Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma) chalked up another sprint victory for the season, topping Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) and Italian champion Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-Quickstep) in the Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne.
The Dutchman patiently followed Gaviria through the inevitable chaos of the final kilometre, while Deceuninck-Quickstep launched Viviani with 200m to go.
But it was too soon into the headwind, and when Gaviria powered past the Italian, he only served as a perfect late lead-out for the powerful Groenewegen to take his fifth win of the year.
Organisers of Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne reduced the race from its traditional three-day event to a one-day UCI 1.HC race last year. The event will once again host one-day race held on March 27 in Belgium, however, it has been elevated to WorldTour.
During last year's 'new-look' edition of the one-day Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne, Quick-Step Floors continued their winning streak with Elia Viviani taking victory by a clear margin ahead of Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) was second and Jasper Philipsen (Hagens Berman Axeon) took the final place on the podium. It was the team’s sixth win of the month and Viviani's fifth of the early season.
If all that sounds familiar, it's because Viviani's Deceuninck-QuickStep squad have once again proved dominant this spring, only this time they have secured a whopping 19 victories so far.
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Viviani will return to Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne, wearing the Italian champion's kit and bib no. 1, with high hopes of defending his title.
