Photo Essay: Cobbles kick-off at E3 and Gent-Wevelgem

Peter Sagan rolled off the stage in typical style at the start of E3 Harelbeke. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Niki Terpstra arrived at the start as a race favorite in Harelbeke. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

The peloton hit the first cobbles of the day all together at the Holloweg. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Big crowds and cold temperatures greeted the peloton over the summit of La Houppe. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Niki Terpstra rode in the slipstream of his Quick-Step Floors teammates as they put the pressure on the fragmented peloton. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Tiesj Benoot rode attentively in the bunch until it was crunch time. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

It was a typical grey and rainy spring day for the E3 Harelbeke race in West Flanders. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Quick-Step Floors controlled E3 Harelbeke with most of the team on the front as the hills came on in quick succession. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Flanders in Belgium is filled with endless climbs and descents that make these classic races so famous. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Belgian superstar Tiesj Benoot found himself in the right place as Quick-Step cracked the peloton over the Taaienberg. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Niki Terpstra and Yves Lampert escaped the bunch in search of the breakaway on the lead-up to the Eikenberg. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Peter Sagan tried to use the steep cobbles of the Eikenberg to bridge across to the leading Quick-Step duo. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Niki Terpstra led teammate Lampert over the Eikenberg. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Niki Terpstra used the steep pitch of the Paterberg to increase his lead over the chasing group to win E3 Harelbeke. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Tiesj Benoot and Greg Van Avermaet tried to bring back the Quick-Step duo but were marked all of the way by Philippe Gilbert (QST). Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Niki Terpstra shed his teammate to arrive solo in Harelbeke and take his first career victory at the Record Bank E3 Harelbeke. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Quick-Step capped off victory with second place at E3 from Philippe Gilbert. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

It was bubbles and confetti galore for Niki Terpstra in Harelbeke. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Taylor Phinney greeted the crowd for his EF Education First-Drapac squad at the start of Gent-Wevelgem. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Sprint star Elia Viviani was a race favorite at the start having already amassed five victories in the new season with his Quick-Step team. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Gent-Wevelgem is considered a sprinter’s race favoring riders like Arnaud Demare in spite of the numerous climbs including two passes of the infamous Kemmelberg. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Peter Sagan was all smiles at the start of Gent-Wevelgem having won the race twice before. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

The riders rolled out under hazy skies in the grote markt of Deinze. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

The early breakaway formed after less than an hour of racing on the opening flat roads of Flanders Fields. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Winds coming in off the Atlantic caused some early splits in the peloton but nothing that would stick aside from the early breakaway. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Despite increasing crosswinds the peloton took a wait and see approach as they traversed the notorious wind-rattled section of De Moeren. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Peter Sagan tucked in tightly for one of the many descents on the up and down course of Gent-Wevelgem. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

The Belgian fans huddled around consuming frites and beers as they waited for the peloton to hit the Kemmelberg for the first pass. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Even young fans donned the war paint to celebrate Gent-Wevelgem. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Philippe Gilbert led the Quick-Step armada over the first passage of the Kemmelberg at E3. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Wout van Aert once again continued to show that his immense cyclocross talent is well-suited to road racing. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

The peloton blasts across the ploegstreets in between the two passes of the Kemmelberg. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

BMC led the peloton over the gravel ploegstreets that are a relatively new feature to the Gent-Wevelgem course. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Race favorite Elia Viviani followed the leaders safely through the gravel sections of Gent-Wevelgem. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

The ploegstreets took a toll on the peloton causing numerous splits in the big bunch. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Marcus Burghardt charged up the second pass of the Kemmelberg in defense of his team leader Peter Sagan. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Philippe Gilbert attempted to bridge to the escapees over the Kemmelberg at E3. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Peter Sagan tackled the Kemmelberg with a close eye on his rivals. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Philippe Gilbert led the main bunch through the markt square of Ypres with less than 20km remaining. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

The Belgian flags fly on the finish straight in Wevelgem as fans await the arrival of the race. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Peter Sagan led the bunch sprint out, seeking a third victory in Gent-Wevelgem. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Peter Sagan took victory again at the 2018 Gent-Wevelgem. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Gent-Wevelgem proved once again it’s a race for the sprinters with Peter Sagan coming out on top. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com