Credit: Gerry McManus

Credit: Gerry McManus

 

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Boasson Hagen wins again in Britain

September 11, 2008

Team Columbia’s Edvald Boasson Hagen won his second consecutive stage at the Tour of Britain on Thursday.

The talented young Norwegian won with a late attack from the five-rider breakaway that dominated the stage but only got into the move thanks to an impressive piece of teamwork from his Columbia team mates.

Italy’s Danilo Di Luca and Australia’s Matt Goss and Travis Meyer sparked the early break. Team Columbia was not in the move and so the boys in blue went on the front of the peloton and chased the attack. They reduced the gap to 15 seconds so that Boasson Hagen could jump across. When he made it, with Columbia’s Victor Hugo Pena for company, the bunch let them go and the five knew they would go on to fight for the stage victory.

The final 30km of the stage included three short but very steep climbs in the heart of Dalby Forest in the North York Moors. Di Luca attacked on the second climb with 12km to go but was caught on the descent to the finish. Pena made a late move two kilometres out but when he was pulled back Boasson Hagen surged clear 700 metres from the finish and won by four seconds. It was yet another impressive win by the talented young rider with another powerful late attack.

“My team mates made a huge effort to get me up to the break and so I have to thank them. We don’t have anyone up high in the overall classification and so we worked hard to make sure I was up there,” Boasson Hagen said.

“Me and Goss worked together to get Di Luca back on the climb. Pena attacked, so Goss and Di Luca chased him and then I made a counter attack with about 700 metres to go. I suppose late attacks are becoming my speciality.”

France’s Geoffroy Lequatre of the Agritubel team kept the overall race lead, six seconds ahead of Britain’s Steve Cummings.

Friday’s 156km sixth stage is from Darlington to Gateshead near Newcastle in the northeast of England. The stage includes two early climbs but is likely to end in a sprint, meaning Boasson Hagen has a great chance of taking a third consecutive victory.