Gianni Meersman has won the Handzame Classic race in Belgium.
The 1.1 category race on the UCI European tour, last won by Luka Megzec, was over 195kms from Bredene to Hanzame and featured some of the big European teams, who were taking on several cobble stones sections and climbs such as the Dries, Monteberg and Ruidenberg.
Six riders tried an early unsuccessful attack but Alex Kirsch of Cult Energy, Irishman Conor Dunne (An Post), Tom Wirtgen (Leopard) and Dries Hollanders (Metec) were able to get clear and had a five minute lead which they extended to 6.25 after they passed through Krombeke with seventy kilometres raced.
Twenty kilometres later and there was a crash on the Rodeberg climb which saw 2013 winner Kenny De Haes of Lotto Soudal hit the deck and suffered a wrist injury, which forced him to abandon.
With 85 kilometres left, the gap had come down to 3.10 but was back to 4.20 as they went through the feedzone and then back to 5.33 with seventy kilometres left.
Twenty five kilometres later and only Dunne and Kirsch were left up front having shelled the other two escapees and were 2:20 ahead of the peloton.
Kirsch attacked on the second climbing of the Ruidenberg, sparking off more attacks from the peloton.
Breen of Lotto joined Kirsch at the start of the final lap but with ten kilometres left, they were caught and Etixx Quick Step took over on the front of the peloton.
The Belgium based side were able to set things up for Gianni Meersman who rode to a text book victory ahead of Antoine Demoitie of Walloone Bruxelles and Tiesj Benoot of Lotto Soudal, followed by Looij, Groenewegen, Lodewijck, Stallaert, Salomein, De Bondt and Drucker.