Willems wraps up De Panne
Frederik Willems (Liquigas), won the Three Days of De Panne on Thursday following the race-concluding 15.3km time trial which was won by Garmin’s Bradley Wiggins. Willems nipped in ahead of Dutch racers Joost Posthuma and Tom Leezer for his third career success in seven years as a pro. Wiggins won the time trial, which followed on from a 112km third regular stage where Isle of Man sprinter Mark Cavendish saw off all-comers with his second consecutive victory over Australian rival Robbie McEwen.
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Photo: Graham Watson
Frederik Willems (Liquigas), won the Three Days of De Panne on Thursday following the race-concluding 15.3km time trial which was won by Garmin’s Bradley Wiggins.
Willems nipped in ahead of Dutch racers Joost Posthuma and Tom Leezer for his third career success in seven years as a pro.
Wiggins won the time trial, which followed on from a 112km third regular stage where Isle of Man sprinter Mark Cavendish saw off all-comers with his second consecutive victory over Australian rival Robbie McEwen.
Columbia sprinter Cavendish had also tested his legs ahead of next week’s Ghent-Wevelgem one-day race by beating McEwen in a speedy sprint finish on Wednesday.
Germany’s Andre Schulze was third in the morning session.
Filippo Pozzato, leading at the start of the day and looking to prepare for this Sunday’s Tour of Flanders one-day classic, pulled out ahead of the time trial after he was delayed by a crash which split the peloton in two, 4km from the finish line to suffer a 48-second deficit which saw Willems claim the leader’s jersey.
Wiggins then won the afternoon session in 18:01 to edge out Dutchman Liewe Westra by 20 seconds and Belgian Stijn Devolder by 32 seconds.