The bad weather made Binche-Chimay-Binche a serious challenge for the peloton today in Belgium. Belkin Pro Cycling Team’s Sep Vanmarcke held on until the end and raced to fifth place on the gently uphill and cobbled final stretch in Binche. Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) won.

“The wind and rain made ​​the race even harder than normal,” said Vanmarcke to the Belkin website.

“During the final lap, there weren’t many riders left. For Belkin, it was only Jos van Emden and me. We both didn’t feel super strong in the final lap and after a short chat, we decided to both go our own way to see where we would end up.”

Vanmarcke eventually placed fifth, behind sprinters John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano), Jens Debusschere (Lotto-Belisol) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC). Van Emden crossed the line in 13th.

Vanmarcke added, “I didn’t expect to ride top five with my legs, so in the end, I’m satisfied with result.”

Sports Director Erik Dekker was content with the way the team handled the race.

“The men had the game well under control. After a big fight, Jetse Bol made it in into a group of ten riders. Behind them, there was a small group of 22 men and we were there with five riders. We were in the game