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Flat out for victory Bordeaux countryside inspires Knaven to Tour winPosted: Thursday July 24, 2003 12:34 PM
BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) -- The Dutch do not make great wine but can boast vintage riders and Servais Knaven said he had felt so much at home between Dax and Bordeaux that it inspired him to his first Tour de France stage win Thursday. "We consider Bordeaux a little like a Dutch town," said the former Paris-Roubaix winner, the 13th cyclist from the Netherlands to win a Tour stage in France's wine capital. "The same is also said about L'Alpe d'Huez but it does not inspire me to climb up there," Knaven added. The 32-year-old is a typical Dutch rider, who despite having taken part in seven Tours de France, feels far more comfortable on the flat than in the mountains. "The landscape here looks a little like Holland. It's very flat. Before the start we had discussed it with my team director, Patrick Lefevere, and found that it was the stage that suited me best," the Quick Step rider said. "When I saw I was in the right breakaway, I knew this one was for me," he added. After nine years as a professional, Knaven may not have a very flattering record, but is so important to his team that his contract with Quick Step was renewed for one more year. "I was not too sure whether I would ever make it back on the Tour but after this victory, I would really like to be back next year," Knaven said. More a specialist of one-day classics, Knaven scored his best victory two years ago when he won Paris-Roubaix, arguably the most prestigious World Cup classic. "I'm not a guy who wins 10 races a year but I'm very consistent and when I happen to win one, it's always a big one," he said. "This is great of course, but my Paris-Roubaix victory stands out. "For a rider like me, who is better in one-day races, the only thing that would beat winning Paris-Roubaix would be to win the world championship," he said.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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