Thomas makes history as first British winner of E3 Harelbeke

Friday's 215.3km race was the first major event of the 'Cobbled Classics' campaign which runs through to the Paris-Roubaix on April 12.

And Commonwealth Games road race champion Thomas showed he is in impressive form already, breaking free of the peleton in Belgium alongside Zdenek Stybar and Peter Sagan before dropping the duo in the final four kilometres to take a solo victory.

He crossed the line in 5:14.57, a full 25 seconds clear of Stybar, while Italy’s Matteo Trentin was third.

There was not such good news for Fabian Cancellera though who crashed early on, with scans later revealing the three-time winner of E3 Harelbeke, and one of the favourites for both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, had broken his back in two places.

Thomas meanwhile was left toasting his third win of the season and the Team Sky rider admitted afterwards it had been a day to remember.

"I can’t quite believe it. That last attack took me back to my track days and I imagined I was trying to hold Ed Clancy’s wheel in the team pursuit," he said.

"I felt pretty good during the second half of the race and committed at the end.

"It was hard out there. The three of us worked well together and I wasn’t sure if they were bluffing a bit near the end – panting and pulling faces – but fortunately they weren’t, and it was great for me.

"This six-week period we’re in from Paris-Nice to Paris-Roubaix is my big focus of the season.

"The way Paris-Nice finished was disappointing, but I felt good again at Milan-San Remo, and to get the win now is really special."

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