Tour of Flanders 2023 men’s race – Tadej Pogacar makes history after getting the better of Mathieu van der Poel

That duo of Cosnefroy and Jorgenson has managed to join the chasers on the climb of Valkenberg so we have 11 in pursuit of the eight escapees. Their deficit is just 50 seconds with the main pack at 2'00". With the likes of Pedersen, Powless, Kung, Asgreen and Wright, this is a stellar group with potential winners in its midst. We also have key team-mates of the big favourites in Trentin and Van Hooydonck. Meanwhile, we're still on course for the fastest Ronde in history: the current average speed is 44.9kmph which is faster than the 2001 record of 43.576kmph. But there's still a long way to go...

Benoit Cosnefroy and Matteo Jorgenson kicked clear of the main pack on the climb of Berendries (0.7km at 8.1%) to open up a small gap. It's all coming together gradually though with the eight leaders 1'10" ahead of the nine chasers and the main field (which contains Van Aert, Van der Poel and Pogacar) another 50 seconds back.

Meanwhile, we're hearing that Soren Kragh Andersen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has abandoned after his travails.

That acceleration from Asgreen and Trentin forced a reaction behind and we now have a solid group of around eight riders in pursuit of the leaders. It features Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious), Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers), Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ), Florian Vermeesch (Lotto Dstny), Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and Nathan van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma) as well as the two riders who lit the initial torch.

When the peloton hits the Molenberg it's Soudal Quick-Step who have come to the front ahead of the tight and narrow turn onto the cobbles. The Danish 2021 champion Kasper Asgreen then puts in an acceleration - mached by Matteo Trentin - as the pack is stretched out accordingly. They have slashed the gap to 2'20" for the eight leaders.

The riders are onto the Molenberg now (0.4km at 6.7%) and it's UAE Team Emirates who have come forward to control things. They had Trentin a bit up the road after he went clear of the chasers, but they were all caught and now the peloton has grown back in stature. The eight escapees are three minutes clear. Some calm has come to the race after a very hectic and drama-filled hour or so.

That's a sad way for the 2016 champion's last Tour of Flanders appearance to end. Sagan went down in that earlier crash and he's clearly succumbed to his injuries. A big blow for TotalEnergies. Here's a video of that huge crash which was caused by Bahrain Victorious rider Filip Maciejuk, who was DQ'ed as a result.

The former world champion attacks on the Eikenberg (1.2km at 5%) and he's joined by Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceninck), Nathan van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma), Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates) and Kevin Geniets (Groupama-FDJ). Yves Lampaert (Soudal Quick-Step) and Matteo Jorgensen (Movistar) may join them soon.

Four or five riders have hit the deck on the peloton including Teisj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma) and an emotional Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers), the American lamenting his luck after another kiss of the concrete. Van der Poel had to slam on the breaks to avoid coming down when Dries van Gestel (TotalEnergies) went down right in front of him. The Dutchman doesn't look to be panicking, but he's had to use up a lot of energy today and has hardly any team-mates left with him now.

A reminder of the eight riders in today's break: Jasper De Buyst (Lotto Dstny), Daan Hoole (Trek-Segafredo), Elmar Reinders (Jayco-AIUIA), Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech), Filippo Colombo (Q36.5 Pro Cycling), Guillaume van Keirsbulck (Bingoal WB), Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-EasyPost) and Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step). Given the carnage unfolding five minutes behind you had to admire the life choices made by these eight leaders.

It's been an eventful race so far for Soren Kragh Andersen - and not for the right reasons. Twice he had to fight back from being caught out in splits - the first time with team-mate Van der Poel, then after the earlier crash. He's now had to chase back again with the Dutchman after those latest splits caused by DSM on the Kortekeer. And the elastic has finally snapped for the Dane, who's pedalling squares off the back.

It really hasn't been Quick-Step's classics season so far... Davide Ballerini has either crashed or dropped a chain ahead of the Eikenberg and he's now awaiting assistance. Meanwhile, a Bahrain rider went down on the corner ahead of the climb - and luckily didn't cause more to come down with him. The gap is down to 5'25" for the eight leaders, with the second peloton almost back on after another easing up in the pack.

The official Twitter account of the race says the break has six and a half minutes but the gap doesn't appear to be quite as big as that - although it could be soon. That move from DSM has blown the pack apart with Christophe Laporte and Van der Poel among those distanced, Oli Naesen too, perhaps even Pogacar. The leaders will next tackle the climb of Eikenberg.

It's not clear what's happening but it appears that the peloton has pretty much stopped on the Kortekeer climb. DSM and Ineos have blocked the front and they're doing so slowly it's like a track race approaching the final sprint. Is this some kind of protest or have they told to slow down because of favourites being tailed off? Whatever the case, DSM all of a sudden ramp it up near the summit and put in a collective attack to blow apart the peloton. There are splits aplenty and that man Van der Poel - who was riding at the back - has once again been caught out. Strange scenes.

We're seeing in replays that Wout van Aert didn't go down but was held up in that earlier pile-up - although the Belgian was quickly on his way. It was really horrible - and came so quickly that there was really no way for those involved to avoid it.

This time it's just a couple of riders - Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) and Thomas Bonnet (TotalEnergies) - who hit the deck. The American is on his way straight away but the Frenchman took a bit of a knock to his thigh and is shaking it off on the side of the road. Meanwhile, the breakaway is over five minutes clear now as they approach the next climb of Kortekeer (0.9km at 6.5%).

The Belgian is not the only rider to abandon after that huge crash - the Spaniard Oier Lazkano (Movistar) has also called it a day. Wellens' DQ is a blow to UAE team-mate Tadej Pogacar. Meanwhile, Julian Alaphilippe is back with the peloton - the Frenchman went down hard and looked to hurt his wrist.

We're hearing that it was the Polish rider Filip Maciejuk who was to blame for that pile-up for Bahrain-Victorious and he's been duly disqualified. It was a terrible blunder and clearly unintentional, but you can't argue with that - even if the youngster will be feeling terrible about the consequences of his actions.

Meanwhile, back on the nose of the race and the eight escapees are riding through a sea of noise on the Oude Kwaremont cobbled climb - the first of three times this will be on today's menu. Team DSM and Ineos Grenadiers are on the front and just marshalling things following that crash - there's clearly a truce of sorts because so many people were involved, including some big names, and it was entirely out of their grasp to avoid the spill. The gap is 4:45 for the break. What an atmosphere on the Kwaremont!

Replays show that the crash happened after a Bahrain rider, who was riding a cobbled strip on the side of the road, panicked when he hit a grassy puddle, then skidded right across the road and ploughed into Wellens on the front of the peloton, causing utter carnage. Funnily enough, the poor rider who caused the crash avoided going down - but he will struggle to come to terms with that one. Still awaiting confirmation on who it was.

Scores of riders are down after a massive crash brought the peloton to a standstill. Julian Alaphilippe, Peter Sagan, Tim Wellens, Ben Turner and Jasper Stuyven are among the many, many riders on the deck. Wellens, in particular, looks in a bad state. This will be the end of his race.