April 28, 2003

Bell clad Tyler Hamilton scores huge spring classic win

LIEGE, BELGIUM - Bell rider Tyler Hamilton (CSC) scored a dramatic victory in the rain-soaked Liège-Bastogne-Liège spring classic in Belgium on Sunday, becoming the first American to win the event and besting a world class field. The win vaulted Hamilton to number four in the World Cup standings and onto the radar of the entire peloton for the Tour de France, the stated focus race of his Danish CSC team.

While Hamilton scored the win, it was the attacks of fellow American and former teammate Lance Armstrong (USPS) that shaped the race's finish. On the second-to-last climb of the day Armstrong unleashed a series of attacks that pulled in an earlier breakaway and put the Texan in a three-man breakaway that included Aleksandr Shefer (Saeco) of Kasikstan and Spain's Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi). After opening up a lead of nearly 40 seconds, Hamilton's CSC teammates organized a chase that pulled back the break and set up their team leader for a chance at the win.

With three kilometers to go Hamilton made his move and put a small gap on Spaniard Iban Mayo Diaz (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) of the Netherlands, opening up a 12-second gap that he would take all the way to the finish. Armstrong would finish 20th while fellow American Bobby Julich (Telekom) finished 79th.

Liège's hilly terrain has earned it a reputation as one of the toughest single-day races in the world and Sunday's 89th edition, with it's mix of rain, sleet and snow, only extended the tradition.

Tyler Hamilton trains and competes in the 2003 Bell Ghisallo CSC Team Edition (Red/Silver).