CUMMINGS BLOCKED ON FIRST DAY IN FLANDERS

Britain?s Stephen Cummings finished the first stage of the Three days of West Flanders several minutes down on the leaders after a crash held him up, ?there was some traffic furniture and someone rode into it,? he told the Cycling Weekly website.

Jimmy Casper (Unibet.com) took his second win in two days, beating Nico Eeckhout (Chocolade Jaques) in the sprint to the line and taking the leaders jersey in the process.

?I was going down a bike path and [the crash] blocked my path," Cummings explained. "I couldn?t get back out on to the road. I waited for Trent [Lowe] and then we rode through-and-off for 100km?

After feeling good at Het Volk and Kuurne Brussels Kuurne at the weekend, and with no team leader for the three-day race, Cummings is hoping of a chance to get some freedom, ?I?m feeling good, so I?m going to have a go one day," the Discovery Channel rider said. "Maybe on Sunday when it goes over the Kemmelberg. I?ve definitely got the condition to do something, it just depends. If the opportunity comes up, I?ll take it.?

With a stronger team around him this year, and Dirk Demol giving expert guidance, Cummings has raised his game in the tough races of northern Europe this Spring. There?s potential for him to ride both the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix before his thoughts turn to the longer stage races, ?I?ve told [the team] I?d prefer to do the Giro. I?d love to be there to help Basso win. There are 12 guys down for a nine man team so we?ll have to see."