Home favourite Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) claimed a third Tour of Flanders victory on Sunday, winning a three-way sprint against Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini-Selle Itali) and Alessandro Ballan (BMC Racing) after the trio attacked on the Oude Kwaremont climb. Read our race report here or re-live the race in pictures.
The 96th edition of the Tour of Flanders saw the finish moved from Meerbeke to Oudenaarde, with three laps of a closing circuit which included the Oude Kwaaremont and Paterberg
Belgian national champion Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing) has struggled to recapture his 2011 form and finished 75th, four minutes and 43 seconds off the pace
The Tour of Flanders is the second Monument of the season after Milan-San Remo
Pozzato on the Molenberg climb; the Italian would later be part of the race’s decisive move
Two-time champion Stijn Devolder (Vacansoleil-DCM) throws his bike to the ground after crashing
Devolder, who won the race in 2008 and 2009, takes charge of team-mate Mirko Selvaggi’s machine
George Hincapie (BMC Racing), pictured here following team-mate Ballan, crossed the line in 52nd to set a new record for Tour of Flanders finishes, having completed the race 17 times
Pozzato, Ballan and Boonen went clear on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont
Boonen edges out Pozzato in a sprint finish, but Alessandro Ballan did not have the pace to figure in the dash for the line
Boonen is only the fifth rider to win the Tour of Flanders three times, with Fiorenzo Magni, Achiel Buysse, Eric Leman and Johan Museeuw also registering a hat-trick of victories
The Belgian will start Paris-Roubaix as favourite after Fabian Cancellara (Radioshack-Nissan-Trek) was ruled out of the race with a triple collarbone fracture having crashed during the Tour of Flanders
