Zipp News

Hushovd Rides Zipp to Third at Paris-Roubaix

Thor Hushovd (NOR) of the Cervelo Test Team conquered the cobbled roads of France to take third in Paris-Roubaix, the most grulling race on the calendar.  Heinrich Haussler (GER), also of the Cervelo Test Team grabbed a top ten by finishing 7th overall.

"We got two into the first breakaway which was a group of twenty," said Jean-Paul van Poppel. "Later we then got two into a breakaway of six riders. Boonen was there as was Pozzato. We focused on section number 4 where Thor started attacking and Flecha cracked behind him, so he got a little gap. After a few hundred meters, Boonen came to him and they started to ride together. And then on the next turn he was on the wheel of Boonen, he hit something and went down. He was 12 km away from the finish when this happened and it allowed Boonen to pull away for the win.

"Thor was able to work himself up to third place which is pretty good and we are happy with the results. Also the team had an excellent performance but we are also a little bit sad because we missed a reasonable chance to get into the final sprint in the velodrome together with Tom Boonen. That should have been our main goal but we didn’t make it. Still we are happy with the third."

"I am happy to be on the podium in this race, but it's hard that I had the crash on this important point and you never know in a sprint", a disappointed Thor Hushovd said at the finish. "Because of the crash I couldn't win and my arm is still impeded from another crash last week in the Ronde van Vlaanderen.”  

Quotes: cervelo.com

Photo: (C) Tim De Waele