Julien Vermote and Tim Declercq round out the podium on perfect day for Quick-Step Floors.
Yves Lampaert, who earlier this season rode to a beautiful solo victory in Dwars door Vlaanderen, returned to winning ways two months after that success, again on home turf, but this time in Gullegem Koerse. The race, consisting of a 9.5km-long lap set to be covered 18 times, was a frantic one right from the gun, with riders attacking from all over the place before establishing a breakaway which opened a 1:30-gap over a strong chasing group and of more than four minutes on the bunch.
Among the riders in the leading group there were also Quick-Step Floors' Yves Lampaert and Julien Vermote, who took off once the news came in that the chasers were making up ground and weren't too far. The powerful duo went on to build an insurmountable gap, crossing the finish line together, after nearly four hours in the saddle. Lee than a minute later, Tim "El Tractor" Declercq arrived, giving Quick-Step Floors a podium sweep at 74th Gullegem Koerse.
"I was with Julien in the break and things went well there, as we built a nice gap to the peloton, but the problem was the group coming from behind. When we heard they are closing in, we attacked and rode full gas all the way to the finish line. I want to thank Julien for his help and gesture. With Tim coming in third place here, it really was a fantastic day for us", said Yves Lampaert, the fifth Quick-Step rider to win Gullegem Koerse in the past eight years.
Photo credit: ©Photopress.be/Gino Coghe
Yves Lampaert 
