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Videos: Elia Viviani in tears as Peter Sagan beats him at Gent-Wevelgem

World champion takes his third victory in Belgian Classic as he pips Quick Step Floors sprinter

Peter Sagan has won Belgian cobbled Classic Gent-Wevelgem for the third time, beating Quick Step Floors rider Elia Viliani into second place, with TV cameras showing the Italian in tears.

Viviani had managed to stay with the group that contested the win at the end of the 251.1-kilometre race and, boxed in, chose to follow the wheel of FDJ’s Arnaud Demare, who on the approach to the line veered across to the left.

The Quick Step Floors rider passed the Frenchman, but Sagan – who had launched his sprint on the left-hand side of the finishing straight – proved too powerful for him, much to Viviani’s frustration as he thumped his handlebars after finishing second.

Had Viviani crossed the line first, it would have been the biggest careeer win on the road for the Olympic Omnium champion, who has been on fire in the early months of 2018, with six victories – and with his Quick Step Floors team throwing its unrivalled collective skills over the cobbles behind him today, he was left in tears afterwards.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
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I noticed Terpstra having a wobbly lip moment after E3 Harelbeke, he's probably a soft numpty too. Or they'd probably both emptied their tanks, you should try it some day, it's what real men do.

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maviczap | 6 years ago
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He was following the wrong wheel and boxed in, nothing he could have done, he needs to watch the video back and see that. If the gap had opened up and he got up to speed earlier he might have been closer, but he was still a fair way behind Sagan.

Cab would have understood his mistake without blubbing about it

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BehindTheBikesheds replied to maviczap | 6 years ago
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maviczap wrote:

He was following the wrong wheel and boxed in, nothing he could have done, he needs to watch the video back and see that. If the gap had opened up and he got up to speed earlier he might have been closer, but he was still a fair way behind Sagan.

Cab would have understood his mistake without blubbing about it

You can't go criticising pros and giving them advise on this forum you'll have the anti-opinion police on your back!

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peted76 | 6 years ago
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It was a bit much.. Viviani didn't win, so here's ten seconds of him sobbing his heart out, sat on his own in the street...  

Okay TV people, we get it....  Elia, we get you're Italian an all but come on, suck it up, you're making yourself look a bit of a tool.

Sagan saw his opening, went early and held off all the sprinters, after 250km and a load of hills, I wouldn't have said Viviani was the favorite anyway. 

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JohnnyRemo | 6 years ago
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Viviani should be raging with himself given the work Gilbert in particular did for him. Sagan hasn't been going particualry well by his standards, but always manages to find a way.

 

ps - watch out for Wout Van Aert in the upcoming Monuments...

 

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CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
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Sagan will take heart from Viviani blubbering. Each time they race together will Vivi recollect the loss?

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