Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 101st edtion of the Ronde van Vlaanderen, the Tour of Flanders, the second monument of the classics season and a gruelling 260.8km ride over 18 hellingen - 11 of which are cobbled - in Belgium's cycling hinterland, from Antwerp to Oudenaarde.

Tour of Flanders Men

Men | 02.04.2017

Completed

Road race

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Live Updates

ByThe Editorial Team

Updated 02/04/2017 at 16:48 GMT

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Highlights

17:45

Thanks for following the race with us today... here's a final picture of the podium celebrations. See you at Roubaix!

16:40

What a day in Belgium - and what a sensational race. Be sure to return next Sunday for Paris-Roubaix...

Ronde van Vlaanderen

Philippe Gilbert wins Tour of Flanders with remarkable solo break

02/04/2017 at 17:02

0km

Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) wins the sprint for prestige at the front of the chasing pack, 54 seconds down.

0km

Greg van Avermaet (BMC) wins the sprint for second place ahead of Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step Floors), 28 seconds in arrears. Dylan van Baarle (Cannondale-Drapac) missed out on the podium with fourth.

0km

Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) has time to salute the crowd and milk the applause as he freewheels on the home straight, dismounts, raises his bike over his head and walks over the line.

1km

Under the flamme rouge for Philippe Gilbert, who knows now that he has won this race...

2km

The gap is still 30 seconds for Gilbert who looks all but certain of taking the first Tour of Flanders victory of his illustrious career. This, the 70th win of his career, could well be his biggest yet.

4km

Gilbert made his move on the Oude-Kwaremont with 55km remaining. He now has 4km to ride and 35 seconds to play with. What a ride - but it's not quite in the pocket yet.

6km

The gap is down to 40 seconds for Gilbert over the three chasers, with the second chasing pack is a further 25 seconds back.

8km

Massive respect to Van Avermaet. He went down heavily in the crash and has a cut hip and elbow. But he's back leading the chase and could still win this if Gilbert has a mechanical.

10km

So, back to the race and Gilbert has 50 seconds over Van Baarle, GVA and Terpstra. It seems unlikely that they will crash him, but anything can happen in this cycling. One puncture and the dream could be over for our lone leader...

11km

Sagan is over the Paterberg but he's soft-pedalling now. He knows that he cannot win this race. Here's another angle of that crash...

12km

Here's that earlier crash for you...

13km

Van Baarle leads the chase, with Van Avermaet hot in pursuit with two Quick-Step Floors riders on his back wheel. Drama: it emerges that the gap is actually down to 45 seconds for Gilbert...

13.5km

Meanwhile, Philippe Gilbert is onto the final climb of the Paterberg. His lead is now 1:15 and so only a mechanical or a crash will stop him now.

15km

And you know what, that's such a shame for Gilbert because should he win - and he should do so now - then it will take a lot of the gloss of a masterful ride.

16km

Sagan's bike was smashed in two! So while GVA could remount and continue, and Naesen too, albeit a bit later on, Sagan had to wait an eternity for a new bike, and that's his race over.

17km

CRASH! Sagan, Van Avermaet and Naesen all go down! The world champion clipped the barriers and took GVA down with him, meanwhile Naesen gets tangled up in a flag or coat and hits the deck.

17.5km

"It's a monstrous ride by Philippe Gilbert. I think it will go down as one of the most historic rides in the Tour of Flanders. I cannot remember a ride like this in all my year of commentating." That's some praise by Sean Kelly, who never managed to win this race.

18km

Gilbert takes solace in a rain gutter for 10m. Every little helps. His lead is up to 57 seconds now and looks like this will be his win - unless he has a mechanical or something dramatic happens from behind.

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