Oscar Gatto (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia) took a spectacular win at Dwars Door Vlaanderen after his potent dash took him past late breakaway Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) in the last centimetres in Waregem.

The Frenchman broke clear from the decisive break of 10 riders with a shrewd assault after the last climb of the Nokereberg with seven kilometres to go, enjoying a lead of 16 seconds just before hitting the one kilometre mark.

However, Voeckler started to slump inside the final kilometre while Ian Stannard (Sky) and Stijn Vandenbergh (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) took almighty turns in the break to reduce his lead.

Voeckler still had a slender lead as he entered the finishing straight, but there was an air of grim predictability as the incandescent figure of Gatto opened his sprint and appeared from the shadow behind. The Italian brushed past Voeckler inside the final 50 metres, and won the race ahead of Borut Bozic (Astana) and Mathew Hayman (Sky), while Voeckler came home in 5th.

"I am happy" the winner said after the race on Fantiniselleitalia.com. "I have repaid the faith of the organizers and of my team. It was a very tough race, but I felt I was in shape and having to try. It went well. I love the North and hope to do well in what is the race of my dreams: Flanders".

Later he explained his tactics inside the final km to Het Nieuwsblad, “Coming into the last kilometre, I thought Voeckler would make it to be frank,” Gatto said. “I took Stannard’s wheel because I had seen how strong he was at Milan-San Remo on Sunday. He went to the front inside the final kilometre which meant that I had to launch my sprint from a long way out."

The race was haunted by bad weather – less than half of the starting riders finished the race through Flanders.

Result

1 Oscar Gatto - Vini Fantini-Selle Italia
2 Borut Bozic - Astana
3 Matthew Hayman - Sky
4 Mirko Selvaggi - Vacansoleil-DCM
5 Thomas Voeckler - Europcar
6 Nikolas Maes - Omega Pharma-Quick Step
7 Jens Keukeleire - Orica GreenEdge
8 Maxim Iglinskiy - Astana
9 Ian Stannard - Sky
10 Stijn Vandenbergh - Omega Pharma-Quick Step

Watch the final km of the race: