Image 1 of 59 Ian Stannard (Sky) out sprints Greg van Avermaet (BMC) at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: AFP) Image 2 of 59 Thor Hushovd (BMC) abandoned the race due to injury (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 3 of 59 Boasson Hagen and Terpstra didn't want to work together (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 4 of 59 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) leads Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 5 of 59 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) leads Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 6 of 59 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) leads Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 7 of 59 Niki Terpstra and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 8 of 59 Terpstra attacks with Boom giving chase (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 9 of 59 Sep Vanmarcke on the attack (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 10 of 59 2013 winner Luca Paolini (Katusha) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 11 of 59 The podium included Ian Stannard (Team Sky), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 12 of 59 The peloton (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 13 of 59 Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing Team) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 14 of 59 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 15 of 59 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2014 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 16 of 59 Sep Vanmarcke was in the thick of the action all day (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 17 of 59 The start of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 18 of 59 2014 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner Ian Stannard (Team Sky) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 19 of 59 Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) at the finish (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 20 of 59 Greg Van Avermaet and Ian Stannard head for the finish in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 21 of 59 Ian Stannard leads Greg Van Avermaet (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 22 of 59 Johan Vansummeren was active but missed the big moves (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 23 of 59 Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) finished second (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 24 of 59 Ian Stannard around at Greg Van Avermaet as they head to the line (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 25 of 59 Ian Stannard (Team Sky) looks strong in the finale of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 26 of 59 Stannard attacks and only Van Avermaet can follow (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 27 of 59 Thor Hushovd's race is over (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 28 of 59 Thor Hushovd's (Team BMC) race is over (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 29 of 59 Luca Paolini (Katusha) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 30 of 59 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) sprints to third (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 31 of 59 Ian Stannard rides in the gutter with Vansummeren on the back foot (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 32 of 59 Tom Boonen suffered in the cold and rain (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 33 of 59 Michael Shwarzmann (NetApp) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 34 of 59 The Net App team (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 35 of 59 Ian Stannard (Team Sky) outsprints Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) for the win (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 36 of 59 Johan Van Summeren (Garmin - Sharp) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 37 of 59 Ian Stannard (Team Sky) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 38 of 59 Ian Stannard (Team Sky) outsprints Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) for the win (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 39 of 59 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) outsprints Niki Terpstra (Team Omega Pharma - Quickstep) for third (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 40 of 59 Niki Terpstra (Team Omega Pharma - Quickstep), Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin-Pro Cycling Team) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 41 of 59 Ian Stannard (Team Sky) outsprints Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) for the win (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 42 of 59 Ian Stannard (Team Sky) takes a pull (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 43 of 59 The peloton on the climbs (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 44 of 59 The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad podium with Van Avermaet, Stannard and Boasson Hagen (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 45 of 59 Ian Stannard beat Greg Van Avermaet to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 46 of 59 Ian Stannard had too much for Greg Van Avermaet (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 47 of 59 Ian Stannard (Team Sky) leads out the sprint (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 48 of 59 Greg Van Avermaet and Ian Stannard head for the finish in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 49 of 59 Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma Quick Step) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 50 of 59 Edvald Boasson Hagen wins the sprint for third (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 51 of 59 Ian Stannard holds off Greg Van Avermaet to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 52 of 59 Ian Stannard holds off Greg Van Avermaet to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 53 of 59 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 54 of 59 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) takes third in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 55 of 59 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) takes third in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 56 of 59 The sprint for third place (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 57 of 59 Greg van Avermaet (BMC) and Ian Stannard (Sky) (Image credit: AFP) Image 58 of 59 Thor Hushovd (BMC Racing Team) picks up his bike after a crash (Image credit: AFP) Image 59 of 59 The pack rides during the 69th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Image credit: AFP)

Ian Stannard (Team Sky) claimed a thrilling edition of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in a two-up sprint against BMC's Greg Van Avermaet. The pair slipped clear of the main field inside the closing kilometres of the race and despite a late chase from Omega Pharma-Quickstep and Belkin, the pair held on to decide the race in a sprint finish.

Related Articles Stannard picks his moment well at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Heading into the final few hundred meters, van Avermaet moved to the front but Stannard, with a strong pedigree from his track racing days, kicked out and had enough to hold off a late challenge from the Belgian rider.

Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) finished third, giving Sky two riders on the podium, after the Norwegian beat Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and Sep Vanmarcke (Team Belkin to the line).

Boasson Hagen and Terpstra had joined forces moments before the winning move when a dangerous group had slipped clear, but after Lars Boom punctured and Yoann Offredo crashed, the group lost its impetus.

With Boasson Hagen and Terpstra caught, Stannard and Van Avermaet seized the initiative forged clear.

Goodbye Kristof

The traditional opener of the Belgian road season in Ghent started at half past 11 with a minute of silence to pay tribute to the late Kristof Goddaert and Ghent's art pope Jan Hoet, who both passed away recently. Goddaert's teammates from the IAM team lined up in front of the peloton on a chilly, foggy and quiet St-Peter's square.



Cyril Lemoine (Cofidis), Frederik Veuchelen (Wanty), Stijn Steels (Topsport), Maciej Paterski (CCC), Christophe Laborie (Bretagne-Séché Environnement), Andreas Schillinger (Netapp), Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Katusha), and Ramon Sinkeldam (Giant Shimano) animated the first half of the race, breaking clear inside the first 30 kilometres.

After nearly 150km, the last four survivors of this group were caught by the peloton. The damage in the peloton caused by the series of slippery roads, pavé and the typical bergs was severe. The biggest victims of the multiple crashes were Thor Hushovd (BMC) and Alexandre Pichot (Europcar), who were both forced to leave the race with injuries.

The ascents of the Taaienberg, Eikenberg and Wolvenberg showed that Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin), Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step) and Nikki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step) all had good legs, while the expected attack from Tom Boonen on the Taaienberg never materialized.

Around 40 riders survived all the attacks and hit the Leberg 42km from the finish in Ghent. Greg van Avermaet (BMC) put in an acceleration on the Leberg, but once the pace dropped, a few other riders managed to sneak away. The group included Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky), Lars Boom (Belkin), Yoann Offredo (FDJ.fr), Arnaud Démare (FDJ.fr), Nikki Tepstra, Egoitz Garcia (Cofidis) and Kenneth Van Bilsen (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise).

When the group turned the corner onto the Molenberg at 37km from the finish, Offredo fell while riding in third position. Terpstra and Boom hammered up the cobbled climb and discovered at the top that they were the sole leaders. Boasson Hagen, Van Bilsen and Démare eventually managed to bridge back up to the Dutch duo when hitting the 2.4km-long former Roman road of the Paddestraat, with 30km to go to the finish.

On the Paddestraat, Boom led the leaders over the wet cobbles while Vanmarcke led the peloton at 35 seconds. Halfway over the cobbles, a fierce acceleration from Terpstra was answered only by Boom and Boasson Hagen. The three leaders had a gap of 45 seconds, but the co-operation was lacking.

When Boom flatted and fell back to the bunch Terpstra and Boasson Hagen began to attack each other, a clear sign that any partnership would be fleeting at best.

At the final pavé section called the "Lange Munte", the remains of the peloton were only 20 seconds down on the two leaders. Boasson Hagen and Terpstra exchanged attacks but ended up in the clutches of the bunch.

With 17km to go, about 20 riders were battling for the victory. A peloton with Tom Boonen trailed the leaders by 50 seconds.

Stannard wasted no time and when several groups came together; he blasted away on the wider roads towards Ghent, with only van Avermaet holding his wheel.

It looked as though victory would certainly come down to the two leaders but when Terpstra and Vanmarcke attacked, with Boasson Hagen for company, it looked as though the race was playing into the Norwegian's hands. However, Stannard and Van Avermaet remained consistent in their turns and only inside the final kilometre, with the chase too far back, did they start to watch each other.

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