Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde 2018

Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) won the one-day Driedaagse Bruges-De Panne, the 'three-day' moniker now incongruous with the one-day race.

The Italian out-sprinted Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Jasper Philipsen (Hagens Berman Axeon) in a bunch sprint.

A reduced race

The Driedaagse De Panne, long a four-stage, three-day race as the name suggests, has been a fixture on the Belgian calendar for four decades. It has served as critical preparation for the Tour of Flanders, coming after Gent-Wevelgem.

But with the elevation of Dwars door Vlaanderen to WorldTour status, organisers Golazo lost out on their date to Flanders Classics, who also put on Gent-Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Reduced to a one-day, 1.HC event, Golazo opted to add a Women's WorldTour race to the day's schedule.

Philippe Gilbert will go down in history as the last winner of the actual Three Days of De Panne unless Golazo can turn its fortunes around.

2018 Driedaagse De Panne Results