Tour of Flanders 2017

The road

How it was won

1. 1144 km to go

   First Oude Kwaremont

   With 144km still to run, the peloton hits the Oude Kwaremont for the first time and the day at last catches fire. Nervous crashes litter the narrow lanes as BMC and Bora lift the pace behind the eight-man break.

2. 295 km to go

   Boonen lights the Muur

   The Muur van Geraardsbergen is back in the race after six years, and though it sits some 95km from home, Tom Boonen turns it into a pivot. His forcing shatters the peloton and leaves an elite fourteen up front — Gilbert and Trentin for company, Sagan and Van Avermaet missing the split.

3. 355 km to go

   Gilbert goes, alone

   At the foot of the second Oude Kwaremont, 55km from Oudenaarde, Philippe Gilbert simply rides away from the front group. By the summit he is 56 seconds clear of everything behind, and the Belgian champion decides he is not waiting for anybody — one of the great solo raids of modern Flanders is under way.

4. 417 km to go

   The crash on the final Kwaremont

   Just as the chase groups converge on the last ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, a touch of wheels sends Van Avermaet and others sprawling. Bloodied but unbowed, he remounts — but the pursuit that might have caught Gilbert is broken apart on the cobbles.

5. 513 km to go

   Suffering on the Paterberg

   Gilbert shows his first cracks on the brutal Paterberg wall, grinding to keep the gear turning, yet he crests still 50 seconds ahead of a chase of Van Baarle, a bleeding Van Avermaet and teammate Terpstra.

6. 65 km to go

   Into the headwind

   Inside the final 5km, a stiff headwind and Van Avermaet's ferocious pursuit start peeling seconds off Gilbert's lead. For a few nervous minutes the fairytale wobbles.

7. 7At the line

   Gilbert wins in Oudenaarde

   After more than 55km alone, Philippe Gilbert holds on to win the Tour of Flanders by 29 seconds — a debut Ronde on his very first attempt for Quick-Step, and one of the most audacious victories the race has ever seen.

The result