Dutchman's Classics education continues ahead of Roubaix debut
Thor Hushovd plus Theo Bos equals a fast combination. (Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Theo Bos will race his first Paris-Roubaix this weekend, but at Scheldeprijs on Wednesday the Dutch sprinter was left "disappointed" by a mid-pack finish.
Bos was the best placed Cervelo TestTeam rider at Scheldeprijs, with a relatively anonymous 31st place result. With two sprint wins to his credit already this season, Bos told Cyclingnews he had hoped for more from his first participation in the event.
"It was a nice race. I was hoping I could sprint to the finish line for the victory, but I was too far behind and I couldn't sprint, so I was a little bit disappointed about that," he said.
Of the two major Belgian races Bos has now completed in this season, Wednesday's Scheldeprijs was the one that appeared more suited to his strengths compared with Gent-Wevelgem. However, he admitted afterwards he hadn't made best use of his capabilities, and hinted that he could, and perhaps should, have achieved a better result.
"I'm a little bit disappointed that I couldn't sprint. I was hoping I could sprint and 'if I get passed, or I cannot get past then it's okay'. But now I have the feeling I didn't give everything," he said.
Review of the final kilometre showed that Bos had been pinned in the midst of the arrow-head of the peloton. With riders blocking him on both the left and right, there was little chance of escape as Tom Boonen (Quick Step) opened the final sprint with 400 metres to race.
In his first season as part of a Professional Continental road team, the Scheldeprijs finale was a lesson learned for the 26-year-old.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"My legs felt good and I was really alert during the race, but just not [alert] enough for today, unfortunately," he said.
Bos will gain even further Classics experience this weekend when he takes his place in the Cervelo roster for Paris-Roubaix. His team captain for Roubaix, Thor Hushovd, stayed safely clear of the sprint at Scheldeprijs, and was the last Cervelo rider to cross the finish line.
"Next Sunday, I'll do Paris-Roubaix and I hope I can do a good result there," said Bos, who was named in the squad on Wendesday, and will now support Hushovd on Sunday. "Paris-Roubaix is a nice race, it's not difficult to refocus for that - I'm really excited about it."
