Anton Vorobyev (Katusha) has won the 2015 Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen Prologue.
This annual race in Belgium, comprised of a prologue and two stages spread over the weekend.
One hundred and eighty three riders went down the ramp on for this 'Johan Museeuw Classics' prologue which was seven kilometres long and started and finished in Middelkerke.
At 2pm local time, Olivier Panini of Verandas Willems was the first man onto the course and he finished in 8.46 which was soon beaten by Benito, Alex Kirsch and Victor Campenaerts who set the new best time of 8.17 before Jean Pierre Drucker of BMC finished in 8.08.
Anton Vorobyev (Katusha) became the first man to get under eight minutes when he finished in 7.57 which was still the time to beat going into the final fifty riders, who were going off at minute intervals.
Going into the final five riders and Vorobyev, a Russian time trial champion, was still holding the best time which was four seconds ahead of Jesse Sergent of Trek Factory Racing, who had been amongst the favourites.
Neither Kris Boeckmans, David Boucher, Gianni Meersman, Campbell Flakemore or Gert Joeaar of Cofidis who was last to could get near his yime and Vorobyev took the win.
Stage Result
1VOROBYEV Anton (Team Katusha)07:57
2SERGENT Jesse (Trek Factory Racing)08:01
3GOUGEARD Alexis (AG2R La Mondiale)08:01
4BARTA Jan (Bora - Argon 18) 08:02
5LAMPAERT Yves (Etixx - Quick Step)08:05
6KEIZER Martijn (Team LottoNL - Jumbo)08:06
7DRUCKER Jean-Pierre (BMC Racing Team)08:08
8WYSS Danilo (BMC Racing Team)08:09
9LAPORTE Christophe (Cofidis)08:09
10HOULE Hugo (AG2R La Mondiale)08:10