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Sagan wins his first E3 Prijs Harelbeke

March 28, 2014
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Slovakian Peter Sagan of Cannondale, runner-up in last year’s E3 Prijs Harelbeke, took his first E3 victory Friday in West Flanders, Belgium. Sagan won the second WorldTour one-day race of the season from a sprint finish out of a late breakaway of four riders, two of whom were Omega Pharma-QuickStep men.

The E3, a reliable indicator of how well riders will do in the Tour of Flanders nine days later, utilizes six of the 17 helligen of the more famous Monument Classic. Early on the circuitous route, a five man breakaway comprised of Maxime Daniel (France/Ag2r-La Mondiale), Jerome Cousin (France/Europcar), Florian Sénéchal (France/Cofidis), Jay Thomson (South Africa/MTN-Qhubeka) and Laurens De Vreese (Belgium/Wanty Groupe Gobert) wheeled up the road.

The peloton was the scene of many a crash, what locals call a valpartij or “fall party”, and puncture, thwarting the ambitions of some of the favourites. Canadian Svein Tuft was a victim of one wreck.

A crash before the Paterberg with 35-km to go set up the day’s main drama. Three time and reigning champion Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland/Trek) was delayed, along with Belgian teammate Stijn Devolder, five time winner Tom Boonen and John Degenkolb (Germany/Giant-Shimano).

Up front a select handful of riders comprised of Sagan, Geraint Thomas (Great Britain/Sky), recent Dwars door Vlaanderen champion Niki Terpstra (The Netherlands/Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and his teammate Stijn Vandenbergh (Belgium) sent the breakaway backwards. The quartet threw a few punches and counterpunches on the Oude Kwaremont, but couldn’t shake one another.

With a 45-second gap between the Sagan group and the Cancellara chase, “Spartacus” attacked on the final climb of the day, the Tiegemberg, taking other race favourites with him. The move didn’t power the Swiss away, but it closed the gap to 34-seconds with 10-km remaining.

It was expected that Terpstra and Vandenbergh would hit Sagan, the best sprinter in the group, with a one-two punch on the windy run-in to Harelbeke. This is exactly what happened within 6-km to the finish. Terpstra attacked first and then Vandenbergh, but Sagan and Thomas did well to neutralize the digs. Vandenbergh tried his luck again with the line 3-km away, but Sagan took responsibility to shut him down.

Inside the red kite, it was again the busy Belgian who tried to surge free, but Thomas yanked him back for the last time. Sagan opened up the sprint and no one could match his speed. Terpstra was runner-up and Geraint Thomas came third.

Canadian Antoine Duchesne of Cannondale finished 92nd, 7:33 behind his teammate.

The riders will now gather themselves, bandage their wounds and prepare for Ghent-Wevelgem on Sunday.

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