Boonen Wins Gent-Wevelgem

Last updated : 25 March 2012 By Kev Monks

Tom Boonen won the Gent-Wevelgem race this afternoon in Belgium.

A strong field which included the World Champion Mark Cavendish, saw the race leave the Grote Markt in Deinze to tackle a 234.6km route.

Seven riders in  Ion Izagirre Insausti (Euskaltel), Vladimir Isaychev (Katusha), Anders Lund (Saxo Bank), Stijn Neirynck (Topsport Vlaanderen), Koen Barbé (Landbouwkrediet), Kevin Van Melsen (Accent Jobs-Willems Veranda's) and Thomas Bertolini (Farnese), attacked early and having been joined by Yuriy Krivtsov (Lampre) and Julien Fouchard (Cofidis), they got just shy of ten mintes clear.

Mark Cavendish along with his Sky team-mates Jeremy Hunt and Bernie Eisel were at the front of the peloton which was split into three groups.

With 35kms to go, Fabian Cancellera and Peter Sagan attacked to try and bring back the escapees which was only 18 seconds ahead with 19kms to go.

Cavendish and his team-mates seemed to drop back and they went a minute down as the day's break was ended.

Peter Sagan went for it in the final kilometre and Tom Boonen who took the E3 Prijis on Friday, had his second win in three days, finishing ahead of Tom Boonen, Sagan, Matti Breschel, Oscar Freire and Edvald Boasson Hagen. .