Cannondale's Peter Sagan won the opening stage of the VDK-Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde or Three Days Of De Panne race in Belgium.
Mark Cavendish, who said in a press statement: “I’m really disappointed,” said Cavendish in a press release. “Sunday I felt better, and I was able to train well, but Sunday night I was sick again and had diarrhoea. I decided to come to the race anyway, hoping that the situation would improve, but I started vomiting and having diarrhoea again last night, at about 2am. I’m in no shape to start, especially because I can’t eat or drink anything.” still too ill from to start the race over four stages in three days which opened with a 201km stage from De Panne to:Zotegem.
None of the early attacks came off, so the peloton was altogether as Gert Steegmans of Omega Pharma Quick Step took the first sprint of the day after 53kms beating Topsport's Lampaert and Cannondale's Bodnar.
Steels, Devriendt, Peeters, Potgieter and Thomson did make their attack which started after 70kms stick and they quickly took a thirteen second lead before they were joined by Tim De Troyer.
A lead of 1.25 was soon established.which went out to 4.50 before Steels took the second sprint.
With 69kms remaining, De Troyer broke away to take some mountain points.
Potgieter was dropped before De Troyer took the Ten Bosse climb on a day of thirteen climbs with 55 kilometres to go.
Inside the final forty kilometetres and the gap was 1.22.with De Troyer having been joined by the other four escapers.
The gap came down to seventeen seconds and with twenty eight kilometres, these six escapers were caught. De Troyer attacked again with Baugines and Pim Ligthart.
Frederik Willems crashed and abandoned before De Troyer dropped off with his work having been done.
A new group of seven riders formed including Jay Thomson, who had been in the day's original break along with Baugnies, Vanbilsen, Cordeel, Jerome, Finetto and Van Keirsbulck with about fifty riders were chasing this lead group.
Peter Sagan put in a spurt to reach those up front who had dropped Thomson.
Luke Durbridge and Arnaud Demare were trying to bridge with 4.9kms to go but they were struggling to reach a group of twelve riders who flew under the flam rouge.
Into the final corner, Fenotto was in the lead, but Peter Sagan went as did his team mate Oscar Gatto and the Cannondale duo took the win in 4.29.39 with Sagan taking the ten seconds and Gatto six points. with Kenneth Van Bilsen of Topsport in third.
Sagan told Sporza that he needed to wait for the result but he thought Gatto had won. When he was shown the pictures, he changed his mind.