Edvald Boasson Hagen wins Ghent-Wevelgem
Photo: Aftenposten from 2008.
Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen (21) from Rudsbygd, Norway won Wednesday’s Ghent Wevelgem in Belgium.
The Team Columbia cyclist battled Belarusian rider Aleksandr Kuschynski after the two broke away from the pack with 39 kilometers to go. The two endured driving rain and wind to build a one-minute lead over the chasing pack.
Australia’s Matthew Goss finished third.
The 203km race was held in intermittent cool rain, and was dominated by the 33 riders who split off the front in the first 80 kilometers. The big group was powered by six Cervélo TestTeam riders and four Columbia-Highroad riders. Boasson Hagen finished the 203-kilometer (130 mile) race in 5 hours, 31 seconds.
It is Boasson Hagen’s first win this season on the UCI Pro Tour. The 21-year-old Norwegian finished eighth in this year Tirreno-Adriatico race last month in Italy.
Young Edvald is probably one of the most talented riders of the future. He came to Team High Road in 2008 with a long list of victories to his name and in his first year on the team he also achieved a great deal. He won the Norwegian Time Trial Championships for the second time, he won three stages of the Tour of Britain, a stage of Eneco Tour and he placed first in Criterium International and GP Denain, writes Highroadsports.com.
