Evenepoel wins on Worlds course with 60km solo attack (despite fire stop) | Video | Sticky Bottle

*Remco Evenepoel has taken another spectacular solo win today, coming after overall and stage wins at the Tour of Denmark and Baloise Belgium Tour*

Remco Evenepoel has won the one-day Druivenkoers-Overijse in Belgium today, having spent 60km of the 192km race out front solo, with some drama along the way.

When a car burst into flames on the roadside the race was stopped for about 20 minutes to allow fire fighters bring the blaze under control.

The action eventually got going again and Evenepoel (Deceuninck-QuickStep) was given a 30-second lead – with about 30km remaining - on a race route that included part of the Flanders Worlds course.

And though that fire-related pause was an unwelcome interruption to the young Belgian’s breakaway efforts, he put the head down and rode away again, eventually winning by 40 seconds.

Ireland's Rory Townsend was 20th; the Canyon dhb SunGod rider winning the sprint from what remained of the peloton. Fellow Irish riders Matthew Devins (Trinity Racing) and Stephen Clancy (Novo Nordisk) were among almost 60 non-finishers, of 150-rider field.

Lara Gillespie attacks Dolomite stage as Giro hits high mountains — *There may have been question marks about Evenepoel's form his Giro collapse, but he looks back to his old tricks now, winning in very dominant fashion today*

Video - Italy's hero Balsamo mobbed mid-stage during Giro TT — *There may have been question marks about Evenepoel's form his Giro collapse, but he looks back to his old tricks now, winning in very dominant fashion today*

Just before the eventual winner hit out with his long-range attack, his team really signaled its intent for the day. When the race hit the second ascent of the Bekestraat climb, Evenepoel’s team mate Dries Devenyns drove hard on the front and dragged an elite group clear.

Deceuninck-QuickStep had most of the
riders in that group; Evenepoel, Devenyns, world champion Julian Alaphilippe
and Kasper Asgreen. Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) and Christophe Laporte (Cofidis)
were with them.

Not long after that group had formed, and with over just over 60km to go, Evenepoel attacked and got clear alone, quickly building a lead of over one minute on the peloton.

However, when Alpecin-Fenix,
Lotto-Soudal and UAE Team Emirates took up the chase behind, Evenepoel’s lead
dropped. And when the lone leader reached the point of the course where the car
was burning, his advantage was down to 30 seconds, though he built it back up
again after the re-start.

In the end, he took an emotional solo victory, with Mikkel Honoré, also Deceuninck-QuickStep, in 2nd place. Aimé De Gendt (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) rounded out the podium, denying Deceuninck-QuickStep podium clean sweep as Asgreen was 4^th.