Museeuw wins Hamburg classic

Belgium's Johann Musseuw surprised the field by taking the HEW Cyclassics Cup in Hamburg, sixth round in the UCI World Cup. On a flat course, best suited for sprinters the Domo rider beat out a 10-man breakaway, thereby consolidating his lead in the World Cup standings.

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The race was supposed to be a rematch of the battle for the sprinter's green jersey during the Tour de France between Australia's Robbie McEwen and last year's winner and local favourite Erik Zabel. But McEwen crashed out early in the race and Zabel punctured a tyre with 16 km to go.

"It was the most expensive puncture of my career," a dejected Zabel later told German television.

The veteran Museeuw knew it was time to move when Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) and Igor Astarloa (Saeco) tried their luck with 10 kilometres to go. They were quickly joined by eight others including Museeuw and his nearest rival in the World Cup race Paulo Bettini (Mapei), George Hincapie (US Postal), Danilo Di Luca (Saeco), and Fabio Baldato (Fasso Bortolo).

Key to Museeuw in the breakaway was Domo teammate Romans Vainsteins. "Romans worked very hard," the 36-year old Belgian said afterward. But there was no sitting back with such a frenetic pace and Museeuw impressed everyone and when he launched his sprint 300 metres from the finish, he never looked back, capturing the eleventh classic of his career, second this season after Paris-Roubaix.

RESULT: top ten in Hamburg

The native of Varsenare, Belgium passed on the Tour de France, but told German television he‘d trained hard in Switzerland. "I prepared good in Saint Moritz so I knew I was good."

It’s the latest chapter of an incredible career. Museeuw broke his knee in the 1999 Paris-Roubaix race, came back to win the same race the following year, then damaged his knee again – this time in a motorcycle accident – before again taking Paris-Roubaix this year.

Now, after 1995 and 96, Museeuw’s on the brink of winning the World Cup again.

Museeuw remains coy about his plans before retirement. "Everyone asks but I don’t know." Nonetheless, he‘s been linked with a move to Quickstep to finish his career with the new Belgian team next year after the spring classics.

Spain’s Astarloa finished second, Rebellin third. By finishing fifth, George Hincapie moved up to third in the World Cup standings. He was riding without US Postal leader Lance Armstrong. The 2002 Tour de France winner, after racing the day before in Karlsruhe, boarded a plane for New York so he could take part in a cycling race near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan.

Museeuw now has 270 pts atop the UCI World Cup standings, Bettini 174, Hincapie 124 points just ahead of Peter Van Petegem 121, who was trapped in the pack when the big break occured.

The next World Cup race is next Saturday with the Classica San Sebastian.

RESULTS: UCI World Cup standings