Winner's quote: "For some reason, sometimes I'm given a hard time in Flanders. Hopefully, I've stolen a few more cycling hearts in Belgium."
Final kilometre: The long and flat run-in to the line offered a panoramic view of several groups fighting for the second and third steps of the podium. Terpstra had more than enough time to savour his win, Pedersen dug in to take second, while Gilbert out-kicked Valgren for third.
Unsung hero: As ever, the Tour of Flanders was littered with impressive rides. From Keisse and Declercq controlling the peloton for much of the early phases, Vanmarcke and Naesen battling back from falls and mechanicals, Nibali having the guts to at least try and attack, and Pedersen putting in a valiant ride to take second place. However, Ivan Garcia Cortina deserves special praise. The 22-year-old Spaniard bossed the early-break and was still in the fray with 200km under his belt. He may have 'only' finished 37th but it was a highly commendable ride for a second-year pro. Bahrain-Merida may be labelled – usually fairly – as an ageing team but they still have the odd young talent to keep things interesting.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
