Race report: Wow. It was more or less a case of last sprinter still kicking as John Degenkolb gave Giant-Shimano another huge win in a crash-riddled edition of Gent-Wevelgem. It seemed like barely a kilometer went by without the cameras picking up scenes of tarmac-laden woe. Here's how it went down...

As consequence of a crash at E3 Harelbeke on Friday, March 28th, Boonen suffered a strong contusion on his right thumb that caused him pain on the articulation. The thumb is swollen and he also has a stretched ligament.

On Sunday, March 30th the Russian Katusha Team will take part in the Belgian classics race Gent – Wevelgem (UCI WorldTour event), which will be held for 76th time.

The BMC Racing Team's roster for Gent-Wevelgem includes a past winner, last year's third-place finisher and two others who have finished in the top 10 in Sunday's Belgian classic.

Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team has announced the selection that will participate in Gent-Wevelgem.

The so called 'Sprinter's Classic' of Flanders, Gent-Wevelgem is on this Sunday and as Ed Hood explains 233km of wind, cobbles and the mid parcours hills could well combine to rob the sprinters of their win.

Team NetApp – Endura has been invited by the Flanders Classics organizers to compete in the 76th Gent – Wevelgem race. Only a week after Milan – San Remo, the highest ranked German team will thus be competing in the next major WorldTour classic. As at the Primavera, Team NetApp – Endura will be competing in the Flanders spring classic for the first time.

Earlier this year our roving reporter Gordan returned to Belgium to ride the feared Kemmelberg where he had some unfinished business to attend to. Here's Gord's story of a special ride through the Belgian heartland.

If you grew up during the ‘Golden Age’ of 70’s bike racing and you’re a connoisseur of the Belgian semi-classics, then the lumping together on a weekend of the 54th E3-Prijs Harelbeke and 73rd Gent-Wevelgem is a bit of a worry; it smacks of ‘marketing’ to us. But we’re like the dinosaurs; we’ll be extinct soon – and we still have the kermises out in the cabbage fields.