Yves Lampaert (Quickstep- Floors) wins Dwars Door Vlaanderen for the second time

Yves Lampaert (Quickstep- Floors) won Dwars Door Vlaanderen, out-foxing his 4 breakaway mates in the final kilometer. Mike Teunissen (Sunweb) finished in 2nd, Sep Vanmarcke (EF-Education) was 3rd

It was a grim day in Belgium for the 1UCI World Tour Dwars Door Vlaanderen with the cold, rain and wind making a testing parcours that much more difficult. 

The 180-kilometer WorldTour race featured 12 climbs and three cobbled sectors. Weather conditions were typically Belgian – cold, rainy and windy – from race start in Roeselare to race finish in Waregem. Despite relentless early attacks, no breakaway ever escaped the clutches of the peloton, which averaged a relentless 47 kilometers per hour during the first three hours of racing.

Luke Rowe (Team Sky) managed to slip away on the first time up the Côte de Trieu with 80 kilometers remaining. He spent 20 kilometers alone off the front. The peloton overtook him on the second time up the Côte de Trieu. From there, it was a race of attrition.

Despite numerous attacks from the start, the peloton never let up to allow a group of riders any sort of advantage. It was only once the race hit the 50km to go mark when a select group formed at the head of affairs.

Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) opened up a gap the final time up Côte de Trieu. The chasers caught the pair before the Varentstraat, where Vanmarcke made his move.

The group was whittled down further to just 13 riders, approaching the last 20km. It was at this point when the defining attack occurred as Lampaert, Teunissen, Vanmarcke and Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) got a gap on the rest, before Boasson Hagen crossed over to the quartet. The leading 5 proceeded to work well together to establish a 30" lead over their chasers.

Only with 2km to go did the tactical "cat & mouse" games begin in front, with each rider having a go and attacking. In the end, it was Lampaert who got the jump on his breakaway companions, riding clear with 800m to go. Boasson Hagen led the chase but the Belgian took the victory. Vanmarcke and Teunissen were able to come over our Norwegian strongman just before the line, relegating "The Boss" to the first step off of the podium.

VIDEO: 2018 Dwars Door Vlaanderen Highlights

2018 Dwars Door Vlaanderen Top 20

1 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 4:09:40 
2 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:00:02 
3 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale   
4 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data   
5 Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo   
6 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:29 
7 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:30 
8 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:59 
9 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick-Step Floors   
10 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo   
11 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team   
12 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky   
13 Timo Roosen (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo   
14 Magnus Cort (Den) Astana Pro Team 0:02:42 
15 John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo   
16 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits   
17 Danny van Poppel (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo   
18 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal   
19 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team   
20 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise