Van Avermaet: I thought I would be stronger in the sprint

Under normal circumstances, Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) would have expected to beat Ian Stannard in the two-man sprint that decided Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, but there is precious little that is normal about riding for 198 kilometres across cobbles and hills, and racing for almost five hours in the rain and cold.

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Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.