Belgian classic specialist Museeuw retires
By Francois Thomazeau
PARIS, April 13 (Reuters) - Belgium's Johan
Museeuw, arguably the finest one-day cyclist in
the world over the past decade, retires on
Wednesday after a 16-year career punctuated by
11 classic victories.
Museeuw, who was in a coma for more than two
weeks following a motorcycle crash in 2000,
burst into tears after finishing fifth in the
Paris-Roubaix race on Sunday, his last big race.
"I couldn't help it," said the 38-year-old who,
but for a puncture, might have equalled the
record of four wins in the "queen of classics"
held by compatriot Roger de Vlaeminck.
"My fourth victory was so close and then I heard
the hiss of my punctured tyre. All of a sudden I
realised my career was over."
Museeuw, winner of the race known as the "Hell
of the North" in 1996, 2000 and 2002, finished
hand-in-hand with last year's champion Peter van
Petegem, posing for photographers on the line as
he had done after other major victories.
"The most important thing for me was to remain
at a high level of performance until the end. I
could not have accepted not finishing on a high
note," he said.
The Quick Step-Davitamon team leader will
officially retire on Wednesday at the Grand Prix
de l'Escaut in Belgium.
In 2000, Museeuw pointed at his knee after
winning his second Paris-Roubaix. That victory
came two years after a dramatic crash in the
"Aremberg trench" which nearly ended his career.
HIGHS AND LOWS
He raised his arms and all 10 fingers to
celebrate his third Paris-Roubaix triumph in
2002, his 10th World Cup win. The same year, the
Belgian won his 11th major title at the Hew
Cyclassics Cup in Germany.
Asked what image he wanted to leave behind,
Museeuw said: "That of a man who fought
against misfortune, who fought back to his
best after a knee operation and after spending
20 days in a coma."
Museeuw became a national hero after winning
Belgium's most popular race, the Tour of
Flanders, in 1993, 1995 and 1998.
He was world road champion in 1996 in Lugano
having also won the World Cup and the Belgian
championship.
The soft-spoken Museeuw first made a name for
himself by taking two Tour de France stages in
1990. He wore the race leader's yellow jersey
twice, in 1993 and 1994, during the reign of five-
times winner Miguel Indurain.
Apart from his accidents and injuries, Museeuw's
career had other lows.
His first Paris-Roubaix victory in 1996 was
controversial as it was ordered by his team
chief and close friend Patrick Lefevere at the
expense of team mates Andrea Tafi and Gianluca
Bortolami, who had broken away with Museeuw near
the finish.
He was also the target of doping allegations.
His house was raided in September 2003 and he
was questioned by police investigating a doping
ring in Belgium.
He was cleared without charge.