Oscar Freire became the
first Spaniard to win the Paris-Tours classic. The 34-year-old Spaniard
surged on the line to upstage Italy’s Angelo Furlan and Belgium’s Gert
Steegmans and snatch his 68th career victory. The race, often described
as a world championship for sprinters, has been held since 1896 and it
was only fitting for the three- times world champion, probably his
country’s greatest sprinter, to set the record straight. “I came here
many years with a good chance but there was always a winning break. Only
twice did I reach Tours for a mass sprint and I lost. I was third time
lucky”, he said.
The Freire began the current season perfect with victory at
Milan-San Remo for the third time in his career. The failure to take the
lead at some stage of Tour de France or Vuelta Spain and the misfortune
of ending in sixth place in the recent world championships in Melbourne
have cost him a great deal. It seems that this acquisition is a
consolation for the athlete and three time world champion (1999, 2001,
2004).
