BMC's Greg Van Avermaet has won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad race in Belgium.
The opening race of the season in Belgium and 199 riders in a strong field started out in Ghent.
Twelve riders in Alexis Gougeard (AG2R), Kristian House (One Pro Cycling), Julien Morice (Direct Energie), Kevin Van Melsen (Wanty – Groupe Gobert), Maxime Farazijn (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Brian van Goethem (Roompot-Oranje Peloton), Zakkari Dempster (Bora-Argon 18), Benoit Jarrier (Fortuneo-Vital Concept), Hugo Hofstetter (Cofidis, Solutions Crédits ), Brecht D’Haene, Stef Van Zummeren and Kai Reus (Veranda’s Willems) got into a break and took a lead which maximumed at 5.30.
A crash on the Kruisberg took down osh Van Der Sande (Lotto-Soudal), Magnus Cort Nielsen (Orica-GreenEdge) and Dennis van Winden (LottoNL-Jumbo) and saw the LottoNL-Jumbo rider end up in hospital.
Only Gougeard, D'Haene, Reus and Morice were up front went they went over the Taaienberg and a move by Team Sky's Luke Rowe on the same climb with Tiesj Benoot and Greg Van Avermaet of BMC in close attention put further pressure on the remaining escapers.
World Champion Peter Sagan also joined Rowe's group which caught up to the quartet who were clear to form a front group of eight.
A mechanical saw Reus drop back and D’Haene and Morice were also dropped.
Having finished the cobbles, the five leaders were still fifty seconds cleared. The peloton tried to bring them back but effort from Sagan and Gougeard saw the five still out in front as they went under the flam rouge.
Greg Van Avermaet of BMC got in front on the final bend and he was strong enough to take the win in 4.54.12 ahead of Peter Sagan, Tiesj Benoot, Luke Rowe and Alex Gougeard.
Van Avermaet said about his victory: “I’ve always believed in my ability to outsprint the fast guys especially after a long, hard race. When I was second and third I was always saying to myself that I could beat them when things go perfectly. And today’s victory confirmed this I think.”
“You have to keep believing in yourself and one day it will come true.”
Race Highlights https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=c4T4V3H0ajI