Sep Vanmarcke had promised to try to make things hard for the sprinters on the Kemmelberg in today's Gent-Wevelgem but even though he tried his best, the good weather made it too easy for the fast finishers. Hence, the Belgian's only chance was to mix it up with the sprinters and he did surprisingly well by taking fourth against some of the fastest riders in the world.

Belkin Pro Cycling TEAM's classics strongman Sep Vanmarcke moved one place closer to a 2014 classics podium today with a fine 4th place in a hectic Gent-Wevelgem final sprint.

After a hard fought 5th place earlier in the week at E3-Harelbeke, Sep Vanmarcke gave Belkin Pro Cycling TEAM another glimpse of his great form coming into the cobbled classics with a fine 4th place in Gent-Wevelgem.

In a mass sprint and against some of the world's best fast men the Belgian headed up the charge of the main field just behind winner John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) to show just why he should be feared in the upcoming cobbled classics.

His performance was praised by Sports Director Jan Boven;

"It was a great sprint, he did really well. The race was not so hard today thanks to a breakaway that got over 11 minutes of an advantage but of course that meant that many of the big sprinters were still fresh over the last climb of the Kemmelberg once the break had been caught.

"We had a plan to attack hard at the base of the climb but with so many fresh legs we couldn't shed the big sprinters so Sep did a great job to hang in there in the bunch sprint and get 4th.”

With his 2nd place at last year's Paris-Roubaix still fresh in the minds of so many fans, Vanmarcke now enters the intense classics season with 2 excellent indicators of improving form under his belt;

"I don't know exactly how much better I can be in the coming weeks but I have been carrying good form for a while now and I'm ready. Today was about the very best performance I could have hoped for, I'm very pleased against so many fast guys.

"It is always hectic and very nervous over the Kemmelberg and that gives you a lot of stress but we all survived and my teammates put me in a great position. As for the next few weeks, we will see."

Tom Leezer, who put up a superb ride to ensure Vanmarcke was in the perfect position did not however fair as well as his team leader in the sprint. Falling heavily in the last metres he sustained injuries to his back and shoulder and will receive another medical examination in the morning.

Meanwhile Lars Boom continued to make progress after his elbow injury sustained during Paris-Nice and finished well:

"I still have some pain in my elbow when I put on the power and over the cobbles but actually I felt pretty good today. The most important thing for me was to finish and not to fall off so I'm happy with my days work.”

The Belkin Pro Cycling Team will line up in 7 days at the Tour of Flanders followed by Paris-Roubaix, the 'Hell of the North' a week later hoping to continue the trend of upward results from E3 and Gent-Wevelgem.