Winner Tom Boonen had this to say about the state of the Koppenberg:

It is an extreme hill because there are no cobblestones on it. Certainly not on the last part, there they just threw a few rocks together. There are gaps of more than twenty centimetres between those stones. If someone falls between them, you’ll probably never see that person again. But it is part of the race. Just like the Valkenberg where I warned Bettini about the importance of it. Most riders think that it’s too far away from the finish. Not me, because it’s an ideal platform to attack if you feel good.

Tomorrow is the minor classic, the Gent-Wevelgem . Boonen will not likely be out for the victory, but expect him to push hard for his QuickStep teammates to position one of them for the win.

Posted on 4 April 2006