Terpstra triumphs in first 2018 WorldTour Flanders Classic, the E3 Harelbeke

On Friday Niki Terpstra became the first Dutchman to win the E3 Harelbeke since 2003 on a day in which his Quick Step team dominated the race. It was his biggest victory since claiming the 2014 Paris-Rouxaix. It was Quick Step’s first WorldTour title of the season.

The Course
The riders would tackle three sections of cobbles and fifteen climbs, or hellingen, five of which were cobbled. The day was cold and windy.

?? #E3Harelbeke
just over 15min to the start. here is what awaits the riders today. ? for our leader @petosagan ? #BORAhansgrohe pic.twitter.com/bmkQem9L01

— BORA – hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) March 23, 2018

⚠️ Pense-bête pour la fin d’après-midi.

⛰KM 134 Taaieenberg
⛰KM 141 Boigneberg
⛰KM 146 Eikenberg
⛰KM 150 Stationberg
⛰KM 161 Kapelberg
⛰KM 165 Paterberg
⛰KM 170 Vieux-Quaremont
⛰KM 188 Tiegemberg
?KM 206,4 Harelbeke #RBE3H

— Équipe Cycliste Groupama-FDJ (@GroupamaFDJ) March 23, 2018

Before the start, last year’s winner Greg Van Avermaet received perhaps the greatest gift of all time: a chocolate bicycle.

https://twitter.com/SadhbhOS/status/977177928378273794

The Breakaway
An octet broke away early and pulled out a 6:00 gap by the first hill at the 28-km mark, the Wolvenberg (666 meters of 6.8%). An early crash took down Peter Sagan back in the peloton but he carried on. The peloton split on the Paderstraat cobbles but only briefly.

Another crash near the midway point created a big mess.

?? #RBE3H
With 108 km to go there was a massive crash in the peloton which involved most of our guys! Looks like everyone can continue. More news when we know. pic.twitter.com/Va9lxFn7mp

— Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) March 23, 2018

The peloton split and riders like EF-Drapac’s Sep Vanmarcke, AG2R’s Oliver Naesen, Mitchelton-Scott’s Michael Matthews and Groupama-FDJ’s Arnaud Démare were in the second group.

This set up frantic action as Astana and EF-Drapac tried to knit up the two groups. Meanwhile, the pace of the field saw the fugitives’ gap tumble quickly, prompting two of the escapees to bolt on the others on the Hotonberg.

Quick Step Flexes

Quick Step duo Terpstra and Yves Lampaert didn’t wait for the later hills to attack. They dashed away on the Taaienberg with around 70-km to go, hooking up with the two escapees left out front. A ten-man, high-powered chase group including Sagan and Van Avermaet formed, Terpstra and Lampaert’s teammate Philippe Gilbert getting a free ride.

Terpstra and Lampaert got rid of the other two on the Eikenberg. Sagan dragged Gilbert for a while as the closest chasers before Van Avermaet, yet another Quick Step rider Zdenek Stybar, and Strade Bianche winner Tiejs Benoot joined them.

#RBE3H – Sagan has attacked in the chasing group, now riding 18'' behind the four leaders. pic.twitter.com/tgqZuv2Vd3

— La Flamme Rouge (@laflammerouge16) March 23, 2018

With 56-km remaining, Terpstra and Lampaert held a 40-second lead over the Sagan/Van Avermaet chase, which had swelled to 10 riders, including three Quick Steps who sat on. Sagan had one teammate. Van Avermaet attacked on the Stationsberg, drawing Benoot and Gilbert.

Lampaert lost Terpstra’s wheel on the Kapelberg, but came back. This was a sign of things to come. Terpstra would be solo after the last set of cobbles with 24-km to go. Terpstra soloed to victory, with Gilbert the fastest out of a group of 12 that finished 20-seconds behind. Van Avermaet rounded out the podium. Sagan lost contact with the main chase on the Paterberg-Oude Kwaremont combination of climbs and came in 3:23 behind.

Sole Canadian entrant Hugo Houle of Astana placed 79th.

The next Flanders Classic is Sunday’s Gent-Wevelgem.

2018 E3 Harelbeke
1) Niki Terpstra (The Netherlands/Quick Step) 5:03:34
2) Philippe Gilbert (Belgium/Quick Step) +0:20
3) Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium/BMC) s.t.
79) Hugo Houle (Canada/Astana) +14:05