After his win in Milano-San Remo, John Degenkolb was ready to defend his Gend-Wevelgem title. But this weekend was not good for the Giant Alpecin leader. He was involved in a crash at E3 Harelbeke. Then, in Sunday’s gale force winds, the German rider was surprised as to why the race wasn’t neutralised as many riders suffered injuries from their falls.

“The race could have been neutralized at least on the open fields, where the wind was hardest. Ahead was a group of 30 to 40. 25 of them crashed,” he wrote on his personal website. “I am not looking for excuses for why I wasn’t near the front. I was affected by my bruised knee and hip from the crash. But I simply wanted not to crash again; rode in the wind more often in order to not have anyone around me, and then at some point your tank is empty. And then shortly before the Kemmelberg, I had a rear puncture. Then it was all over. And then my train had a two-hour delay. A weekend to forget. Check it off and look forward. I will now try to lick my wounds and recover.”

Now, he will focus on his next race: Tour of Flanders this Sunday and Paris-Roubaix the next.