SPRING CLASSICS 2012

[TNT1]

It looks as if he has 10 seconds on the Boonen group, with EBH and Gatto at 40 seconds.

[TNT1]

Nope, EBH/Gatto have been absorbed by the chasing field.

They are getting close enough to make Boonen nervous.

[TNT1]

Jerome is pulling away, with 17 seconds on the Boonen group, the field at 45 seconds.

Terpstra tries to jump from the Boonen gropu, takes Chavanel and a few others with him.

[TNT1]

1. 
    
   15:52:28 CEST
    
    
   They have a 13 second gap to leader Jerome. The Sky-led field its at 33 seconds.
   
2. 
    
   15:51:54 CEST
    
    
   The lead group is: Matteo Tosatto (Team Saxo Bank), Alessandro Ballan (BMC), Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky), Jacopo Guarnieri (Astana), Luca Paolini (Team Katusha), Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale), Sep Vanmarcke (Garmin-Barracuda) and Vincent Jerome (Team Europcar)
   
3. 
    
   15:49:35 CEST
    
    
   Jerome slurps down a power gel, to give him the extra energy to get away.
   Must be working, he now has 20 seconds.
   

[TNT1]

Boonen sends Terpstra up the road. Boonen really does not what to come to the finish line with all these people around him, he wants his teammates to help dump them all.

[TNT1]

1. 
    
   15:57:23 CEST
    
    
   2200m long, with 1500m cobbles, and a few really steep sections.
   
2. 
    
   15:56:48 CEST
    
    
   We are approaching the Kwaremont again.
   
3. 
   19km remaining from 256km
   15:56:17 CEST
    
    
   Burghardt is now nearly to the two leaders, with the field a few seconds behind him.
   
4. 
    
   15:55:21 CEST
    
    
   The chase group has now caught the Boonen group. Marcus Burghardt of BMC leads the chase of the two leaders now.
   

[TNT1]

Ballan leaps into the lead and bounces his way up the cobbles.

[TNT1]

Ballan is building up a nice little lead.

[TNT1]

Pozzatto and Boonen aren't happy with this development and take off in chase.

[TNT1]

Some major gaps developing. Pozzato and Boonen have now caught Ballan.

[TNT1]

A group of 10-15 are now 14 seconds behind the trio. Luca Paolini jumps to try to catch them.

[TNT1]

1. 
    
    
   More cobblestones: the paterberg!
   
2. 
    
   16:03:46 CEST
    
    
   Ballan, Boonen and Pozzato are working well togehter on this narrow lane.
   
3. 
    
   16:02:58 CEST
    
    
   Paolini is really driving along and is now only 7 seconds back. But using up a lot of power along the way...
   

[TNT1]

Again, Ballan leads the way.

[TNT1]

Is Boonen falling back?

[TNT1]

No, he is with the other two again as they leave the cobbles.

[TNT1]

13km to go. Sagan has jumped from the chasing field, but may have left it too late.