Great news just in from Belgium... congratulations, Cannondale!


Just a week after scoring his first victory in the green and blue of Team Liquigas at Haut Var, Filippo Pozzato sprinted to victory again in the opening race of the 2007 classics season, Het Volk.

Team Liquigas raced to perfection as first Manuel Quinziato (fresh off his return from the Tour of California) placed himself in an early breakaway aboard his Cannondale Synapse. Roberto Petito led the chase of a later breakaway until Brazilian fast man Murilo Fischer went into an important late breakaway, forcing the other favored Belgian teams to chase down.

In the finale, Pozzato made an elite group of six persuers, chasing down Juan Antonio Flecha and Stuart O'Grady. When Nick Nuyens attempted a very late bridge, Pozzato turned to heavy favorite Tom Boonen to close him down, and then counter-attacked perfectly at 250 meters from the line to take the win over Flecha.

"[Baden] Cooke did not pull in the final. And maybe Boonen was a little tired. I used a little bit of grinta (force) and it worked out," noted Pozzato post-race.

The win marks Pozzato's 17th of his career and is only the third Italian victory in this race's 60 years. The result confirms Pozzato's fine form and is a great signal for the coming classic season.