Côte de la Meuse

41:29 Nand Willems brings up the rear at 64 seconds. One rider did not make it to the line.

41:28 Radek Svoboda crosses the line 28th, at 1:03.

41:22 Lars Debruyne crosses the line 27th, at 0:57.

40:27 Nand Verhoeven crosses the line 3rd, at 0:02.

40:26 Jarne Willems crosses the line 2nd, at 0:01.

40:25 Stan Claes wins by 1 second.

40:10 The line through the wide section is shifting; they are riding a metre off where they were a moment ago.

39:40 Hardly anybody is getting off today, and that makes it an hour with no rest in it.

39:30 With 4 up front, and Stan Claes on the front of it.

39:20 Clément Perrin dives past Emiel Decock in the hollow.

38:50 The ground in the steps has been ridden rock hard.

38:30 Rien Beyens dives past Lars Bogaerts in the steep side.

38:20 Nand Verhoeven takes Théo Girard back in the steps.

37:50 There are 2 of them at the front.

37:07 Nand Willems punctures in the hollow, changes bike and loses 11 seconds.

36:50 The entrance to the start straight is littered with abandoned bikes.

36:32 Emiel Decock slides out in the wide section and loses 2 seconds.

36:31 Michal Dvořák punctures in the hollow, changes bike and loses 22 seconds.

36:00 Nand Verhoeven is too quick for Jorne Steyaert in the little climb at the back and lies 4th now.

35:50 Rien Beyens goes past Michal Dvořák in the steep side.

35:00 The lines are fixed on a course this dry; they are all riding the same rut.

34:50 Dry and fast, and that makes it a long hour.

34:20 Joran Naessens had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Emiel Decock in the finishing straight.

33:50 Lars Bogaerts takes the other line through the steep side and comes out ahead of Joran Naessens.

33:40 The deep furrow is tearing itself apart; next lap it will be brutal in there.

33:30 Lowie Struyf has to let Vince Rombouts go in the steep side.

33:20 They are nearly all taking the same side through the start straight now; the other line is finished.

33:10 Stan Claes goes past Jorne Steyaert and takes the lead.

32:30 The front group is riding on sight, not on line; it all looks the same out there.

31:00 The sand in the little climb at the back is loose and deep — that is where the hour will be decided.

30:50 Jarne Willems moves up to 3rd at Théo Girard's expense.

30:10 There is 4 seconds on the clock behind the leaders.

29:40 Get the little climb at the back wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.

28:20 In the steep side Clément Perrin gains a place on Clément Barbier.

28:02 Rien Beyens punctures in the wide section, changes bike and loses 18 seconds.

28:00 There are holes in the line through the little climb at the back that nobody is riding out any more.

27:40 The line through the pit has opened right up.

27:30 The finishing straight is drying out on the side the sun is on.

26:40 Emiel Decock dives past Rien Beyens in the little bridge.

26:30 Elias Vandevelde takes Dries Goossens back in the little climb at the back.

26:20 Dust over the start straight — there is no grip left in the corners.

25:40 A day for racing on the pedals; there is nothing to slide away.

25:30 Half the field is running the hairpin by now.

25:00 Lars De Clercq goes past Florian Lefevre in the hollow.

24:40 Hardly a bike change all day — there is nothing to wash off.

24:30 Nand Verhoeven dives past Emiel Decock in the sequence of corners.

23:30 Tyre pressure is half the race today, and nobody is saying so.

22:40 Emiel Decock is too quick for Nand Verhoeven in the pit and lies 11th now.

22:30 The finishing straight is tearing itself apart; next lap it will be brutal in there.

21:40 Lars De Clercq had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Antoine Chevalier in the start straight.

21:00 Hardly anybody is getting off today, and that makes it an hour with no rest in it.

20:50 It is dusting up in the mud strip; anyone at the back is riding in a cloud.

20:20 Jorne Steyaert goes past Joran Naessens and takes the lead.

20:03 Michiel Deschepper punctures in the steps, changes bike and loses 14 seconds.

20:00 Thibau Nuyts has to let Jarne Willems go in the start straight.

19:40 Thibau Nuyts is too quick for Nand Verhoeven in the start straight and lies 7th now.

18:20 Jarne Willems takes the other line through the little climb at the back and comes out ahead of Emiel Decock.

18:10 A front group of 2, and they are watching each other.

17:30 Dry and fast, and that makes it a long hour.

16:50 Elias Vandevelde takes the other line through the steep side and comes out ahead of Radek Svoboda.

16:10 In the slippery descent Michal Dvořák gains a place on Thibau Nuyts.

15:10 Ride the hollow instead of running it and you take half a second out of the rest every lap.

14:30 Nand Verhoeven takes Michal Dvořák back in the wide section.

14:10 Thibau Nuyts has to let Nand Verhoeven go in the wide section.

13:40 There are holes in the line through the mud strip that nobody is riding out any more.

13:10 The course is hard underneath; this is a day for anyone who can keep the power on.

12:50 Dust over the off-camber — there is no grip left in the corners.

12:20 Half the field is running the steep side by now.

12:10 All five are hunting a different line through the little climb at the back; none of them is finding the good one.

12:00 Bavo Coppens dives past Jorne Steyaert in the wet meadow.

11:50 In the hollow Thibau Nuyts gains a place on Lowie Struyf.

11:44 Daan Smets punctures in the long straight and pulls out. Nobody in the pit.

11:30 Florian Lefevre goes past Radek Svoboda in the finishing straight.

11:00 Get the wide section wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.

10:10 Daan Smets had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Lowie Struyf in the start straight.

9:40 The pits are working flat out.

9:25 Joran Naessens goes past Jorne Steyaert and takes the lead.

9:20 Joran Naessens takes the other line through the long straight and comes out ahead of Lowie Struyf.

9:20 Jorne Steyaert goes past Lowie Struyf and takes the lead.

8:50 Bavo Coppens is too quick for Michal Dvořák in the sequence of corners and lies 5th now.

7:40 Tyre pressure is half the race today, and nobody is saying so.

6:10 A front group of 5, and they are watching each other.

6:00 Hardly a bike change all day — there is nothing to wash off.

4:50 Hardly anybody is getting off today, and that makes it an hour with no rest in it.

4:10 The ground in the steps has been ridden rock hard.

3:58 Elias Vandevelde punctures in the deep furrow, changes bike and loses 11 seconds.

3:50 The front group is riding on sight, not on line; it all looks the same out there.

3:20 The hollow is drying out on the side the sun is on.

1:20 The gap to the first chaser is 4 seconds.

1:10 Ride the steep side instead of running it and you take half a second out of the rest every lap.

0:40 The sand in the long straight is loose and deep — that is where the hour will be decided.

0:30 The steps is getting looser with every lap.

0:05 Lowie Struyf goes past Stan Claes and takes the lead.

0:00 Côte de la Meuse: dry course, 5 laps. Mostly climbing and power.