FREIRE STRIKES AGAIN!

23rd February 2010 - filed under Teamsriders

Spanish sprinter scores second straight stage win for Rabobank at Ruta del Sol

Oscar Freire chalked up another win for Rabobank, scoring his second straight stage victory at Stage 3 of the Ruta del Sol stage race through southern Spain. Freire survived a tough, hilly 162.5-kilometre race from Marbella to Benahavis, and sped past Grega Bole (Lampre) and Simon Gerrans (Sky) to win the final sprint on his Giant TCR Advanced SL team bike.

Despite riding without Laurens Ten Dam, who was injured in a crash near the finish of Stage 2, the Rabobank team controlled the race, setting the pace over the final 15 kilometres and putting Freire in position to contest the final sprint.

Freire, the three-time world champion from Spain, is off to his best season start in years. The Stage 3 win at La Ruta, a traditional early-season stage race in Spain, was his third victory of the season.

Stage 4, a 10.9-kilometre time trial, is expected to be decisive in the General Classification. The race concludes on Thursday, February 25.