Good afternoon cobble fans and welcome to our live blog for the E3 BinckBank Classic!

All these movements within the peloton have clipped the break's advantage down to 1'37". They may not survive to see the other side of the Paterberg.

25km to the Paterberg! And a bike change for big angry Marcus Burghardt.

EBH is back in the peloton, but the bunch itself is looking really sluggish. They seem almost happy to let the race disappear up the road. CCC Team are no longer chasing back.

Edvald Boasson Hagen has a bike change. It's far enough out that he can make it back to the bunch, but he could do without this sort of energy expenditure.

Team CCC are working hard to close the gap from the peloton back to the 40-strong favourites group. It's possible their man Van Avermaet missed the move or was distanced on the Taaienberg.

This Kuznetsov / Vanbilsen move is not long for this world...

As predicted, the Taaienvberg has blown things apart. We've about 40 riders together in the group of favourites, lead by Oss and containing Van Avermaet & Sagan. They are easing up and the strung out line of riders behind is coming back into contact.

Wow, that was raw power from Van Aert. Oss controls things now as he leads the favourites over the crest.

He's quickly overtaken by a marauding Wout Van Aert. On his wheel is Daniel Oss.

And Sagan hits the front now as they make their way onto the cobbles!

Bora Hansgrohe are extremely prominent at the head of the peloton going into the Taaienberg. Sagan is in about 8th wheel. Matteo Trentin is there too.

The break is on the cobbled Taaienberg, which maxes at 18% gradient. It hurts me just to watch this!

In about a kilometre's time we'll hit the Taaienberg, and that is when things get real.

Another attack now, this time Kenneth Vanbilsen of Cofidis and another Katusha rider, Vyacheslav Kuznetsov, have skipped away on the bottom of the Kortekeer. They have 20 seconds on the bunch.

The breakaway is on the Kortekeer. They have 2'47" on the peloton. Meanwhile, there's another crash behind and this time two CCC riders have gone down - not Greg Van Avermaet, though.

I think it's very unlikely Vanmarcke will be getting back up today. He's on the deck and staying there.

Crash! And it's that man Sep Vanmarcke who is down in a ditch.

Lukas Spengler has pulled up with a mechanical. He didn't look particularly bothered. I'm sure his Wallonie-Bruxelles team car will be along shortly.

Andy wants a John Degenkolb win today - and he's not the only one. The unlucky German who now races for Trek Segafredo, has endeared himself to many fans over the years. He's a genuine contender today if he can keep it rubber side down.

Owain Doull takes a musette at the top of the Hotondberg. His presence on the nose of the bunch suggest he may be working for somebody else today.

And that time gap to Marco Haller has reappeared. He's now a minute ahead of the bunch. Haller rides for the unhappiest squad in world cycling, Katusha, who could dearly do with a win soon.