The Tour of Flanders, which is a UCI World Tour race and celebrating its 100th year, is a punishing 256km race including climbs and cobbles which started in Bruges on a cold morning and finishes in Oudenaarde.
Two hundred and six riders left the Markt Square and Brit Alex Dowsett who rides for Movistar was one of the early attackers.
With just six kilometres gone, there was a crash and Tom Boonen, who was the favourite of many locals, hit the ground hard and suffered injuries including a contusion at his left hip, a wound on his left elbow plus a a contusion and a wound on his right knee that needed stitches and meant he was taken to hospital.
A seven man attack was brought back and Lotto Belisol's Andre Greipel lead a five man attack with Martin Tjallingii which was joined by the seven riders with 110kms to go as the riders headed for the Berendries climb.
Belgian Marcel Sieberg tried to keep Bol, Maarten Tjallingii, Michael Kwiatkowski, Laurens De Vreese and Greipel . away from the peloton which had the likes of Stuart O'Grady and the Radio Shack team working for Fabian Cancellera at the front, with a number of attacks.
With 97kms to go, there was another crash involving Jerome Cousin, Gabriel Rasch from Team Sky and Blanco's Seb Vanmarcke.
A second group had emerged but they were caught by the peloton with 77kms to go on the start of the Kwaremont climb.
That was followed by the Paterberg climb with it's 20% gradient which again had Sieberg on the front leading them up along with Kwiatkowski.
Riders were using pavements, and ditches in order to get themselves up to the front of the peloton as they went up the Koppenberg, some fifty seconds behind the escapers.
The Koppenberg climb on a country lane proved so tough that many riders in the peloton decided to get off and walk their bikes up to the top of the climb.
This meant that the lead for Sieberg, Tjallingii, Kwiatkowski, De Vreese Greipel, went out to over a minute.
Cancellera punctured with 54kms to go but was soon back in the peloton who were now 43 seconds behind the five riders, who were being chased by Selvaggi and Minard.
Arnaud Demare was leading a peloton of thirty or so riders which included Team Sky's Geraint Thomas as they took to the Kruisberg.
Back onto the Kwaremont and Omega Pharma Quick Step's Michael Kwiatkowski continued to lead the way with Mirko Selvaggi (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Greipel.
Geraint Thomas was a faller on the Paterberg climb for the second time as BMC put the hammer down at the front.
Greipel and Minard were caught with 33kms to go leaving the Pole and Mirko Selvaggi (Vacansoleil-DCM) away.
Five kilometres later, they had been joined by Jurgen Roelandts, Offredo, Turgot, Hinault and Tjallingii.
With twenty to go, Sebastian Hinault and Jorgen Roelandts broke away to get themselves in the right positiion to take the Kwaremont.
Roelandt's went for it two kilometres later, shedding IAM Cycling's Hinault.
At the front of the peloton, Fabian Cancellera was in charge, followed by Peter Sagan and at the top of Kwaremont, with 16kms to go, they caught Roelandts.
Onto the Paterberg and Cancellera (pictured below) used his power and shot away, startling Sagan and Roelandts who could not respond. He immediately took a lead of twenty flve seconds.within a kilometre.
With eight to go, Sagan was shaking his head as Cancellera added another nine seconds to his lead.
There was no stopping the Swiss rider, who was a minute and sixteen seconds clear with two kilometres left, and although Roelandts and Sagan kept going whilst further back down the road, the peloton concentrated on just finishing.
Cancellera duly celebrated as he crossed the line in a time of 6.05.58. A minute and 27 seconds, Peter Sagan came in with Roelandts third a second later. Kristoff was fourth.
A delighted Cancellera told Eurosport: "One year ago I was on the ground and now I am back.
"We had to take over the race early but it was the key to do it.
"I had suffered on the climbs but on the cobbles I was fine. "Everyone expected me to go and I tried to make the first selection on the Kwaremont. When I came up to Jurgen on the Paterberg, i did what I had to do."
Marianne Vos won the Womens Tour Of Flanders.
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM