Eneco Tour

ANDENNE, Belgium (AFP) - Belgium champion Philippe Gilbert of the Omega Pharma team won the third stage of the Eneco Tour on Thursday to take the overall race lead from American Taylor Phinney of BMC.

Stage

• 1. André Greipel, Omega Pharma-Lotto (olo), in 4:07:21
• 2. Tyler Farrar, Team Garmin-Cervelo (grm), at 0
• 3. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky Procycling (sky), at 0
• 4. Jean-pierre Drucker, Veranda's Willems - Accent (vwa), at 0
• 5. Baden Cooke, Saxo Bank Sungard (sbs), at 0

GC

• 1. Taylor Phinney, Bmc Racing Team (bmc), in 8:35:38
• 2. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky Procycling (sky), at 3
• 3. David Millar, Team Garmin-Cervelo (grm), at 8
• 4. Alex Rasmussen, Htc-Highroad (thr), at 9
• 5. André Greipel, Omega Pharma-Lotto (olo), at 10

ARDOOIE, Netherlands (AFP) — German sprint specialist André Greipel of Omeg-Pharma claimed his second successive stage victory on the Eneco Tour, finishing ahead of American Tyler Farrar (BMC) and Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) Wednesday.

Racing in France and Holland dominate the action in Europe this week. The Eneco Tour, which began Monday with the prologue victory of Taylor Phinney (BMC), is the week's main event while the Tour de l'Ain will see the return to action of Tour de France phenomenon Pierre Rolland.

Stage 1

• 1. André Greipel, Omega Pharma-Lotto, in 4:21:20
• 2. Denis Galimzyanov, Katusha Team, at s.t.
• 3. Tyler Farrar, Team Garmin-Cervelo, at s.t.
• 4. Theo Bos, Rabobank Cycling Team, at s.t.
• 5. Tom Veelers, Skil-Shimano, at s.t.

GC

• 1. Taylor Phinney, Bmc Racing Team, in 4:28:17
• 2. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky Procycling, at 7
• 3. David Millar, Team Garmin-Cervelo, at 8
• 4. Alex Rasmussen, HTC-Highroad, at 9
• 5. Lars Boom, Rabobank Cycling Team, at 10

SINT WILLEBRORD, Netherlands — André Greipel (Omega Pharma) won the first stage of the Eneco Tour Tuesday, as prologue winner Taylor Phinney (BMC) retained the leader's jersey.

• 1. Taylor PHINNEY, (USA) BMC Racing Team, in 6:57
• 2. Edvald BOASSON HAGEN, (NOR) Team Sky, at 7
• 3. David MILLAR, (GBR) Garmin-Cervelo, at 8
• 4. Alex RASMUSSEN, (DEN) HTC-Highroad, at 9
• 5. Lars BOOM, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 10

Taylor Phinney (BMC) won the prologue of the Eneco Tour Monday and took the first leader's jersey of the race.

Omega Pharma-Lotto standout Philippe Gilbert will start the Eneco Tour this week looking for the top placing that could dislodge Tour de France champion Cadel Evans from the world's No. 1 ranking.

Photos from the final stage.

HTC-Columbia's Tony Martin wraps up his Eneco Tour by winning the final time trial. Now he's looking toward the world time trial championships in Australia.

• 1. Tony MARTIN, (GER) HTC-Columbia, in 20:24
• 2. Maarten TJALLINGII, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 6
• 3. Alex RASMUSSEN, (DEN) Team Saxo Bank, at 9
• 4. Richie PORTE, (AUS) Team Saxo Bank, at 20
• 5. Koos MOERENHOUT, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 20

• 1. André GREIPEL, (GER) HTC-Columbia, in 5:12:25
• 2. Jurgen ROELANDTS, (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto, at0
• 3. Edvald BOASSON HAGEN, (NOR) Team Sky, at0
• 4. Elia VIVIANI, (ITA) Liquigas-Doimo, at0
• 5. Lucas Sebastian HAEDO, (ARG) Team Saxo Bank, at0

Tony Martin holds the overall lead going into Tuesday's time trial.

• 1. Jack Bobridge (Aus), Garmin-Transitions, 4:45:38
• 2. Ruben Perez Moreno (Esp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 0:04
• 3. Thomas De Gendt (Bel), Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, at 0:04
• 4. Michael Van Stayen (Bel), Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, at 0:04
• 5. Gorik Gardeyn (Bel), Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team, at 0:04

The Garmin-Transitions rider spends the day in a break and then attacks it just short of the finish for the victory.

• 1. Greg Henderson, (Nzl), Team Sky, 4:46:46
• 2. Kenny Robert Van Hummel, (Ned), Skil-Shimano, s.t.
• 3. Edvald Boasson Hagen, (Nor), Team Sky, s.t.
• 4. Alex Rasmussen, (Den), Team Saxo Bank, s.t.
• 5. Robbie Mcewen, (Aus), Team Katusha, s.t.

Sunday brings a mountain stage that borrows part of its route from the Amstel Gold Race.

• 1. Koos MOERENHOUT, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, in 4:35:51
• 2. Tony MARTIN, (GER) HTC-Columbia, at 0
• 3. Allan DAVIS, (AUS) Astana, at 1:24
• 4. Edvald BOASSON HAGEN, (NOR) Team Sky, at 1:24
• 5. Jurgen ROELANDTS, (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 1:24

Rabobank's Koos Moerenhout won the third stage of the Eneco Tour of Benelux on Friday, out-sprinting his breakaway companion Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia) who earned the overall lead in the week-long stage race.

André Greipel (HTC-Columbia) won the second stage of the Eneco Tour of Benelux on Thursday, out-kicking Katusha's Robbie McEwen in a field sprint into the Belgian town of Ardooie.

• 1. André GREIPEL, (GER) HTC-Columbia, in 4:46:50
• 2. Robbie MCEWEN, (AUS) Team Katusha, at 0
• 3. Edvald BOASSON HAGEN, (NOR) Team Sky, at 0
• 4. Lucas Sebastian HAEDO, (ARG) Team Saxo Bank, at 0
• 5. Yauheni HUTAROVICH, (BLR) Française des Jeux, at 0

Michael Barry (Team Sky) hopes to recover from a broken rib suffered Wednesday at the Eneco Tour in time to race a pair of ProTour races on home roads in Canada next month.

• 1. Robbie MCEWEN, (AUS) Team Katusha, at 4:16:34
• 2. Lucas Sebastian HAEDO, (ARG) Team Saxo Bank, at 0
• 3. Allan DAVIS, (AUS) Astana, at 0
• 4. Francesco CHICCHI, (ITA) Liquigas-Doimo, at 0
• 5. Jurgen ROELANDTS, (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 0

Katusha's Robbie McEwen won a field sprint into Rhenen in the Netherlands to win the first stage of the sixth of the Eneco Tour of Benelux on Wednesday. Canadian Svein Tuft remains in the lead.

The Canadian delivered a big win to open the Eneco Tour in Holland

• 1. Svein TUFT, (CAN) Garmin-Transitions, in 6:18
• 2. Jos VAN EMDEN, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 5
• 3. Lars BOOM, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 6
• 4. Maarten TJALLINGII, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 6
• 5. Edvald BOASSON HAGEN, (NOR) Team Sky, at 7

After a relatively quiet week last week, things are cracking this week across Europe.

Columbia-HTC's Edvald Boasson Hagen won the Eneco Tour on Tuesday after winning the final stage, a 13.1km individual time trial in Amsfoort, the Netherlands. The 22-year-old Norwegian finished ahead of France's Sylvain Chavanel in the overall standings after the Frenchman clocked the fourth fastest time in the time-trial in the seven stage ProTour race through Belgium and the Netherlands. American Tyler Farrar, second in the overall standings, withdrew ahead of the final stage, saying he hoped to rest up for this weekend's start of the Vuelta a España.

Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Slipstream) will take a pass on Tuesday’s final time trial at the Eneco Tour despite sitting second overall just 21 seconds out of the lead. With three stage victories in the bag and the ever-important Vuelta a España looming ahead this weekend, the American sprinter decided that it was better to rest for more important goals in his third grand tour of the year.

Edvald Boasson Hagen (Columbia-HTC) took the leader's jersey from Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Slipstream) after placing second in Sunday’s fifth stage of the Eneco Tour behind Lars Bak (Saxo Bank). Bak made his dash for the line 5km out to edge Boasson Hagen by two seconds with Italian Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre-N.G.C.) third. Farrar missed out in the late breakaway and came in 30 seconds adrift to see Hagen pass him overall by 15 seconds following the 204.3km stage to Sirrard in the Netherlands.

Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Slipstream) won the fourth stage of the Eneco Tour on Saturday, his third victory of the stage race through the Benelux countries. Farrar, further secured his hold on the overall leader’s jersey, outsprinting Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen (Columbia) and Italian Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre). Farrar also won the first and second stages. Sunday’s fifth stage covers 204.3 kilometers over many of the same roads included in the Amstel Gold Race. The Eneco Tour ends Tuesday, with a 13.1km time trial in Amersfoort, in Holland.

Tom Boonen (Quick Step) won the third stage of the Eneco Tour at Hasselt, Belgium, on Friday, edging out overall leader Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Slipstream in a sprint finish which saw Italian Francesco Chicchi take third spot. "I had earmarked this stage and it's super to have won it," said Boonen. "It was really nice today to have been riding in my home region. We went right past my parents' place and my village, my house, my training ground."

American Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Slipstream) won the second stage of the Eneco Tour on Thursday, further consolidating his hold on the overall lead. Farrar won a field sprint at the end of a 178.1km stage from Ardooie to Brussels, adding to the sprint win he earned in stage 1 on Wednesday. Farrar outsprinted Yauheni Hutarovich (Française des Jeux) and Columbia-HTC’s Edvald Boasson Hagen for the win in Brussels. The stage was marked by several breakaway attempts, the last of which was reeled in just 500 meters from the line.

Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Slipstream) sprinted to victory in the 184km first stage at the 5th Eneco Tour on Wednesday in Belgium. A major crash marred the finale into Ardooie, Belgium, sending scores of riders somersaulting to the ground in a high-speed melee. Farrar avoided the mishap and darted to victory, sprinting ahead of Tom Boonen (Quick Step), with Edvald Boasson Hagen (Columbia-HTC) coming through third.

When Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Slipstream) says he’s on good form, you better believe him. Fresh off sprinting to victory in Sunday’s Hamburg Cyclassics race in Germany, Farrar came within a whisker of winning the opening prologue at the Eneco Tour, which clicked into gear Tuesday with a 4.4km course.

Knee pain has forced Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen to pull out of what was to have been his comeback race, the Eneco Tour, his Katusha team announced Monday. McEwen suffered several injuries, including a fractured tibia, in a crash on the Tour of Belgium at the end of May. But despite hoping to make a comeback at the Eneco Tour, the 12-time Tour de France stage winner has been advised to wait. "Doctors can't guarantee him that his knee will support the intense, repetitive efforts of racing," one of his team managers, Bart Leysen, said.

Spaniard Jose Ivan Gutierrez, riding for Caisse d'Epargne, won the Tour of Benelux in Brussels as Latvia's Raivis Belohvoscicks (Saunier Duval) won Wednesday's final stage, an 18km time trial around Mechelen. Gutierrez was second on the stage, 8 seconds back. He finished without a saddle, which fell off his bike with about 800 meters to go, according to reports.

Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen of the Columbia team won the sixth and penultimate stage of the Tour of Benelux here Tuesday, as German team-mate Andre Greipel held the overall race lead. Boasson won a sprint finish ahead of France's Jimmy Engoulvent and Serguei Ivanov of Russia. Wednesday's final stage is an 18km time-trial around Mechelen. In Tuesday's stage, a nine-rider breakaway looked set to fight out the finish but Columbia did a lot of work to chase the riders and then Hagen jumped past late attacker Jimmy Engoulvent within sight of the finish line.

German rider Carlo Westphal (Gerolsteiner) won the fifth stage of the Tour of Benelux on Monday. Compatriot Andre Greipel of the Columbia team holds the overall race lead.

Italy's Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) sprinted to victory in the third stage of the Tour of Benelux on Saturday, taking the leader's jersey from Spain's Jose Ivan Gutierrez. Bennati crossed the line ahead of Belgians Tom Boonen and Jurgen Roelandts.

Germany's Andre Greipel (Team Columbia) won the second stage of the Eneco Tour in The Netherlands on Friday. Greipel beat Argentina's Juan Jose Haedo (CSC-Saxo Bank) and compatriot Robert Forster(Gerolsteiner) in a rain-soaked sprint finish in Nieuwegein, in the north of The Netherlands. Kenny Van Hummel (Skil-Shimano) was fourth and stage one winner Tom Boonen was fifth.

Belgian rider Tom Boonen (Quick Step), won the first stage of the Tour du Benelux in The Netherlands on Thursday. Spain's Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne), retained the yellow jersey after winning Wednesday's prologue. Boonen, 27, is the 2005 world champion. In June he was barred from the Tour de France after testing positive for cocaine.

Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne) won the prologue of the Eneco Tour of Benelux in Sittard-Geleen, Netherlands, on Wednesday. The Spanish cyclist, winner of the event last year, was judged to be leader after clocking 5:31.09 minutes over the 4.4 kilometer stage — fractions of a second in front of French rider Cyril Lemoine (Credit Agricole). Norway's Edvald Hagen (Team Columbia) was third.

Spanish rider Jose Ivan Gutierrez beat Britain's David Millar to claim the Tour of Benelux title on Wednesday. The Caisse d'Epargne rider claimed victory after finishing seconds behind Belgian Sebastien Rosseler in the seventh and final stage, a 29.6km time-trial. It was the first professional success for 26-year-old Rosseler who timed 36:50 with Gutierrez two seconds behind. Millar crossed in fourth to finish 11 seconds behind the Spaniard with Sweden's Gustav-Erik Larsson completing the podium. Overnight leader Thomas Dekker (Rabobank) paid the price of his fall on Tuesday,

Brazilian Luciano Pagliarini (Saunier Duval-Prodir) won the fifth stage of the Eneco Tour of Benelux over 180km from Terneuzen to Nieuwegein on Monday. Pagliarini edged out Britain's Mark Cavendish (T-Mobile) and Australia's Graeme Brown (Rabobank) in a sprint finish. "This is the best win of my life. My first bunch of flowers in a ProTour race," said an elated Pagliarini, who dedicated the win to his newborn daughter. "This week has been fantastic for me. I've waited for such a long time for a win like this. These last months were really difficult." Belgium's Nick Nuyens

Belgian Wouter Weylandt (Quick Step-Innergetic) won the fourth stage of the Eneco Tour of Benelux on Sunday. Weylandt crossed the line ahead of Norway's Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole) and Matthew Goss (CSC) after 182km of racing from Maldegem, Belgium, to Terneuzen, Netherlands. Belgian Nick Nuyens (Cofidis) kept the leader's red jersey. "It's revenge for the previous stages where I failed in the final meters," said Weylandt after his sixth success of the season. "I feared Thor Hushovd was coming back strong as we neared the line but I held on." A breakaway containing Italian

T-Mobile’s Mark Cavendish won the second stage of the Eneco Tour of Benelux, prevailing in a sprint here on Friday. The British rider beat American Fred Rodriguez (Predictor-Lotto) and Belgian Wouter Weylandt after the 200-kilometer race from Antwerp. Cofidis’ Nick Nuyens retained the leader's red jersey. It is the second win in Belgium this year for the 22-year-old Cavendish after the Escaut Grand Prix, and his eighth success this season following wins in the Four Days of Dunkirk, Tour of Denmark and Ster Elektrotoer. "The team worked very well at the end. My teammates put me in an

Belgium's Nick Nuyens (Cofidis) won the first stage of the Eneco Tour of Benelux on Thursday after a tough day of racing over the climbs made famous by some of cycling's Belgian one-day classics. Nuyens dominated Dutch ace Thomas Dekker (Rabobank) and Spaniard Jose Luis Gutierrez (Caisse d’Epargne) on the uphill finish at the end of the 189.5km race from Waremme to Eupen, taking the overall lead from Dutch teammate Michiel Elijzen. Elijzen, who had won the prologue on Wednesday, finished several minutes in arrears as some of the climbs, which feature on the one-day classics

The Eneco Benelux Tour ended bitterly for George Hincapie on Wednesday after arch-rival Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner) hooked him in the final 50 meters, sending the Discovery Channel leader sprawling to the ground and causing him to lose the race on time bonuses. Schumacher started the 201km seventh and final stage three seconds behind race leader Hincapie, but the German rider bounded ahead to finish third behind winner Philippe Gilbert (Française des Jeux) and runner-up Manuele Mori (Saunier Duval-Prodir) to earn a four-second bonus that nudges him into overall victory in the eight-day

German David Kopp (Gerolsteiner) sprinted to victory in the sixth and penultimate stage of the Eneco Tour of Benelux on Tuesday. Italy's Marco Zanotti (Unibet.com) and Belgian Philippe Gilbert (Française des Jeux) crossed second and third in the 213km stage from Bornem to St. Truiden, a nervy racec marked by numerous falls. "Normally I should launch the sprint for my leader (Stefan Schumacher), but I found myself alone on the front and decided to attack and go for the win," explained the 27-year-old Kopp. George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) holds the overall race lead going into

Tom Boonen made the most of home advantage when winning the fifth stage of the Eneco Tour of Benelux Monday in Balen, Belgium. The Quick Step rider came out on top in a sprint just meters from the house where he lives, with New Zealand's Julian Dean (Crédit Agricole) and Italy's Simone Cadamuro (Milram) taking second and third. George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) retained the leader's red jersey with just two stages remaining. Germany's Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner) is lying second with Vincenzo Nibali (ILiquigas) third. Boonen, who was adding this to his successes in

American George Hincapie moved up from fourth to lead the overall standings in the Eneco Tour of Benelux after capturing Sunday's stage-4 time trial around Landgraaf in the Netherlands. The Discovery Channel rider took the leader's red jersey from Belgium's Tom Boonen (Quick Step-Innergetic) after covering the 16.1km race against the clock in 19 minutes, 58 seconds. Up-and-coming Italian rider Vicenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Bianchi) came in second, only 36 one-hundredths of a second adrift, with Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner) seven seconds back in third. Boonen trailed in 62nd,

George Hincapie narrowly missed another big victory by the smallest of margins in Wednesday’s opening prologue to kick start the ENECO Benelux tour. Hincapie – who lost the Tour de France opening prologue by less than one second to Thor Hushovd – was once again on the wrong end of the bargain in the 6.1km prologue course Wednesday, finishing one second behind winner Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner). Schumacher, 25, covered the distance in seven minutes to achieved his fifth win of the year and 14th of his career. “It’s great to come in ahead of several time trial specialists, but I'm

American Bobby Julich grabbed his CSC team's second stage race victory inside a week after winning the inaugural Tour of Benelux asit finished in Holland on Wednesday. Julich stormed to victory in the final stage time trial, held over 26.2km, to leave Dutch favorite Erik Dekker, down in second place in the general classification. The 33-year-old Julich started the time trial with a 37-second deficit on overnight leader Rik Verbrugghe of QuickStep. However Julich has become something of a specialist in the race against the clock over the past two years - and by the halfway mark he had

Dutchman Stefan Van Dijk (Mr. Bookmaker) dominated the sprint finish of a 196-kilometer race from St. Truiden to win the sixth and penultimate stage of the Tour of Benelux in Hoogstraten near Brussels on Tuesday. Belgian Rik Verbrugghe, (QuickStep), retained the race lead going into Wednesday's final stage - a 26.3km individual time trial in Etten-Leur in the Netherlands. Van Dijk sprinted to victory ahead of Discovery Channel's Max Van Heeswijk - who has already won two stages in the event.-Agence France Presse Results in the 195.9km sixth stage of the Tour of Benelux between

Dutchman Max Van Heeswijk (Discovery Channel) dominated a bunch sprint to win the fifth stage of the Benelux Tour held over 194km between Verviers and Hasselt in Belgium on Monday. Belgium's Rik Verbrugghe (Quick Step) retained the lead in the general classification ahead of Tuesday's penultimate stage held over 196km from St Truiden to Hoogstraten. Van Heeswijk thus claims his second stage of the race following his victory in the first stage last Thursday. The Dutch rider finished ahead of Italian Alberto Ongarato (Fassa Bortolo), fellow Dutchman Stefan Van Dijck (MrBookmaker) and

Italy's Simone Cadamuro won the 178.5km second stage of the Tour of Benelux between Geldrop and Sittard on Friday. The Domina Vacanze rider prevailed in a sprint with Liquigas-Bianchi teammates Marco Zanetti and Enrico Gasparotto. Max van Heeswijk (Discovery Channel), winner of Thursday's first stage, held on to the leader's red jersey, extending his lead over Belgian Rik Verbrugghe (Quick Step) to three seconds. In rainy conditions French duo Rony Martias (Bouygues Telecom) and Fabien Sanchez (Française des Jeux) tried to slip the main pack, at one point building up a

Discovery Channel’s Max van Heeswijk won Thursday’s first stage of the Tour of Benelux, a 189.4km leg between Geel and Mierlo. Van Heeswijk outsprinted Marco Zanotti (Liquigas-Bianchi) and Steven de Jongh (Rabobank) to win the stage and take the overall lead from prologue winner Rik Verbrugghe (Quick Step), who slipped to second overall. "At last," Van Heeswijk said with a smile after his first stage win in a season blighted by family problems. Discovery Channel's assistant sports manager, Dirk Demol, also was pleased. "Max has struggled a bit to find his form this season but it's

Belgium's Rik Verbrugghe (Quick Step) won the prologue of the Tour of Benelux on Wednesday. Spain's Carlos Barredo (Liberty Seguros) was second with Dutch rider Servais Knaven (Quick Step) in third. Verbrugghe covered the 5.7km course around Malines, Belgium, in 6 minutes and 45.11 seconds with Barredo a second further back and Knaven two off the pace. "It was a good prologue for me," Verbrugghe told Agence France Presse. Thursday’s first stage of the eight-day ProTour race through Belgium and Holland will cover 189km from Geel to Mierlo in the Netherlands. The opening three