Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quickstep) won the Brussels Cycling Classic for the second time in his career, out-sprinting Alexis Renard (Cofidis) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) after 205.1 kilometres of racing.
Merlier had to elbow his way through the fray and came from 10th wheel to a clear victory in the final 300 metres.
Fresh off an altitude training camp, Merlier hasn't raced since Paris-Roubaix, but was able to take his eighth win of the season.
Article continues below"Of course always difficult the first race again to know what is going to happen," Merlier said. "But I can be happy with the shape and the victory."
The European champion explained that he wanted to wait to launch his sprint because of the headwind, but found himself at the front with 200m to go.
"I gave it a try - it was way too far, but I made it."
How it unfolded
The Pro Series race started under thankfully sunny skies, with two ascents of the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg the main challenges of the day.
Tom Portsmouth (Wagner Bazin WB) launched the breakaway-forming attack from the drop of the flag at kilometre zero. He was joined by Cyril Barthe (Groupama-FDJ), Theodor August Clemmensen (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Lionel Taminiaux (Lotto), Baptiste Vadic (TotalEnergies), Petr Kelemen (Tudor), Jelle Johannink (Unibet Tietema Rockets) and Alessandro Iacchi (Team Solution Tech Vini Fantini).
The eight riders got to work forging a gap of more than four minutes before the hilly section of the course after 90 kilometres of racing. Once they hit the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg, made famous as part of the old Tour of Flanders route, Iacchi struggled and fell out of the move.
In the peloton, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) surged on the Muur, lining out the chasing group and bringing the breakaway's gap down to 2:15. Gaps formed all up and down the bunch, with groups scrambling to rejoin the front of the race.
Barthe had to stop for a bike change and had to work to chase back on for several kilometres, but his companions eased slightly to let him get back on.
Nine riders split off the chasing group before the Congoberg, with Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), Dries Van Gestel (Soudal-Quickstep), Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Wanty), Edward Planckaert (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Tim van Dijke (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Tobias Andresen (Picnic-PostNl), Arjen Livyns (Lotto), Rory Townsend (Q36.5) and Iacchi.
With the Muur on the horizon again, Israel-Premier Tech and Cofidis collaborated to reel in the chasing group and then Uno-X Mobility surged with Lotto to bring the leaders back into the fold on the climb.
Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) attacked as the steeper gradients kicked in and over the top; he was joined by Planckaert and Van Dijke.
The trio could only gain 30 seconds or less on the rapidly growing chasing peloton, and the bunch let them dangle until 14km to go, when Cedric Beullens (Lotto) bridged across a nine-second gap.
On the long, straight road, the quartet were always in sight and in easy catching distance, and the reduced peloton came together just inside 10km to go.
Eddy Le Huitouze (Groupama-FDJ) attacked with 7.8km to go to try to foil the sprinters, but Uno-X Mobility and Picnic-PostNL made sure he didn't get far.
Another flyer came from Jonas Geens (Flanders Baloise) in the final 4km, but the Belgian couldn't hold off the Uno-X Mobility train, and was back in the fold with 1.5km to go.
He had to weave through a chaotic mass of sprinters, but Merlier threaded the needle to win by a clean set of wheels.
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