Image 1 of 45 Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma Quick Step) wins Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Image credit: AFP) Image 2 of 45 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) struggled after yesterday's efforts (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 3 of 45 Tom Boonen beat Moreno Hofland to the line (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 4 of 45 Tom Boonen wins his third Kuurne title (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 5 of 45 Johan Vansummeren flies the flag for Garmin-Sharp (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 6 of 45 Jens Debusschere (Team Lotto Belisol) and Kris Boeckmans (Team Lotto Belisol) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 7 of 45 Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin-Pro Cycling Team) and Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 8 of 45 Bert De Backer (Team - GIANT - Shimano) and Marycz Jaroslav (CCC) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 9 of 45 Bram Tankink (Belkin-Pro Cycling Team) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 10 of 45 Pim Ligthart (Lotto Belisol) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 11 of 45 Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) sets the pace in the lead group (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 12 of 45 Tom Veelers (GIANT - Shimano) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 13 of 45 Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 14 of 45 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2014 (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 15 of 45 Bernhard Eisel (Team Sky) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 16 of 45 Bernhard Eisel (Team Sky) leads the chase for Team Sky (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 17 of 45 Tom Boonen and his team drive the winning break (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 18 of 45 Vladimir Isaichev (Katusha), Silvan Dillier (BMC), Gert Jõeäär (Cofidis) and Michaël Vingerling (Team 3M). (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 19 of 45 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 20 of 45 Maarten Wynants (Belkin-Pro Cycling Team) on the attack (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 21 of 45 Omega Pharma and Belkin are about to split the race (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 22 of 45 Team Sky are caught out as up ahead Omega and Belkin attack (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 23 of 45 The break chose to keep away from the cobbles in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 24 of 45 The winning break take to the pavement (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 25 of 45 The peloton at the 2014 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 26 of 45 The field line out at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 27 of 45 The first group is caught by the Boonen group (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 28 of 45 Moreno Hofland (Team Belkin) hits the front (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 29 of 45 Belkin had the numbers, along with Omega, and put two riders on the final podium (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 30 of 45 Vladimir Isaichev (Katusha), Silvan Dillier (BMC), Gert Jõeäär (Cofidis) and Michaël Vingerling (Team 3M). (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 31 of 45 Katusha step up the chase after Boonen has attacked (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 32 of 45 Tom Boonen on the podium (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 33 of 45 2014 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne winner Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma Quick Step) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 34 of 45 The podium in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 35 of 45 Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) wins Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 36 of 45 Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) beat Moreno Hofland to the line (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 37 of 45 Boonen and Hofland go head-to-head (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 38 of 45 Hofland pushes for the line but can't catch Boonen (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 39 of 45 Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) wins Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 40 of 45 Boonen and Hofland open up for the sprint (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 41 of 45 Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) wins Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 42 of 45 Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) wins Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 43 of 45 Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 44 of 45 Taylor Phinney (BMC) crashes out of Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Image credit: AFP) Image 45 of 45 The peloton in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Image credit: AFP)

Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma QuickStep) closed out a dominant performance in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne to hold off Moreno Hofland (Belkin) in a tight sprint in Belgium on Sunday. The Omega Pharma leader made it three wins in the one-day race - a new record - after superb work from his team.

Belkin and Omega Pharma split the race to pieces with over 70 kilometres remaining, positioning strong contingents of their squads in a 10-man move. Despite chase efforts from Sky, Lotto Belisol and Katusha, the break stayed clear.

Boonen was joined by teammates, Stijn Vandenbergh, Matteo Trentin, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck, Nikolas Maes (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Sep Vanmarcke, Moreno Hofland, Maarten Wynants (Belkin), Johan Vansummeren (Garmin-Sharp), Yves Lampaert (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), and the 10-man break quickly established a lead of over a minute.

"This first small record is hopefully the start of more records later this season," Boonen said.

"Our plans were completely different to what we did. Once we were up the road I thought the peloton was playing around with us. I figured we should drop back. Then it got serious. Trentin was supposed to lead out the sprint but he reacted on the first attack. Maes took over but he had cramps. It was chaos."

The race started under bright skies and with an electric pace. A group of four eventually sailed clear and animated the first hours of the race, featuring Vladimir Isaichev (Katusha), Silvan Dillier (BMC), Gert Jõeäär (Cofidis) and Michaël Vingerling (Team 3M).

The four had a maximal lead of four minutes, but with Omega and Lotto keen to make up for mediocre showings in Omloop, the break was given little leeway.

After climbing the Cöte de Trieux, the Belkin team increased the speed in the peloton, creating splits. Shortly after that acceleration, the Oude Kwaremont was climbed with Stijn Vandenbergh (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step) setting the pace. On the descent to Berchem, the peloton split further with both Belkin and Omega looking to put Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) under pressure.

The aggression immediately paid of with a select group quickly forming under the guidance of Boonen and Vanmarcke. The rampaging Belkin-Omega axis quickly caught the four leaders after 120km of racing and just as quickly, left them behind. When reaching the Tiegemberg at 65km from the finish, the lead group had a gap of nearly a minute on the first peloton. At Nokereberg the gap was 1:10 on the peloton.

In a scene similar to that from last year's stage 13 of the Tour de France from Tours to Saint-Amand-Montrond, in which Belkin, [Saxo] and Omega Pharma-Quick-Step formed a coalition, the two leading squads pitted their strength against the might of Sky and Lotto.

Slowly, the gap started to come down and after passing through Waregem, the Katusha team added some numbers in front of the peloton. With the gap hovering around a minute, the leaders began the local circuit with two laps of 16km around Kuurne.

Team Sky quickly gave up on the chase. Nevertheless the gap remained at about a minute during the first local lap. Luca Paolini (Katusha) did a lot of work in the peloton but without much more support, the race was lost for the peloton. The gap was still just over a minute when the peloton hit the final lap.

And with that the chances of Greipel and the remaining sprinters winning the race were gone.

Up ahead, the work rate and commitment remained in place. Wynants attempted a solo move in a bid to shake up Omega, but the status quo was reinstated by the Belgian team's might.

Into the final corner, Boonen appeared to pick the wrong line but with a quick adjustment he regained the right wheel and even though Hofland threatened to come around, the Belgian king of Kuurne had enough to hold on.

Full Results