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2008 Ghent-Wevelgem
Freire's Firestorm!

Once again the peloton was tested by the high winds and treacherous cobbles of the Kemmelberg in Ghent-Wevelgem. It’s often known as a sprinter’s race, but having the fastest finish won’t guarantee victory. Last year’s event was marred by spectacular crashes that helped German Marcus Burghardt come away with the win.

This year’s race was full of attacks and strong breakaways including the group of Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas), Matti Breschel (Team CSC), and Philippe Gilbert (Française des Jeux). Plenty of other teams, most notably CSC, sent out riders looking for the winning move as well, but in the end brilliant team riding by Rabobank and the finishing class of Oscar Freire would rule the day.

2008 Omloop Het Volk
Philippe's Breakaway!

Het Volk welcomes the peloton back to northern Europe in late winter from the hot weather racing in Qatar, Australia, Malaysia and California to contend with the short, but murderously steep climbs of Flanders.

In 2008, Belgian Philippe Gilbert, also the race winner in 2006, went on a heroic solo ride to win under uncharacteristically sunny skies. Writing his attack at 49k to go off as a doomed-to-fail flyer, the contenders let Gilbert go, but they wouldn’t see him again until he mounted the top step of the podium in Ghent. Not even the powerful chasing group of Nick Nuyens (Cofidis), Fabian Cancellara (CSC), Allan Johansen (CSC), Leif Hoste (Silence-Lotto), Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole) and Nicolas Jalabert (Agritubel) could catch the young rider from Wallonia.