Eneco Tour 2008 - 6

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 6 Maldegem/Brussel (186 km)
At last there were a few hills in the final 20 kilometres and it was a shame that the stage had to end on yet another flat piece of tarmac in Brussels.

A big group had moved away and after the final cobbled climb their time advantage was being cut by a combination of teams, notably FD Jeux, Team Columbia and Milram. The leaders dangled at ahead of the pack for a further 20 kilometres before they were snuffed out at two kilometres to go.

What had been an exciting stage was completed with a mass sprint for the line won by Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Columbia) who had overtaken Jimmy Engoulvent Credit Agricole, the later having led out the sprint.

What this race needs is a hilly finish.

1 Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia 4.07'20
2 Jimmy Engoulvent Credit Agricole
3 Serguei Ivanov Astana
4 André Greipel Team Columbia
5 Jurgen Roelandts Silence-Lotto
6 Elia Rigotto Team Milram
7 Francesco Chicchi Liquigas
8 Matthew Harley Goss Team CSC
9 Roger Hammond Team Columbia
10 Kenny Van Hummel Skil-Shimano
11 Angelo Furlan Credit Agricole
12 Yauheni Hutarovich Française Des Jeux
13 Michael Rogers Team Columbia
14 Carlo Westphal Gerolsteiner
15 Bram De Groot Rabobank
16 Bram Tankink Rabobank
17 Borut Bozic Cycle Collstrop
18 Luciano Pagliarini Saunier Duval-Scott
19 Sébastien Turgot Bouygues Telecom
20 David Kopp Cycle Collstrop

General Classification
1 André Greipel Team Columbia 26.04'46
2 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios Caisse d'Epargne 11
3 Jurgen Roelandts Silence-Lotto 12
4 Sébastien Rosseler Quick Step 15
5 Michael Rogers Team Columbia 18
6 Koen De Kort Astana 18
7 Bram Tankink Rabobank 19
8 Joost Posthuma Rabobank 21
9 Stijn Devolder Quick Step 22
10 Piet Rooijakkers Skil-Shimano 24
11 Borut Bozic Cycle Collstrop 24
12 Carlo Westphal Gerolsteiner 27
13 Frederik Willems Liquigas 29
14 Steven De Jongh Quick Step 31
15 Laurent Mangel Ag2r la Mondiale 31
16 Serguei Ivanov Astana 31
17 Wilfried Cretskens Quick Step 32
18 Mathew Hayman Rabobank 34
19 Marco Velo Team Milram 35
20 Sébastien Turgot Bouygues Telecom 44

Points
1 Jurgen Roelandts Silence-Lotto 113
2 André Greipel Team Columbia 105
3 Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia 104
4 Kenny Van Hummel Skil-Shimano 85
5 Borut Bozic Cycle Collstrop 58
6 Elia Rigotto Team Milram 47
7 Francesco Chicchi Liquigas 37
8 Bram Tankink Rabobank 32
9 Carlo Westphal Gerolsteiner 30
10 Tom Leezer Rabobank 26

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/