4/25/11 - HTC-Highroad's Amber Neben rode to an impressive triumph in the Stad Roeselare Classic in Belgium on Sunday, the 36-year-old's first ever victory in a one-day Classic.
Neben took off around 20 kilometers from the line and stayed away for a lone win, with team-mate Adrie Visser then taking third and giving HTC-Highroad two places out of three on the victory podium.
"I cannot recall ever having won a one-day Classic before, so that's really exciting," Neben said about her fifth win of the 2011 season.
"This is bike racing, the timing has to be right, and I felt that going for it at 20 kilometers or so was the right moment."
"Adrie had just come up to my group so I felt I should take that risk and attack, knowing I had a team-mate there."
"It was difficult but I felt good and after how hard the race had been all day, I felt that if I could get a gap I might be able to make it work."
"When I got to five kilometers and I still had 45 seconds I thought I could stick it. A lot of people say 'ten seconds for every kilometer' so I figured it was going to be close, but I still had a little bit of energy and good rhythm."
"But you don't take anything for granted and I didn't want to celebrate until I saw the finish line."
"All six HTC-Highroad riders were there in the front group of around forty after the first seven climbs which was really impressive," added HTC-Highroad sports director Jens Zemke, "And we were in the perfect position to start piling on the pressure."
"We made some good moves and finally it was Amber's that stuck, she initially gained fifteen seconds and although other teams counter-attacked, none of them succeeded and by the finish her gap more than doubled."
"She really showed her strength, like the former World Champion she is."
