 96
2 André Greipel Team Columbia 86
3 Kenny Van Hummel Skil/Shimano 75
4 Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia 74
5 Borut Bozic Cycle Collstrop 58
6 Elia Rigotto Team Milram 32
7 Carlo Westphal Gerolsteiner 30
8 Tom Leezer Rabobank 26
9 Yauheni Hutarovich Française Des Jeux 25
10 Bram Tankink Rabobank 24

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/