Aerts stamped his authority on the race after the opening laps and never looked back once he opened a gap. Quinten Hermans (Telenet Baloise Lions) clung on for second place after a spirited fightback from Tom Pidcock (Trinity).
Pidcock was running in sixth place after the opening lap but he picked his way through the field during the last three laps and even closed in on Hermans in the closing stages. It looked as though the British rider had the speed for a possible sprint finish but he was left trailing when Hermans increased the pace through the final corners.
The pecking order was established early on with Aerts, Hermans joined by Corne Van Kessel (Telenet Baloise Lions), Tim Merlier (CREAFIN –FRISTADS), Laurens Sweeck (Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal) and Pidcock by the end of the first lap.
Pidcock was unable to deal with the furious pace and instead wisely followed his own tempo a few seconds off the lead group as the race entered the second lap. Hermans was the first rider to establish a gap on the field as the race started the third lap but Aerts and Sweeck soon made it a leading trio as Van Kessel dropped back to Pidcock.
By the fifth lap Aerts had begun to show his dominance and just as Pidcock looked to be closing in on the leading trio the Belgium lifted the pace once more and moved clear. Sweeck saw his chances of a podium place evaporate when a late mechancial and a forced change of footwear slowed him down, while Pidcock continued to mount a chase.
Hermans held Aerts at 19 seconds at the start of the final lap but the leader was in complete control throughout the testing course that combined cobbles, mud, climbs and sand. With less than a few hundred meters to go Pidcock even managed to catch Hermans but he was unable to respond when the Belgian pushed on the pedals.
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