Museeuw retires

tispectrum

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.