TOURNAI, Belgium, Oct 5, 2008 (AFP) – Spaniard Juan-Antonio Flecha claimed his first notable victory this season when he won the Circuit Franco-Belge Sunday after a final stage won by Belgian Sebastien Rosseler of Quick Step.

Rosseler’s victory on the fourth and final stage put smiles back on the worried faces of Quick Step after their leader, former world champion Tom Boonen, crashed 75km into the ride.

Boonen got back up slowly and feeling the pain, but was apparently uninjured and looks likely to bounce back for a victory bid at the Paris-Tours classic next week.

His team later said he would go for a scan on his right wrist on Monday.

Flecha, who rides for the Rabobank team, began the final stage 18secs down on overnight leader Jurgen Roelandts, the Belgian champion who rides for Silence-Lotto.

After managing to pull away from the peloton, the Argentine-born Spaniard lost out to Rosseler in the sprint for stage victory but his efforts were enough to secure the overall win.

Another Belgian, Wouter Weylandt, won the bunch sprint for third place at 31secs adrift of the two front runners.

It left Flecha with overall victory, and four Belgians – led by Rosseler in second place at 12secs – in his wake. Roelandts was third, Philippe Gilbert fourth and Weylandt fifth.

Flecha’s dream is to win the prestigious Paris-Roubaix one-day classic, where he has finished third, fourth and then second in 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Earlier this season he finished third in the Tour of Flanders won by Belgium’s Stijn Devolder.

File Photo by: CorVos Pro