Kwiatkowski Wins E3 Harelbeke

Last updated : 25 March 2016 By CNS Sport

Team Sky's Michael Kwiatkowski has won the E3 Harelbeke race in Belgium.

Named after a motorway, the race in 59th edition, comprised of a 206km course which started and finished in the Flaunders city of Harelbeke

Geraint Thomas won the 2015 edition and was not around to defend his title on this race of fifteen climbs including The Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg and Taaienberg.

Hurel, Demoitié, Gerts, Hollenstein, De Backer, Denz and van Ginneken plus Thomson were in a break which was five minutes clear after 51kms.

Ten riders chased the front group before Fabian Cancellera suffered a mechanical and had to wait for a new bike.

With forty kilometres left, the group out front had a lead of 3.30 over the peloton led by Tony Martin.

Fabian Cancellera put in a shift and along with Zdenek Stybar caught up with Jurgen Roelandts who had been shelled out of the front group. Cancellera joined the second group who were some 33 seconds behind the escapers who were soon joined to form a 15 rider strong group with all the favourites included with 30kms left.

Peter Sagan and Michal Kwiatkowski took to the front and stayed clear, being seventeen seconds ahead with two kilometres to go.

Under the flam rouge with a lead of eleven seconds and with 300ms to go Micheal Kwiatkowski, made his move and went away to win in 4.55.18 ahead of Sagan and Team Sky's Ian Stannard.