Fabian Cancellara looked like maybe the strongest rider in today's E3 Harelbeke but a crash at the worst possible moment derailed his title defence. Nonetheless, the Swiss is satisfied with the day as it allowed him to see his rivals ahead of the bigger classics to come.

Everything was looking good until 40 kilometers to go.  Then in a flash the race changed: a big crash blocked the road stopping most of the peloton - including Fabian Cancellara and the Trek Factory Racing team - in its tracks. By the time Cancellara could get going again, the damage was insurmountable. Despite a ferocious chase by Stijn Devolder and Cancellara, snagging back most of the groups ahead, they would never regain the front four riders.

“The crash happened and I was in the middle and it took a while before the back wheel was changed and I could continue,” explained Fabian Cancellara about the critical crash that cost him a chance at victory. “I did what I could do after this to continue the race and not give up, but it was the most important point of the race to be in the front here with the Paterberg and Kwaremont coming.”

Ahead the four – Peter Sagan (Cannondale), Geraint Thomas (Team Sky), Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) – worked well together until the final three kilometers. Knowing they had enough time to the chasing Cancellara group behind, Terpstra and Vandenbergh began launching attacks, hoping not to take Sagan to the line.

Sagan, with some help from Thomas, thwarted all the moves and then easily powered his way to the victory. Terpstra finished second and Thomas completed the podium. The Fabian Cancellara group finished over a minute later, with Cancellara sprinting to 9th place.

“In the end I am still happy, I did what I could, the team did a great job for me all day. And Stijn at the end gave his all,” continued Cancellara. “It was still important to see how others riders and other teams are going. It was an interesting day we saw a strong Peter [Sagan] we saw a strong QuickStep that did not get the win - I am not sure why as I had Tom [Boonen] and Stybar on the back, that in my opinion were almost stronger, but that is how it is, that is racing.”

“But overall, it’s okay like this. Yes I am not on the podium, but the weather was warm and no wind, a different parcours this year, and all these things play a part in making a race different each year. The focus was there, and now we close today and are looking to Sunday.”

Stijn Devolder was the only Trek Factory Racing teammate that managed to claw his way back after the decisive crash, and he immediately went to the front to help Cancellara chase back the leaders. At one point they were within 14 seconds and it appeared they might be able to close the gap, but the final climbs of Patersberg and Kwaremont would change that. Ahead, the leaders attacked over the last of the cobbled steep climbs, increased the time to the chasers, and never looked back.

“The race stayed took very long to get going, and that was frustrating for us. When the racing finally began on the Kapelberg the crash happened right before this and blocked the road. We had to run through the field to get around it. We lost 40 seconds there and it took a real big effort to come back to the front. It was a mess at this point with riders everywhere, and we don’t know where everyone from the team is. Then Fabian and I came together and we went a bloc on the Kwaremont and we were with many favorites to win the race but they all looked to us to do the work. That was very frustrating, as the others had a chance, too, to go for the win there and they didn’t.”

“I felt pretty good, maybe a little blocked from the crash Wednesday. I had to go to my Osteopath for my back and I felt that a little today. But I think we did a good race and it’s too bad that the results don’t’ show this. It’s disappointing that the other teams did not help us. In the end we all lost.”

Director Dirk Demol gave final comments on the how the crash was a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but overall the team did a fantastic job today.

“With 50 kilometer to go we were on big roads and the boys came back to the car with Fabian to get drinks and food. After this they never had the chance to make it back to the front because of the crashes. Then, Fabian had to change his wheel and that was it. He came back from far, but there was nothing to do anymore. 

“But the boys did great. And Stijn – I am not sure how he came back to Fabian because he had to run through the field with his bike like it was cyclocross. It was unbelievable that he even made it back to that group, and then the work he did at the end after that - amazing.

“Ninth is a bit of a result, we have to be happy with that. There is nothing we could do: We had bad luck on the wrong moment"