It was a fine weekend for less-than-mainline sports…

First, the queen of cycling’s spring classics, Paris-Roubaix (the Hell of the North) was run today in Northern France. Belgian Tom Boonen capped a fine week, winning in a sprint ahead of George Hincapie and Juan Flecha (Boonen took the Tour of Flanders last weekend, joining the elite company of those who have one both races in the same year). Hincapie also made history, becoming the first American to ever stand on the podium in the Roubaix velodrome. If you’ve never been exposed to Paris Roubaix before, please at least look at the images from the Velo News or Cycling News coverage — you’ll find the road race often resembles a mountain bike race.

Also, this weekend was the Rallye New Zealand, the first “proper” fast gravel rally of the season. Citroen’s Sebastien Loeb took a comfortable win, with Peugeot’s Marcus Gronholm and Subaru’s Petter Solberg following. Neither Gronholm or Solberg pushed for more points, content to bolster their championship totals. Solberg, as champion, ran first on the road on Friday, playing the role of street sweeper, clearing the stages of any loose gravel. He finished the day in fourth place, only thirty seconds adrift of Loeb. Solberg decided to play for points the remainder of the weekend, and was content with third place (which keeps him atop the championship points table). Subaru’s young recruit Chris Atkinson had his first points finish of his career, finishing the rally in seventh place, and taking his first scratch time in the process. This was also Subaru’s first double points haul for the manufacturer’s championship. Both Peugot and Citroen had fine rallies as well, with Francois Duval (Citroen) taking fourth (his first points of the season) and Peugeot’s Markko Martin finishing in fifth. Martin’s finish, while helping Peugeot’s manufacturer’s championship campaign, dropped the Estonian further down the driver’s points table — he now stands in third, three points behind Solberg.

And finally, the family loaded up the car and went climbing at the New River Gorge. It was a fine weekend (albeit a little hot for April) with loads of sunshine. I am horribly out of climbing shape, but it was still good fun to be out of doors, climbing real rock. And, best of all, Sebastien enjoys being outside in the dirt.

Posted on 11 April 2005