"It was all up to me"

"When [Leif] Hoste attacked, there was only one card left to play in our team, and that was me," Boonen told reporters after outsprinting the Discovery rider. "The others, Baguet, Pozzato, and Bettini, had already done their job. It was up to me to follow Hoste, but I thought that one or two other riders would join us.

"I was the big favourite. Everyone in the peloton knew what I wanted to do. I would have had no excuses if I'd screwed up, because everything was set up for me to win this second Tour of Flanders," he added.

Hoste, who told Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure that he had planned an attack toward the end of the Muur de Grammont or in the Bosberg paid tribute to Boonen:

Hoste concludes that "Boonen wasn't stronger than me, but he was simply the fastest" and vows to "try and do better in Roubaix!"

George Hincapie (3rd behind team-mate Hoste): "When Leif launched his attack, I was thinking about doing the same. It's all the more a shame that in view of my velocity, I think I really had my chance in a sprint. On the one hand, I'm very happy with this third place - it's the first time I'm on the podium in the Ronde - and on the other, I have the feeling that I had great legs... and didn't make the most of them."

Filippo Pozzato (Milan-Sanremo winner and Quickstep team-mate of Boonen): "I had a debt towards Tom. When I came back on the lead group, I did the work without being asked. Tom raised his arms on the Via Roma when he saw me win, and this gesture touched me."

Karsten Kroon (8th, CSC): "When Hoste attacked, Bettini was in front of me. It took me a while to react and already there was a gap. I thought I could catch them, there was only ten metres, but they were the longest of my life. I'm nonetheless happy: I'm at home in the Ardennes classics, so eighth in Flanders... "

Thierry Marichal (Cofidis, who led the early break): "I have no regrets, having attacked after less than 100km. I had to anticipate the manoeuvres of the big guns. But we were missing at least two guys in our group, riders like [Nico] Eeckhout."

Angélique Van Petegem(wife of Davitamon leader Peter who finished 4th): "What a shit team," she blurted to the Belgian press as she broke down in tears. "Tell me where the rest of the team was? All this criticism about my husband have deeply affected me. It's hard to always hear that Peter only rides one week a year. Let them come to our house for 15 days to see the work done by my husband every day."

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