Tour de France:Belgian Gert Steegmans was recruited by Quick Step at the end of last season to help Tom Boonen in the bunch sprints of the Tour de France.
However Steegmans, who last year piloted Predictor-Lotto's
Robbie McEwen to two victories in the world's greatest cycle race,
pipped team leader and compatriot Boonen to the line in today's
second stage.
By winning the 168.5-km stage from Dunkirk to Ghent, site of
Quick Step's headquarters, Steegmans deprived the former world
champion of his first victory on the Tour in two years.
Boonen has yet to raise his arms in triumph on the Tour since
he won a massive sprint on Tour two years ago.
"We wanted to do it differently than yesterday, when we
started the sprint too soon," Steegmans told a news conference
following his first Tour stage victory.
In Sunday's first stage in England, the Quick Step "blue
train" was launched with more than 500 metres to go and McEwen
stunned his opponents with a late, winning burst of speed.
"There was no plan on who would win the stage. Everything
happened naturally," Steegmans added.
Boonen, who has never been crowned king of the sprinters on
the Tour de France, made the best of another frustrating day by
claiming the green jersey.
He has 56 points to McEwen's 55.
"I am really happy with the jersey. Gert deserved his
victory, it was not a gift from me," said Boonen.
The stage was marred by a crash in the closing stretch which saw left some 20 riders to battle it out in the sprint with around three kilometres to go.
Swiss overall leader Fabian Cancellara was caught in the pile-up but will still retain the yellow jersey because the crash happened inside the final three kilometres which means all the riders involved are given the same time as the stage winner.