FDJ's Arnaud Demare has won the Brussels Cycling Classic.
A 201km race which is on the UCI European Tour featured a race over thirteen hills and saw some big names like Andre Greipel on the start list.
Five riders in Van Goethem (Roompot), Peyskens (Veranclassic), Stosz (CCC), Cordeel (Verandas) and Kuriyanov (Gazprom) got away and formed a break which was 4.30 ahead after 75kms.
Matthias Brandle caught the five on the Rue d'Ittre with 73kms as the gap to a chasing group of nine came down to 41 seconds and 1.37 on the peloton.
Nacer Bouhanni and Marcel Kittel both abandoned as the chasing group caught the leaders to form a new lead group of fifteen riders. But on the 11th out of thirteen climbs, Stosz and Cordeel were dropped by the lead group who pushed on for a bit before starting to fracture.
With seven kilometres left, Brandle went away on his own and stayed away until what was left of the pack caught him with 1.5kms to go.
That set up the sprint and there was Arnaud Demare to take the win in 4.40.01 ahead of Marko Kump and Andrei Greipel.
Tweeting about the race, British rider Dan McLay wrote; "Crash, bike change, behind next crash, chase, puncture, chase, a bit short of legs in the final kilometre!"
Kev Monks for Digital Sports Group
Source: DSG
