Fabian Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo) said goodbye to Belgium on Sunday, winning a criterium in Bavikhove near Kortrijk, close to where he was often based during his many spring Classics campaigns that saw him win the Tour of Flanders in 2010, 2013 and 2014. The evening criterium was Cancellara's final road race in Belgium as he winds down his career and hangs up his wheels at the end of the season.
Cancellara beat Classics rivals John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) and Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL-Jumbo) and celebrated with a special bottle of Kwaremont beer, one of the event sponsors.
"I'm really happy to be here. I agreed to come here before winning the gold medal in Rio. My word is my word and so I'm happy to race despite having a busy schedule. Criteriums are not the world championships and so you can enjoy yourself on the bike. I also know it's a last chance to race in Belgium," Cancellara told Sporza before his race.
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"It was always special every time I came to Belgium. I always feel a bit of a Belgian. That's really special. The people appreciated me not only as a rider, but also as a person. That is the best compliment that you can get as an athlete. I won some big races but at the end of the day I'm just an ordinary man. I can only say thank you to all the fans here Belgium and particularly in Flanders. This is where cycling is alive."
Cancellara is due to return to Belgium for a farewell event in Ghent on the Kuipke velodrome on November 12.
No second thoughts
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