Mijnterril

57:32 Pieter Steyaert brings up the rear at 3 minutes. One rider did not make it to the line.

57:01 Théo Lefevre crosses the line 30th, at 2:08.

56:37 Iván Solana crosses the line 29th, at 1:44.

55:03 Loïc Barbier crosses the line 3rd, at 0:09.

54:56 Jens Vercammen crosses the line 2nd, at 0:02.

54:53 Julien Chevalier wins by 2 seconds.

54:50 The entrance to the steep side is littered with abandoned bikes.

54:20 There are 2 of them at the front.

54:00 Tomáš Procházka dives past Quentin Moreau in the hairpin.

53:50 The mechanics are standing ready with the pressure washer; a clean bike every lap.

53:00 It is getting harder through the finishing straight with every lap that goes by.

52:30 Théo Lefevre punctures in the steps, changes bike and loses 15 seconds.

52:20 The field is one mud bath; everybody is riding on feel.

51:40 The leader's jersey stopped being recognisable a long time ago.

51:00 Ride the wide section instead of running it and you take half a second out of the rest every lap.

50:48 Jens Vercammen slides out in the hollow and loses 2 seconds.

49:50 In the hairpin Lars Vanhoutte gains a place on Arne Bruggeman.

49:30 Toon Naessens takes Vince Steyaert back in the hollow.

49:10 Every lap is slower than the last, and today that is no disgrace.

49:00 There is 7 seconds on the clock behind the leaders.

48:30 There are holes in the line through the sand strip that nobody is riding out any more.

48:20 All five are hunting a different line through the wide section; none of them is finding the good one.

47:40 Come off the line in the off-camber and you are ankle deep in it.

47:30 The line through the steep side has opened right up.

46:00 There is a line through the hairpin that gets narrower lap after lap.

45:50 Half the field is running the sequence of corners by now.

45:30 The brakes are dragging with mud; everyone is stopping too early in the steps.

45:20 On a day like this it is not the strongest who wins, it is whoever runs least.

45:00 Seppe Vanhee had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Bavo Debruyne in the little climb at the back.

44:10 Bikes are changing every lap — the steps eats equipment.

44:00 Dries Truyens goes past Lars Vanhoutte in the pit.

43:50 Kobe Truyens dives past Nicolas Chevalier in the finishing straight.

43:42 Théo Lefevre punctures in the loose corner in the sand, changes bike and loses 12 seconds.

42:51 Vince Vandevelde slides out in the steps and loses 4 seconds.

42:40 The derailleurs are packed with mud; shifting has become a gamble.

42:20 They are nearly all taking the same side through the off-camber now; the other line is finished.

41:30 The line through the start straight has closed up completely; it is going to be a run.

41:10 Tibo Verbeke is too quick for Daan Maertens in the wide section and lies 19th now.

40:10 Lowie Ceulemans takes the other line through the hollow and comes out ahead of Arne Bruggeman.

40:00 A front group of 4, and they are watching each other.

39:50 The pits are working flat out.

39:35 Julien Chevalier goes past Nicolas Chevalier and takes the lead.

39:30 Every lap is slower than the last, and today that is no disgrace.

37:50 They are riding on a third of their tyres; the rest is packed with earth.

37:40 With 3 up front, and Nicolas Chevalier on the front of it.

37:30 Vince Steyaert takes Vince Vandevelde back in the wide section.

37:10 Kobe Truyens has to let Jens Vercammen go in the wide section.

36:20 The line through the pit has opened right up.

35:40 Get the little climb at the back wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.

35:30 There is a line through the little climb at the back that gets narrower lap after lap.

35:10 The field is one mud bath; everybody is riding on feel.

35:00 Toon Herteleer takes Xander Wauters back in the hurdles.

34:50 Nicolas Chevalier goes past Julien Chevalier and takes the lead.

34:40 Julien Chevalier moves up to 1st at Kobe Truyens's expense.

34:35 Julien Chevalier goes past Kobe Truyens and takes the lead.

34:30 Ride the sand strip instead of running it and you take half a second out of the rest every lap.

34:20 In the hollow Radek Dvořák gains a place on Jasper Roelants.

33:50 The hollow is costing a few seconds more every lap.

33:00 The leader's jersey stopped being recognisable a long time ago.

32:30 Baptiste Bernard goes past Lowie Ceulemans in the steep side.

32:20 All five are hunting a different line through the second sand pit; none of them is finding the good one.

31:40 In the sequence of corners Vince Vandevelde gains a place on Jasper Roelants.

31:30 The mechanics are standing ready with the pressure washer; a clean bike every lap.

31:20 Bavo Lambrecht had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Loïc Barbier in the steep side.

31:10 There is 5 seconds on the clock behind the leaders.

30:20 Julien Bernard dives past Radek Dvořák in the little bridge.

30:10 The line through the little bridge is shifting; they are riding a metre off where they were a moment ago.

30:00 Julien Bernard takes the other line through the wide section and comes out ahead of Rémi Lefevre.

29:50 The water is standing in the steps; dive in too fast and you are down.

29:20 Bikes are changing every lap — the wide section eats equipment.

28:30 Every lap is slower than the last, and today that is no disgrace.

27:40 The start straight is getting deeper with every lap.

27:30 Bavo Lambrecht has to let Toon Naessens go in the sand pit.

27:08 Tibo Verbeke punctures in the wide section, changes bike and loses 17 seconds.

26:40 The hairpin is tearing itself apart; next lap it will be brutal in there.

26:20 They are riding on a third of their tyres; the rest is packed with earth.

26:00 There is not a dry thread left on anybody.

25:40 Come off the line in the wide section and you are ankle deep in it.

24:50 Arne Bruggeman is too quick for Lars Vanhoutte in the off-camber and lies 23rd now.

23:30 Arne Bruggeman takes Daan Maertens back in the steep side.

22:50 Julien Bernard is too quick for Xander Wauters in the steep side and lies 20th now.

22:30 Mathijs Demeyer goes past Vince Steyaert in the long straight.

22:10 There is a line through the off-camber that gets narrower lap after lap.

22:00 All five are hunting a different line through the long straight; none of them is finding the good one.

20:40 The rain of the last few days is still sitting in the little bridge.

20:30 Get the little bridge wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.

20:20 Kobe Truyens is out on their own at the front.

20:00 The derailleurs are packed with mud; shifting has become a gamble.

19:50 In the steep side Radek Dvořák gains a place on Rémi Lefevre.

19:22 Daan Maertens punctures in the hairpin, changes bike and loses 16 seconds.

19:20 The mechanics are standing ready with the pressure washer; a clean bike every lap.

19:10 The field is one mud bath; everybody is riding on feel.

19:00 Tibo Verbeke had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Xander Wauters in the hairpin.

18:56 Loïc Barbier punctures in the little bridge, changes bike and loses 9 seconds.

18:30 In the start straight Tibo Verbeke gains a place on Daan Maertens.

17:50 Toon Naessens goes past Jasper Roelants in the steep side.

17:20 Julien Bernard has to let Vince Steyaert go in the loose corner in the sand.

17:00 The brakes are dragging with mud; everyone is stopping too early in the loose corner in the sand.

16:45 Kobe Truyens goes past Loïc Barbier and takes the lead.

16:40 Ride the off-camber instead of running it and you take half a second out of the rest every lap.

16:30 Half the field is running the start straight by now.

15:50 Toon Naessens dives past Seppe Vanhee in the steep side.

15:30 It is getting harder through the finishing straight with every lap that goes by.

15:20 The long straight is costing a few seconds more every lap.

15:10 Seppe Vanhee is too quick for Toon Naessens in the steps and lies 10th now.

14:50 Julien Bernard takes the other line through the sequence of corners and comes out ahead of Vince Vandevelde.

14:40 Quentin Moreau has to let Lowie Ceulemans go in the little bridge.

14:10 The little climb at the back is drying out on the side the sun is on.

13:50 Lowie Ceulemans takes Vince Vandevelde back in the off-camber.

13:00 The entrance to the steep side is littered with abandoned bikes.

12:30 With 2 up front, and Loïc Barbier on the front of it.

12:20 They are riding on a third of their tyres; the rest is packed with earth.

12:00 All five are hunting a different line through the little bridge; none of them is finding the good one.

11:39 Sil Cools punctures in the little climb at the back and pulls out. Nobody in the pit.

10:50 Bikes are changing every lap — the steep side eats equipment.

9:50 Rémi Lefevre had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Mathijs Casteels in the long straight.

9:20 Radek Dvořák goes past Sil Cools in the start straight.

8:40 The line through the hollow is shifting; they are riding a metre off where they were a moment ago.

8:20 In the little bridge Vince Steyaert gains a place on Tomáš Procházka.

7:40 Julien Chevalier is too quick for Bavo Debruyne in the hurdles and lies 3rd now.

7:20 A front group of 2, and they are watching each other.

7:10 The pits are working flat out.

6:50 The line through the little climb at the back has closed up completely; it is going to be a run.

6:40 Ride the steep side instead of running it and you take half a second out of the rest every lap.

6:30 There is not a dry thread left on anybody.

6:10 On a day like this it is not the strongest who wins, it is whoever runs least.

5:50 The sand pit is tearing itself apart; next lap it will be brutal in there.

5:40 Come off the line in the wide section and you are ankle deep in it.

5:30 There are holes in the line through the hollow that nobody is riding out any more.

5:10 Get the off-camber wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.

4:20 There are 2 of them at the front.

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

2:10 The leader's jersey stopped being recognisable a long time ago.

1:30 The entrance to the sequence of corners is littered with abandoned bikes.

1:10 The field is one mud bath; everybody is riding on feel.

1:00 They are still riding as one big group, and nobody is pulling.

0:40 The hairpin is costing a few seconds more every lap.

0:20 Half the field is running the steep side by now.

0:05 Loïc Barbier goes past Julien Chevalier and takes the lead.

0:00 Mijnterril: wet course, 7 laps. Mostly technique and climbing.