Welcome ladies and gentleman to Gent for the start of the PCT cobbles season. The legendary Gent - Wevelgem has seen some great winners over the years and who will be the one who takes the crown this year.
190 riders lined up on the start line in Dienze, and 252km lay ahead of them. An ascent of the Casselberg and four climbs of the great Kemmelberg would test the riders to their max, and it would be clear that only strongest would prevail.
The first attacks of the day came after just a few kilometers, surely knowing it would be a long day ahead.
The riders present in the break would be:
Nielsen Pfingsten Nych Stannard Kal Lauk
6 riders wouldn't appear to be enough in the break it would seem... Further attacks after 15km into the race, and it would seem like others wanted to be part of the fun!
Habtom Van Poppel Major Changpad Martins Sandoval Rocchetti
Volvo, Carlsberg and Kulczyk set themselves up on the front of the peleton, and after a drive to bring back the 12 up the road, they would eventually settled down and a gap of 5'17" would open.
Puncture for Kluge! The Bianchi man will be key for them today, and for some reason they aren't sending any riders back to help and he is wasting a lot of energy coming back to the main peleton.
Over the Casselberg, and Stannard is the first to crack from the breakaway. He worked hard to hang in there over the first set of cobbles, but the second set is just too much for him.
Major issue for Van Keirsbulck. Not sure if it is a mechanical or just poor placing, but he is off the back. The full team has dropped back to help, and they are driving hard to make sure he is back in the pack
First ascent of the Kemmelberg, and the break is now in tatters. Just Habtom, Van Poppel, Major, Changpad, Martins Sandoval, Rocchetti and Nielsen remain off the front, with all the rest unable to follow and are quickly swallowed up by the peleton.
Carlsberg, Kulczyk and Andorra continued to set the pace of the peleton, that with every trip up the Kemmelberg would get smaller and smaller, and some big riders failing to hold the pace at the front.
The break continued to work together well, taking turns on regular basis, but there were tired legs as the cobbles sapped out their energy.
Looks like we spoke too soon - just 1 circuit left, and only Van Poppel remained off the front. His time was also limited through, and with the final ascent completed of the Kemmelberg he was caught as well.
PUNCTURE Summerhill! Pre-race favourite is in trouble, as he punctures over the top of the Kemmelberg. He faces a big chase back on, but with no teammates for company, it could be hard...
Allegiances can be key in this game, and Summerhill must be hoping for one from Van Keirsbulck. He also has Thwaites and Bohli for company, but they are all just sitting on the American.
I have seen some strange decisions in my time, but this has to be up there. A favourite is off the back, but there is no pushing of the pace up front. The gap was just over a minute and with a decent push, it could be way beyond that in a few kilometers time. It's not like there isn't a common cause either, with a strong group of favourites and domestiques:
Ok... Ok... I take the strange decision of above and I will raise this one... Bohli is working for Summerhill? He has a teammate up the road, but nope, let's work for a rival! Scratch your head time people.
As Summerhill bridges to the favourite's group with just over 15km to go, the attacks start at the front. Breen is first to go, with Baugnies, Ferreira and Vanbilsen on his wheel. Carlsberg will make sure that they won't get far, but that would be the end of Sinkeldam and Ostergaard for any further pacemaking.
Attack #2 and yet again it is Breen who will instigate the move, and yet again he is followed by Vanbilsen and this time, after a rest on the back of the group, we have Summerhill.
10km to go, and we have disorganisation behind! The gap is growing and no-one wants to chase this one back!
Into the outside of Wevelgem, and it would be between this trio for the victory. Vanbilsen had done a lot of a work, but it would at least guarantee a podium place at the end of the day. However, had it blown his chances of victory?
The flamme rouge and it was still anyone's for the win. Breen leads the group under the banner with Summerhill and Vanbilsen sat waiting for the acceleration to happen...
600 metres to go, and Summerhill makes the first move! He is alongside Breen in a few pedal strokes, but he isn't going any quicker. They are side by side approaching the line.
Vanbilsen hasn't enough in the legs to challenge, so he will have to settle for 3rd place.
Breen cracks 100 metres from the line, and it is just left for Summerhill to celebrate his amazing victory! The American looked down and out over the Kemmelberg after his puncture, but fought hard to take a memorable victory for Andorra.
In the fight for 4th place, Stallaert would have enough in the legs to take the sprint for minor places, amazingly nearly 2 minutes after our victor.
5th to 19th place would be a battle for everyone else and Ferreira would get the better of Fenn and Baugnies.
UBS's in-house troubles would continue, as Bohli would outsprint teammate Spengler for 8th place, ahead of Nolf and Vanspeybrouck
rounding off the Top 10.
Gent - Wevelgem 
