Sagan wins Gent-Wevelgem race

Wevelgem, Belgium - Slovakia's in-form Peter Sagan came home alone to win the 75th edition of the Gent-Wevelgem classic, the Cannondale rider crossing the line almost half a minute clear of Slovenian Borut Bozic.

Belgium's Greg Van Avermaet took third.

Sagan, who was part of an 11-man breakaway group, made his push for victory three-and-a-half kilometres from the line for his sixth success of the season.

The one day race in Flanders, shortened by 50 kilometres to 190km due to the extreme cold, lost some of its lustre when the two race favourites, Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara and local hope Tom Boonen, failed to finish.

Cancellara, mindful of the need to conserve his energy for next weekend's Tour of Flanders, pulled out 69km from the finish.

Boonen's race came to a premature end when he crashed, injuring his right knee, four kilometres further down the road.

Results of the 183.7km Ghent-Wevelgem classic on Sunday:

1. Peter Sagan (SVK) 4hr 29min 10sec, 2. Borut Bozic (SLO) at 23sec, 3. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) s.t., 4. Heinrich Haussler (AUS) s.t., 5. Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP) s.t., 6. Mathieu Ladagnous (FRA) s.t., 7. Berhard Eisel (AUT) s.t., 8. Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL) 24, 9. Yaroslav Popovic (UKR) s.t., 10. Andrey Amador (CTR) s.t.,

Selected

17. Thor Hushovd (NOR) 40, 18. Mark Cavendish (GBR) s.t.