As it happened - Laporte doubles up on the cobbles at Dwars door Vlaanderen

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 2023 men's Dwars door Vlaanderen.

Today's race kicks off in around 15 minutes when the riders head off to start the neutral zone in Roeselare. 

Here's a look at the map of today's race. As we often see with the Flanders Classics it's a fairly flat start leading into a winding mess of roads criss-crossing the hills and cobbles.

Jumbo-Visma pulls Van Baarle from Dwars door Vlaanderen squad as precaution

Dutchman recovering from recent crash and plans to support Van Aert at Tour of Flanders

10 cobbled sectors and 11 named climbs feature on today's route. It's 'only' 184km long but it's another tough day out in Flanders.

Riders are now off for the neutral start in Roeselare and will soon be racing for real when the flag drops.

No Van der Poel, Van Aert or Pogačar today but there are plenty of big names in action...

Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep), Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Tiesj Benoot, Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma), Greg Van Avermaet, Oliver Naesen (AG2R Citroën), Arnaud De Lie, Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny), Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe), Sep Vanmarcke (Israel-Premier Tech), Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious), Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates), Stefan Küng, Jake Stewart (Groupama-FDJ), Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla), Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), John Degenkolb, Sam Welsford (Team DSM), Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X).

Check out the full start list here...

Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost), Kevin Vermaerke (Team DSM), Andrii Ponomar (Arkéa-Samsic), Geoffrey Soupe (TotalEnergies) are all non-starters today.

A look at the roll-out to start the day...

184km to go

The flag has dropped and the 2023 Dwars door Vlaanderen is underway!

A long and largely flat run over the first 60km or so coming up to start the race.

A quick start and no escapees yet.

176km to go

A few groups getting small gaps but nothing concrete yet.

Oier Lazkano among the early attackers today.

167km to go

Four riders now have a small advantage at the front of the race.

Lazkano is up there along with Ward Vanhoof (Flanders-Baloise), Nickolas Zukowsky (Q36.5) and Yevgeniy Gidich (Astana Qazaqstan).

Leon Heinschke (Team DSM) and Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X) have also attacked to make it six out front. 

That's an odd move from Kristoff given the comparative quality of this group...

160km to go

The group of six has a minute on the peloton at the moment.

It looks like that's going to be our break of the day.

The riders are still speeding along the flat to start the day. The peloton has let the gap to the break go up to three minutes.

Jumbo review plans for post-2024 cycling sponsorship

'We are working together on a long-term successful future for Team Jumbo-Visma' says Dutch supermarket chain

145km to go

Four minutes for the breakaway now.

Julian Alaphilippe: 'Van der Poel, Van Aert and Pogacar on a different level right now'

'Self pity isn’t any use' Frenchman says of Soudal-Quick Step's Classics crisis

The gap to the break is currently stable at around 3:45.

A look at the breakaway with Kristoff leading the way at the front.

The riders have passed the first cobbles of the day at Varent, a reverse of the sector used late on in the E3 Saxo Classic.

127km to go

Now under 10km to go until the riders hit the first cobbled climb of the Volkegemberg (1.1km at 4.3%).

How to watch Dwars door Vlaanderen – live streaming

All the streaming information for the last cobbled tune-up before the Tour of Flanders

The breakaway tackles Varent. As you can see it's not exactly a brutal sector that can tear the peloton apart.

The breakaway are about to hit the Volkegemberg now.

Of the riders who didn't take the start of the race today, former Tour of Flanders winner Alberto Bettiol is the most notable. The Italian is out of the race with knee pain, according to a report by Het Nieuwsblad.

114km to go

3:15 for the breakaway currently.

The hills will be coming thick and fast for the riders now after the Volkegemberg. Hotond and the Knokteberg next up after another rise in the road following the day's opener.

Tom Pidcock is back in action today after some time away from racing with a concussion.

Adjustable tyre pressure system used for first time in competition at Dwars door Vlaanderen

Jumbo-Visma trial the Gravaa KAPS (kinetic air pressure system) hubset system ahead of Paris-Roubaix

97km to go

The riders are into the final 100km of the race now after taking on Hotond. Knokteberg is up next.

Pidcock said he's in "pretty good" shape on his return to racing today. He added that the goal now is to prepare "to be the best I can be" for the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.

Greg Van Avermaet to decide on racing future after Classics season

'I still enjoy racing, I try to give my best every day' says former Paris-Roubaix winner

Just two minutes for the breakaway now as they tackle the Knokteberg hill (1.1km at 7.4%).

Trek-Segafredo are massed across the front of the peloton.

A major slowdown on the climb for the peloton. It just looks like a logjam rather than any crash in the middle of the group.

Now Trek-Segafredo are pushing the pace over the top!

John Degenkolb also in the mix up front.

90km to go

Trek are trying a major move here.

Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) slid out heading around the corner at the top of the climb. He'll be some way back now as Trek starting pushing immediately afterwards.

Favourites Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven are joined by Edward Theuns, Daan Hoole, Mathias Vacek, Emils Liepinš, and Alex Kirsch in the Trek-Segafredo squad today.

88km to go

A large group at the front with Trek but there have been splits further back.

The gap to the break has gone down to 1:40 as a result of this push.

Now the American squad are knocking off the pace again. Some damage done there but maybe not as much as they'd have hoped. The major favourites will be up there with them.

They used the narrow road on the climb to slow things down and take advantage of the concertina effect to put those in the mid- and rear-sections of the peloton in trouble.

Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) sneaks through the Trek-Segafredo blockade at the front to go clear. The gap to the break is going up again now as the pace slows.

86km to go

The break hits the Kortekeer hill now. Will Trek try that same move again when they hit it?

The Marieborrestraat cobbles immediately follow Kortekeer, with a flatter section of 10km or so coming up after that.

Once again a very slow pace on the climb. 2:30 to the breakaway. Countdown to another Trek-Segafredo acceleration...

Bert Van Lerberghe (Soudal-QuickStep) hops out the front of the peloton briefly and now Trek have turned the pace up again over the top!

Once again it's Degenkolb alert and up there with the Trek riders. Behind them, the peloton is strung out in one line.

Sheffield has stopped to get a new bike from the Ineos Grenadiers team car following his crash earlier.

82km to go

Trek-Segafredo continue to push the pace on the Marieborrestraat cobbles.

Off the cobbles and Pedersen pushes on to get a few metres on the peloton.

Now Groupama-FDJ are at the front of the peloton. A large group off the back are chasing to get back to the peloton.

76km to go

Jumbo-Visma and Alpecin-Deceuninck also getting up front as the riders race towards the next climb at Berg Ten Houte.

This next cobbled climb is 1.1km at 5.5%.

Lawrence Naesen (AG2R Citroën) and Ryan Gibbons (UAE Team Emirates) caught in a crash in the peloton.

Two minutes for the breakaway.

Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-EasyPost) holding his arm after crashing on his own in the peloton.

Zukowsky losing contact with the break on Berg Ten Houte.

Soudal-QuickStep on the front for the climb. Alaphilippe is second wheel and quickly moves up front!

The Frenchman pushes the pace but has a gear problem on the way and has to slow down to sort it.

Belgian champion Tim Merlier has fallen on the cobbles, meanwhile. A big hold-up midway through the peloton.

72km to go

The likes of Jhonatan Narváez (Ineos Grenadiers) and Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) up at the front.

Alaphilippe had plans there but that gearing problem prevented him from making a big move. He's still up there with Laporte, Narváez, Küng, and the other main favourites.

Smaller groups rolling through the feed zone just after the hill. Quite some damage done in the peloton on Berg Ten Houte.

70km to go

Gidich is caught by the peloton.

Kanarieberg (1.1km at 8.5%) is coming up next. Groups all over the road here.

Only around 30 men in that lead 'peloton' now as a smaller group looks to get across.

Trentin, Mohorič, Alaphilippe, Pascal Eenkhoorn all rolling through at the front.

Another group gets across and it looks like it's around 50 or so in there now. Jumbo-Visma take to the front to control it.

1:40 to Lazkano, Kristoff, Vanhoot and Heinschke as they hit the non-cobbled Kanarieberg.

Lotto-Dstny joining Jumbo in the lead of the main group.

Tiesj Benoot pushes the pace at the front up the climb!

Benoot has Laporte and the Alpecin-Deceuninck duo of Quinten Hermans and a very strong Jasper Philipsen with him.

Two-time world champion and three-time Tour de France points winner (among many other achievements) Freddy Maertens is caught by the TV camera stood by the road watching the action.

65km to go

It doesn't look as though the Alpecin-Deceuninck riders are working with the Jumbo-Visma duo there.

1:20 up to the break.

Four more riders bridge across but the peloton is closing in right behind.

Vanhoof drops away from the break but fights back. Meanwhile, the attack group is back in the peloton and Pidcock puts in a counter-attack.

The riders are heading downhill and onto a flat section before another race up the hills of Knokteberg and Hotond.

No one team in charge at the head of the peloton as riders continue to try moves at the front.

Krists Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech) tries a move off the front.

1:30 to the breakaway.

Sprinter Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) is out of the race, his team reports.

And now a group of four go on the attack, too.

Neilands has a few seconds on the peloton.

56km to go

Jumbo-Visma and Alpecin-Deceuninck among the teams leading the peloton behind him.

Now back up the Knokteberg.

Tiesj Benoot goes on the attack again!

Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) are with Benoot.

Several more riders in the chase behind are coming across.

52km to go

45 seconds to the breakaway.

The peloton isn't far behind the attacking group.

Eight riders up there now.

Laporte, Küng, Madouas, Narváez, and Honoré are with Benoot, Hermans and Powless.

The group only has a handful of seconds on the peloton behind, though.

A look back at Trek-Segafredo's blocking tactic earlier on. The race is now far too open for that now, with attacks going over the top of every hill.

Lazkano, Heinschke, Kristoff, and Vanhoof are still 50 seconds up the road amid all this.

Matteo Trentin has tried to get across to the attacking group but he's sat up now.

Amazingly, Soudal-QuickStep have missed this move as well. It has happened time and time again during this spring Classics season...

Lotto-Dstny lead the chase in the peloton.

Trek-Segafredo, Lotto-Dstny, Soudal-QuickStep the major losers from this move.

Merlier abandoned the race after his crash on Berg Ten Houte.

Back on the cobbles of Marieborrestraat now. Lazkano pushes on at the head of the race.

45 seconds between the attackers and the breakaway.

The peloton is 1:10 from Kristoff and co.

No sign of Heinschke, Kristoff and Lazkano breaking apart just yet as they hit the climb of Ladeuze (1.2km at 5.3%).

Vanhoof was distanced by the break and is now falling back towards the attackers.

39km to go

Eenkhoorn working at the head of the peloton for Lotto-Dstny.

Now Alaphilippe takes over at the front of the peloton on the climb.

Everybody in that eight-man attack group still working well together.

A look at that attack group with Laporte at the head.

A section of flat road now after Ladeuze. More cobbles and climbs left on the menu though!

33km to go

35 seconds to the break and another 30 seconds back to the peloton.

Lotto-Dstny still doing the work in the chase. 

Julian Alaphilippe has been somewhat active today but Soudal-QuickStep are not at the front in the chase behind the attackers...

The peloton has around 30 men in it at the moment.

The break and attackers have hit the cobbles at Doorn.

The cobbles at Huisepontweg come up next before the Nokereberg cobbled climb.

Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) accelerating in the peloton over the cobbles.

28km to go

Lazkano and Kristoff drop Heinschke now.

Vanhoof is out of the attack group, too.

Wellens powes past Vanhoof. Heinschke is back with the attackers.

Wellens continues to push on alone.

The riders are on the Huisepontweb cobbles now.

25km to go

Wellens is 40 seconds off Kristoff and Lazkano at the front of the race. He's 20 seconds away from the attackers.

The short sharp uphill cobbled run at Nokereberg is the next test on the road. The 400-metre climb is famous as the final of Nokere Koerse, which Tim Merlier won earlier this month.

Wellens is recaptured by the peloton. Lotto, Jayco, Trek, Alpecin leading the chase.

The time gap to the chasing peloton seems to be going up. It's looking pretty good for the attacking move as they hit the Nokereberg.

Still all together in the move over the top of the Nokereberg. Under 20 seconds to Lazkano and Kristoff.

Two times over the cobbles at Herlegemstraat and one last climb in Nokere are all that separates the riders from the finish now.

18km to go

Kristoff and Lazkano are 20 seconds up on the chase. Another 25 seconds back to the peloton.

A bike change for Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) but he's quickly back in the peloton.

Not much changing from the status quo at the moment. The time gaps aren't changing by more than a few seconds here and there and the groups still have the same riders in them.

Not a lucky day for Lawrence Naesen, who crashed out of the race wearing 13 on his back earlier on.

Through the finish line at Waregem and now it's time for a loop around to Nokere and the final stretch of pavé at Herlegemstraat.

14km to go

23 seconds for Kristoff and Lazkano. The peloton is 55 seconds down.

Among the first two groups, you have to say that Kristoff and Laporte are the strongest sprinters...

Kristoff and Lazkano out in front.

Lotto-Dstny still working in the peloton. The gap to the front of the race has gone down to 42 seconds for them.

10km to go

The two breakaway men closing in on the final hill in Nokere.

It's not the cobbled Nokereberg, though, but a straight road 700-metre climb in the town.

Now 12 seconds back to the attackers and 28 back to the peloton...

Honoré pushes the pace in that second group.

Jasper De Buyst drops from the peloton after all the work he's done for his team.

Tim Wellens also drops.

Lotto's Frederik Frison also drops.

9km to go

Kristoff and Lazkano 10 seconds up. Just over 20 back to the peloton.

Downhill now and all flat to the finish, save for one late, small bump.

8km to go

It looks like the chasers will be up with Kristoff and Lazkano very soon.

27 seconds back to the peloton. Lotto losing a few men won't help the chase.

7km to go

Just a few metres left for the chase to bridge to get to the breakaway duo...

And now they hit the final sector of cobbles at Herlegemstraat.

This has been Kristoff country so it's no surprise to see him doing so well but Lazkano has done a great job here. I don't think the Movistar man had raced on the cobbles before taking on Opening Weekend last year.

Their move is over now though as they are absorbed by the attacking group.

6km to go

20 seconds back to the peloton...

Honoré attacks as the group leaves the cobbles!

Benoot is right on Honoré.

The group fractured briefly but it's all coming back together. Honoré tries again.

4km to go

It's going to be a tense finale. 16 seconds back to the peloton!

Laporte goes.

Nobody immediately goes with the Frenchman. Is this it?

A seated acceleration on the flat and he's clear!

3km to go

Laporte already has a few seconds.

Lazkano and Powless have gone in the chase.

2km to go

13 seconds for Laporte.

What a ride from Lazkano to still be on the attack here after a day in the breakaway.

Laporte looks all set for the win here. He picked his spot and just rode away from the rest. 

1km to go

Into the final kilometre of 184. Lazkano and Powless are clear for second and third.

Now the peloton has caught the chase group!

Laporte zips up his jersey, ready to celebrate.

Laporte has won Dwars door Vlaanderen!

Can Lazkano and Powless hold off the peloton??

It's a close one!

They're right behind them but it's Lazkano who proves the strongest and holds on for second!

Powless just held on for third place too!

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) took fourth in the sprint behind.

Here's what race winner Christophe Laporte said after the finish...

"A difficult day but a great day. All the team were great. I'm very happy to win again.

"I was strong on the climbs and made the selections there. It was a good collaboration in the group. My condition is good, I've been training well, I think I'm fresh, and we have an amazingly strong team.

"It's incredible to get five wins from five cobbled races. It's not an easy thing to do."

Laporte celebrates the win after his late solo.

Hero of the day Oier Lazkano coming through for second place in Waregem.

And here's what Alexander Kristoff said after the race. He finished among the peloton after a day out front with Lazkano and co.

"Not really but my DS said 'why don't you go in the break?' because I said 'how difficult can it be?' so I tried one time and I made it. So yeah, I said, 'It's not that difficult to make it'.

"I felt quite good but in the final I thought that we were going to stay ahead of the pack. but they came really fast and I got a bit surprised with 1.5km to go. I wasn't really ready to do a sprint because I was quite tired, of course.

"[When the attackers came across] I was a bit cooked. I didn't have the legs to do the accelerations. I was good doing a steady pace. It was too hard for me after a long day out. I was happy to survive all the way to the final but the result was a bit disappointing after all that effort."

Fourth-placed Jasper Philipsen didn't have a whole lot to say after the finish today.

"It was a nice race. A hard one. I'm sad that we didn't end up in a winning position with the team but that's racing.

"There were a lot of guys pulling but it wasn't good enough for the victory."

Oier Lazkano speaks after the finish...

"I mean I had always seen on my TV at home that these are beautiful races. I'm so so happy with my second place here. It's amazing.

"[Will you be the next Spanish Classics star?] I don't think so. we still have good riders in the team like Cortina. Not many Spanish riders have done a podium in these races. I think that these races are more and more in Spain and we hope that more and more will come here and do a great job.

"I think that no-one had any power in the final. The people that were coming from the small group were also very tired. They are great riders but nobody had anything left. Jumbo is having an amazing Classics season and playing their cards very well."

Third today, this is what Neilson Powless said after the finish.

"It was really tough. When you're in a small group with two riders of that calibre you have to watch them like a hawk. I could already tell from 30km to go that Laporte was really really strong. He did one really strong attack on a flat road in the saddle and it was really hard to come back to his wheel.

"I knew he was strong and in the end, it was just really tactical. The group was breaking apart, coming back together, riders going and being chased down. It was tactical in the end but all in all, Laporte was incredibly strong today so hats off to him and jumbo. They rode a good race.

"I'm also really proud of the way Mikkel and I raced today. This is our debut in the cobbled Classics and I think we did pretty well for our first time.

"I think I'm still a dark horse for Flanders. There's going to be a much stronger field there so I look forward to the challenge and I hope I can have the same legs I had today on Sunday. If I can then I'm quite sure I can be in the mix. Idk if I can be the strongest rider there but I hope that I can be up there in a part of the race."

Dwars door Vlaanderen: Christophe Laporte grabs solo glory on cobbles with late attack

Lazkano earns podium spot from early breakaway efforts with Powless in third

The Dwars door Vlaanderen Women is ongoing with 23km left.

Two attackers out front – Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) and Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) – with a 30-second advantage as they hit the Nokereberg!

Floortje Mackaij (Movistar) tries an attack over the top of the hill as the gap goes down under 20 seconds.

20km to go and a group of around 20 riders are chasing the two leaders on the Herlegemstraat cobbles. 16 seconds.

From here it's the same final as the men's race – through Waregem, up the climb in Nokere, over the Herlegemstraat cobbles, and to the line.

Reusser and Vos still working together up front.

Vollering, Uttrup Ludwig, Longo Borghini, Van Anrooij, Lippert, Mackaij, Labous, Moolman Pasio, Consonni – plenty of major names in the chase.

17km to go and it's all back together again. Vos and Reusser caught.

Into the final 15km and there's a move from Eva van Agt and Floorje Mackaij.

But it's quickly shut down by the group behind.

All together again now as the attacks continue to fly.

Liane Lippert now leading an attack up front with 12km to go.

Nobody getting away yet despite a variety of attacks up front.

Now the climb at Nokere and more attacks into the final 10km.

Demi Vollering (SD Worx) on the move.

She's clear at the front.

8km to go and she has a few seconds in the lead.

10 seconds for Vollering on the final cobbled stretch as the chase tries to get organised behind.

She's only extending her lead heading towards the final 5km.

Flat roads to the finish now.

4km to go and now Vollering has 26 seconds.

It looks like Vollering has this one in hand.

1km to go and Vollering is away and ready to celebrate the win.

Almost three hours of racing and she's home for her second win of the season!

Almost 40 seconds later the select chase group comes home.

Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ) sprints home for second place ahead of Vos.

Vollering celebrates her solo win in Waregem.

A look at the results of the women's race.

Smiles all round at SD Worx.

Here's what race winner Demi Vollering had to say after her win today...

"The team did a really good job today. Because they did so good we were always in front and it meant I could save a bit and control it. Because of this I had some left over in the final and then I took my moment and went all in for it."

Dwars door Vlaanderen Women: Demi Vollering victorious with solo move

Solo move for SD Worx rider as Consonni, Vos round out podium

Another big day of spring Classics racing in the books and now we look ahead to Sunday and the Tour of Flanders.

But before that we'll have news and analysis from our on-the-ground reporters Patrick Fletcher and Barry Ryan in Waregem. Stay tuned for that this evening.

Today's winners celebrating their big wins!