Vanmarcke Takes Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Last updated : 25 February 2012 By Kev Monks

Garmin's Sep Vanmarcke won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad classic 200km race in Ghent in Belgium this afternoon.

The Belgian was in a five man group that was thinned down to three riders including Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) and Team Sky's Juan Antonio Flecha in the closing stages as the race approached the final set of cobbles.

Boonen started the sprint with 200m to go but Vanmarcke was able to take his first major victory beating him to the line in a time of 4:52:34.

British and Irish rider placings; Ian Stannard 26th, Jeremy Hunt 75th,