Welcome to coverage of the Dwaars Door Vlaanderen, which sees the Pro Continental peloton tackle the muddy roads of Belgium, in order to try and win the third edition of the race. With the large amount of cobbles on the route, the strongmen are the favourites with the likes of Baugnies, Franzoi and Nuyens being the most fancied.
Soon the race begins, and the first attacks follow. The break takes a few tries to be formed, with eight men making up the group that eventually go up the road. Van Asbroeck, Abraha, Guozhang, De Winde, Godet, Kosic, Bolivar and Lindgren are all involved.
Behind, the peloton is seemingly happy to give this group some leeway and set a relaxed pace, with no real team in charge of the relaxed pace.
The gap is left to grow and nothing of note happens until 120 kilometres to go, where Coyot decides to launch an ambitious long-range attack.
As the Frenchman moves across the gap, compatriot Gaudin also decides to go on the offensive and follows suit.
Those two have both made it to the breakaway as the halfway point is passed. With 95km left, this group of ten has a gap of 5'30" on the bunch.
It's at this point when four more attackers go up the road. All are sub-favourites, with Taillefour, Machado, Turgot and Ostergaard the four who will also try to make it across to the front group.
They then manage to bridge across the gap, making it now a large group of 14 off the front. Turgot immediately hits the front.
The pace is then increased on the front of the peloton by some of the main cobble squads, with Wynants on the front at the moment. Obviously these recent attackers carry a threat so efforts to bring them back increase. The gap is down to under 4'30" with 60km to go.
Then we see the biggest move of the race so far - big favourite Baugnies attacks!
He manages to create a 30 second gap, at which point Franzoi and Langeveld try and bridge the gap. They succeed, and an elite group of three is formed.
As they reach the Oude-Kwaremont, the breakaway is in sight. Godet and Kosic are struggling, but a group of 12 remains a minute up the road. The peloton is a minute behind.
The peloton hits the climb at a fast pace, with Steegmans on the front. This causes some gaps, with many unable to stay with this pace. A group of about 25 riders breaks off from the rest, forming a much smaller main group!
Most of the favourites haven't been distanced, but there is one big name - Trentin! Hornbach will have to pin their hopes on leader Franzoi now it seems. Other notable riders here the likes of De Haes, Nepomnyachsniy and Grashev.
Meanwhile, back with the main favourites group, Franzoi has managed to drop Baugnies and Langeveld on the climb! The Italian rides away from them and other tired breakaway members, towards the front of the race.
Straight away he hits the front of the breakaway group as he makes the catch, driving it onwards away from the ever closing peloton.
Baugnies and Langeveld are swept up behind by Breschel who leads the small bunch, looking to bring everything together. With 25kms left, there's just a minute's advantage left.
Into the final 20km, it's almost over for the remaining attackers. Some good work from Breschel, Steegmans and Fouquet proved to be too strong and Franzoi, the biggest name in there, along with Turgot, Coyot, Gaudin, Machado and Ostergaard are all nearly back in the bunch.
Soon everything is together, in a group of 27 at the tête de la course. Allianz take control, having four riders in this group. Here are all of those in there:
Coyot, Mebrahtu, Fouquet, Maes Eisel, Breschel, Kurth Thomas Young Steegmans, Vangenechten, Nuyens Gaudin, Langeveld Turgot Verhelst, Joseph Del Nero Baugnies, Van Asbroeck Machado Østergaard Lindeman, Franzoi, Veelers
Taillefour is the only favourite not mentioned and not in the previously dropped group. The Frenchman was dropped, too tired after his attack earlier.
First off to try to slip the rest is Machado, in his second attack of the day!
But he's quickly brought back. Into the final ten kilometres, things are back together in the front group once more.
As the final cobbled section is hit, Maes puts in an effort on the front of the group and this acceleration gives the Belgian a small gap moving back onto the road...
Before widening it! Behind Thomas leads an attack, with many other favourites following, trying to catch Maes before it's too late.
It's Baugnies, Nuyens, Franzoi, Thomas and Eisel who give chase, but as the attack stops they refuse to work together and Maes goes further away!
The Allianz rider has a big gap moving into the last five kilometres. You'd suspect it's his to lose if he can keep this up!
Langeveld just about manages to cross the gap to the group of five behind before another attack is launched, this time by Nuyens. It's easily followed though.
It's then that Eisel goes, the Austrian this time creating a small gap to the other favourites!
Eisel remains ahead of the rest moving towards the final couple of kilometres. Behind Franzoi, Baugnies and Thomas try to catch back up while up the road Maes is seemingly tiring - the gap is now just 20 seconds!
As this happens, further back Veelers, Langeveld and Del Nero are all moving forward after attacking from a worn-out bunch.
Back at the front, Eisel has managed to claw his way up to Maes! The Belgian looks very tired, so could it be Eisel who takes victory today?
Maybe. As the sprint opens up, Eisel leads with Maes remaining just behind. Franzoi, Baugnies and Thomas have all now caught up as well, so it looks like a five-man sprint!
Into the final 1000 metres, Eisel has a clear advantage. Further back Maes is tiring and is passed by a flying trio of favourites.
Around the penultimate corner, and Baugnies has moved into second place and has enough speed to hold it it seems. Thomas holds the final podium spot, with Franzoi and Maes going backwards.
Eisel looks out of reach though!
He is! Eisel takes the Dwars Door Vlaanderen, after a clever ride where he attacked at the right time, got in the right move and sprinted away for a big victory for his team Amexpc.
Baugnies and Thomas both get podium placings due to good sprints and pick up valuable points. Neither though had the speed to catch the Austrian champion.
Franzoi and Maes both finish in the top five, while fast finishes from Veelers and Del Nero get them sixth and seventh places respectively.
Nuyens is next to finish, with him and Breschel finishing at the front of the main, depleted peloton. The Dane can especially be happy with his work, working a lot today to set up Eisel's win and he also gets a top ten. Turgot rounds off the top ten.
That means most of the biggest favourites got decent results or went on the attack today, after a very lively race. This meant most teams got an ok result, except some of the Continental teams who struggled as expected and maybe Kazzinc, who had no-one finish in the lead group.
