Remember him? Vandenbroucke wins in France
- By VeloNews.com
- Published Apr. 4, 2009
- Updated Apr. 5, 2009 at 11:46 AM UTC
Frank Vandenbroucke – once one of cycling’s top stars who tumbled into a spiral of drug abuse and an apparent suicide attempt – is back in the winner’s circle.
The 34-year-old Vandenbroucke won Saturday’s 15km time trial and grabbed the overall leader’s jersey at La Boucle de l’Artois, a second-division French race.
Not counting a 2005 kermesse, Vandenbroucke hasn’t won a race in a decade since he won eight races in 1999, including Het Volk, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, two stages at the Vuelta a España and second in the Tour of Flanders.
Now riding for the modest Cinelli-Down Under team since signing a contract in late February, Vandenbroucke squeezed out a one-second victory Patrick Gretch (Thuringer-Energie) in the 15km course from Saint Catherine les Arras to Mont Saint Eloi.
With the victory, Vandenbroucke takes the overall leader’s jersey with one stage left to go.