Vandenbroucke back racing

Frank Vandenbroucke on Thursday rode his first race in six months, and called it "nice, really very nice." The Acqua & Sapone rider finished in the pack in the first stage of the Giro d'Abruzzo.

VDB underwent surgery on his left knee in February.

"Of course my competition rhythm is not yet there," he told Sportwereld. "So it wasn't that easy. What do you want after half a year without racing? Plus, I discovered that my left leg is still weak. I didn't notice it in training, but in the peloton I could feel that there was something missing. Now the best training is racing."

"I found out how much I still like to race," he concluded.