Tour of Flanders 2015

The road

How it was won

1. 1101 km to go

   A team car takes out Jesse Sergent

   On the wide approach to the cobbles of the Haaghoek a Shimano service car tries to squeeze past the lead group and sideswipes Jesse Sergent, flinging the New Zealander into the verge with a broken collarbone. Riders look back in disbelief; it is the 2011 Tour all over again.

2. 244 km to go

   The Koppenberg bites

   Greipel tries to sneak away just before the wall and is hauled back by Devolder and Thomas. On the greasy cobbles the race grinds almost to walking pace and Bradley Wiggins is one of those spat out the back; Alexey Lutsenko slips clear over the top and takes half a minute.

3. 336 km to go

   The finale opens on the Taaienberg

   With 36 kilometres left the big guns finally fire. Terpstra makes the first move on the Taaienberg, Van Avermaet counters over the top, and a large group tears itself away from what is left of the peloton.

4. 426 km to go

   Twenty-six left, and Vanmarcke isn't one of them

   Lutsenko's second raid is closed down before the Kruisberg and only 26 riders enter the final loop. Behind, Sep Vanmarcke can be seen flogging himself across the gap — and never makes contact.

5. 516 km to go

   Kristoff and Terpstra go clear

   Up the Oude Kwaremont for the third and final time, Niki Terpstra attacks the leading group and Alexander Kristoff — a sprinter with no business being this strong at kilometre 249 — comes across to him. Two riders, 2,200 metres of rattling cobbles, and the Ronde suddenly has its winner somewhere in that pair.

6. 613 km to go

   Fifteen seconds, and then nothing

   Over the Paterberg the chase claws the gap back to fifteen seconds and a catch looks possible. Then Geraint Thomas attacks and finds Zdeněk Štybar welded to his wheel; with the last climb gone, the rest are racing for third.

7. 7At the line

   Kristoff wins the Ronde

   In Oudenaarde the Norwegian opens his sprint early and it is simply never in doubt. Terpstra sits up before the line; Van Avermaet leads home the remains of the chase for third.

The result