Boonen, Cancellara, Burghardt, Bewley, Ballan, Gusev, Franzoi, Vanspeybrouck, Summerhill, Steurs, Baugnies are probably the top favourites - perhaps Boonen and Bewley more so with the lack of cobbles late on perhaps favouring a small group sprint? If so, then maybe somebody like Steegmans could also join in the fun.
Theres a breakaway, and good luck to them. Appollonio is the best cobbles rider in it. He has 61 cobbles
Chtioui
Sebright
Appollonio
Orozco
Jorgensen
Duran
Honkisz
Zaini
Sergent
Butterfield
These riders get company though, by 5 riders who are all pretty handy at cobbles.
Lhotellerie
Verbist
Joseph
Mertens
Fouquet
Here on one of the paved hills, 95km to go, the lead is 2 minutes
Going down that hill in the peloton, theres a few splits, and as relayers drop back, one man doesnt. Nestle's Sibila - who with 81 cobbles could be a key domestique for Boonen - finds himself with a gap
Sibilla crosses the 2 minute gap to the breakaway - albeit, still being 50 seconds behind the 5 later attackers, who have now ridden clear
Chances of Sibilla linking up with those 5 are slim though. He is not relaying at all in this group, so is now stuck at their pace. Why? Well, it's his team who are controlling the peloton.
Our 5 leaders press on then, and are still looking good with 50km to go
They now have a 2 and a half minute gap on Sibilla's group of 11, and just under 5 minutes to the peloton, who are starting to get a move on
Another section of cobbles done, and finally Sibilla rides clear of his slow group
While Lhotelleries, Joseph, Fouquet, Verbist amd Mertens continue to work well
Bacardi now send Steegmans to the front of the peloton. They need to aswell. 24km to go, the gap is still at 3'20 - what are the peloton playing at?
With 18km to go, Verbist trys to attack the leaders. He gets nowhere, but Lhotellerie counter attacks past him and does get a gap
Its only 20-30 seconds, but he is committed now. If thoughts are turning to a potential shock win, then Lhotellerie has experience here - a surprise winner of the Monte Paschi Eroica in 2008. Here he is on the last cobbles section.
We're in danger of passing through all the cobbles with no attacks from the peloton. Ridiculous. It takes a CT team to sort the ProTour lot out, and Koppert's Langeveld attacks
Franzoi, Cancellara and Bewley immediately follow.
Then Baugnies, Burghardt, Vanspeybrouck, Steurs, Albert, Boonen and Summerhill
Best attacker? Franzoi. He catches Sibilla
The other attacks are unsuccessful at achieving gaps though, as we see more attempts go
Too little. Too late.
They are still over 2 minutes down. We are getting a surprise winner of Omloop Het Volk here, and Lhotellerie still leads with 5km to go. Verbist chasing, the gap is 11 seconds
Sibilla and Franzoi are caught by the peloton. Seems like they will just sprint it out for 6th
With 3km to go, Verbist has ridden his companions right up to the back wheel of Lhotellerie, who now leads out the sprint. The lone Frenchman seems to have failed in his attempts to foil a Belgian victory.
As Verbist, Mertens, Joseph and Fouquet wait to pounce past Lhotellerie, forcing him into a long leadout, Koppert's Taillefour attacks with 3.5km to go
Final kilometre for the leaders. Fouquet jumps first
Mertens and Joseph chase after him
They close him down...
And Stijn Joseph wins the Omloop Het Volk!
2nd for Mertens, then Fouquet, Verbist, and Lhotellerie.
We look back to the peloton and Boonen is miles ahead. Summerhill, Albert and Drucker next in line
Drucker and Albert fade away, Summerhill keeps fighting but cant stop Bewley from also zooming past
Boonen 6th
Bewley 7th
Its Ballan in 8th
Summerhill holds on to 9th, while Burghardt just edges past Fenn to take 10th. Steurs 12th, then Cancellara, Steegmans, Langeveld and Baugnies
