Cycling: Gent-Wevelgem

If Team Sky's Geraint Thomas' solo victory at E3 Harelbeke has installed him as one of the principal favourites for next weekend's Tour of Flanders, then his third place finish at Gent-Wevelgem has perhaps provided him with a useful primer in coping with the weight of that tag. Thomas was one of six strongmen left standing at the end of a combative…

Elisa Balsamo of Trek-Segafredo capped off a week of victories with a sprint win in Gent-Wevelgem, in a furious bunch sprint just ahead of defending winner Marianne Vos of Jumbo-Visma. The World Champion has taken her rainbow campaign to new heights this week, with victories in the monumental Trofeo Binda back in her native Italy, then a sprint win…

Sure there's two days between E3 and Gent-Wevelgem but this is the hangover-race from the big Friday party. There's no arguing that they've built a quality week with Dwars, E3 and G-W and the whole restructure has turned out a huge success but I still can't reconcile with the new role and prominence of G-W. It was a perfectly fine Wednesday race in…