Boeckmans wins Nokere Koerse

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Kris Boeckmans finished off the fine work from his Lotto Soudal team to win the 2015 Nokere Koerse on the cobbles of the Nokeredorpstraat by a clean set of wheels over Veranclassic - Ekoi's Justin Jules and Scott Thwaites (Bora-Argon 18).

Lotto Soudal battled with Etixx-Quick Step in the final kilometers, but a surge from the Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise team disrupted the trains as they entered the final 300m. Boeckmans took advantage of the shift to attack on the opposite side of the road and steal the win.

The day's first breakaway containing Alphonse Vermote (Vastgoedservice - Golden Palace), Jonas Rickaert (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), David Boucher (FDJ), Frederik Backaert (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), and Dieter Bouvry (Roubaix Lille Metropole) was caught prematurely, with 50km still left to race, throwing the usual script to the wind.

There were then a number of attacks, primarily from the Continental teams, but it wasn't until BMC's Dylan Teuns went with two laps to go that another group went clear. He was joined by Stef Van Zummeren (Verandas Willems), Rick Ottema (Colba-Superano Ham) and Vergard Stake Laengen (Team Joker), and the quartet held half a minute's advantage.

On the bell lap, the peloton had closed to 18 seconds, and it wasn't long before the bunch was all back together and battling for control on the wide-open highways.

But as the course turned off onto the narrow route into town, it was Etixx-Quick Step, Lotto Soudal and Bora-Argon 18 fighting for the lead. Trek Factory Racing pushed to the front in the final kilometer, but it was Topsport Vlaanderen who led into the final turn. Boeckmans shot out to the left and sped to the line a full bike length ahead of Jules.

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