Niki Terpstra (Quickstep Floors) soloed to victory in the prestigious E3 Harelbeke, adding a new trophy to the team’s cabinet in this season’s one-day races,
![]() |
Niki Terpstra conquers E3 Harelbeke
Photo: © Tim De Waele / Getty Images
Quick-Step Floors’ amazing streak in Belgium continued on Friday afternoon, when Niki Terpstra soloed to victory in the prestigious E3 Harelbeke, adding a new trophy to the team’s cabinet in this season’s one-day races, after the ones of Le Samyn, Dwars door West-Vlaanderen, Nokere Koerse, Handzame Classic and Driedaagse.
It was a well-deserved and hard-earned win, which came on the back of a brilliant and flawless team strategy, doubled by an amazing strength in depth.
The first key moment of the race surfaced with 100 kilometers to go, when a big crash in the peloton split the field, leaving 30 riders in the front, including the entire Quick-Step Floors squad.
Tim Declercq and Iljo Keisse put down the hammer, trading ferocious pulls as they increased the advantage over the chasers to over a minute and brought the gap to the breakaway down to two minutes. On the iconic Taaienberg, a 650m climb on which many of Quick-Step Floors’ previous wins were forged in the past decade, our team put the race in the gutter and forced a massive selection.
… continued after advert
Just before the top of the climb, Yves Lampaert and Niki Terpstra powered clear from the group, looked over their shoulders and saw their teammates slowed down the chase of the opponents, which gave them a boost to push on and build a 20-second gap, catching the last two escapees, Damien Gaudin (Direct Energie) and Pim Ligthart (Roompot), in the process.
Lampaert, the reigning Dwars door Vlaanderen champion, buried himself for Terpstra at the front and took the gap to almost a minute, as behind Philippe Gilbert and Zdenek Stybar marked the moves of Peter Sagan (bora-hansgrohe) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC).
Photo: © Tim De Waele / Getty Images
On the narrow and twisty roads of Flanders, Yves and Niki – both former World TTT Champions – soldiered on and left every hurdle behind, be it the Stationsberg, the Paterberg or the Oude Kwaremont, the longest hill of the race.
It was after the latter that a regrouping took place, when a large group caught the chasers, but the Quick-Step Floors duo remained cool as a cucumber and continued to fight hard, until with 23 kilometers to go, when the admirable Lampaert ran out of steam, just before the slopes of Tiegemberg.
Terpstra – who earlier this season soloed to a convincing victory at Le Samyn, where Quick-Step Floors’ strength in numbers again made the difference – still held 30 seconds over the top of the hill as he made use of his time trial skills to pace himself, but the advantage began to drop inside the last ten kilometers, on the long straight roads to Harelbeke, where the chasers made visual contact with him.
As a result, several attacks shaved off half of the deficit, but once again, Philippe Gilbert and Zdenek Stybar played their role to perfection, tracking down every single acceleration, hindering the chasers’ effort and ensuring Niki’s gap didn’t dip below 15 seconds and was still a hefty one in the closing kilometers.
Completely drained, but with his arms high in the air, Terpstra arrived at the finish, where he celebrated Quick-Step Floors’ 33rd victory in a cobbled classic and cementing his reputation as one of the best one-day riders of his generation.
Philippe Gilbert made it a spectacular 1-2 for the team, as he easily sprinted from the ten-man group, while Zdenek Stybar concluded in ninth place, capping off one of the best team displays seen in the last years.
… continued after advert
“This is one of the biggest wins of my career and the fact that it came in such an important race gives me even more pleasure. It wouldn’t have been possible without this awesome team, the way they all rode today – from Tim and Iljo who spent a ridiculous amount of energy at the front of the bunch and Philippe, Florian and Zdenek who reeled in every move to Yves’ fantastic effort – this was a perfect display of the Wolfpack spirit”, said Niki after becoming the first Dutchman in 15 years to nail the victory in E3 Harelbeke.
Photo: © Tim De Waele / Getty Images
“I was disappointed after last year, when I came out of the season winless, but the hard work in the winter paid off today and now I’m very happy. The success in Le Samyn gave me a lot of confidence and showed me I’m on the right track. Many thought we were crazy to attack 74 kilometers out, but we knew we could make something special today. The toughest moment came on the highway, inside the last ten kilometers, but I didn’t crack and rode my heart out there, managing to finish off the team’s brilliant effort with this win.”
As he crossed the line, 34-year-old Terpstra pointed to the team’s name, a gesture mirroring the one of Elia Viviani in Driedaagse Brugge – De Panne two days ago, and which he explained before mounting to the podium: “I am very grateful to our sponsors, they’ve been by our side for so many years now and thanks to them we are here today. To repay them with a victory on such a big race made me very glad. Let’s hope we’ll keep the momentum and add many other great results to our palmares this spring.”
1. Niki Terpstra Quick-Step Floors
2. Philippe Gilbert Quick-Step Floors
3. Greg Van Avermaet BMC Racing Team
4. Oliver Naesen AG2R La Mondiale
5. Tiesj Benoot Lotto Soudal
6. Jasper Stuyven Trek – Segafredo
7. Sep Vanmarcke Team EF Education First-Drapa
8. Gianni Moscon Team Sky
9. Zdenek Stybar Quick-Step Floors
10. Stefan Küng BMC Racing Team
43. Owain Doull Team Sky
48. Jack Bauer Mitchelton-Scott
73. Ryan Mullen Trek – Segafredo
Cycle Division’s New Shop
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Result: Beverley Town Centre Races
- Hill Climb Championships: Change of Course
- Crit Result: Portsmouth Evening Circuits 11
- Crit Result: RCR FatCreations Goodwood Summer Special
- UK Armed Forces Inter-services Road Race
- Report: TLI Cycling ‘Belgium Training Series
- BMCR RESULT: The Ron Day MK Bowl Circuit races (July 23rd)
- RR Result: Bath RC Junior National Series Road Race
- Crit Result: West Thames League 15
- Crit Result: SACA Salt Ayre Tuesday Series 15
- Crit Result: Bath CC Mid Summer Series 2
- Crit Result: Full Gas Summer Circuit Series #17
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 10m TT
- TT Result: Kernow Racing Team 10m TT
- News: Men’s Tour of Britain Route (Stage 1 & 2)
- Youth Result: RL360 Isle of Man Youth League 14
- TT Result: Verulam Cycling Club 25m TT
- TT Result: Manchester & District Ladies CA 25m TT
- TT Result: Ferryhill Wheelers CC 25m TT
- Crit Result: Banbury Star Crit Series #2
- RR Result: Lakes Road Club Summer Road Race
- National Circuit Series: Colne
- TT Result: Kings Lynn CC 15m TT
- TT Result: ECCA 10 mile Time Trial
- TT Result: Chorley Cycling Club 10m TT
- TT Result: Houghton CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 10m TT
- TT Result: Farnham RC 10m TT
- Crit Result: King&Queen of the Bowl Series #13
- TT Result: Kernow Racing Team 10m TT
- Crit Result: Lichfield/Velospeed No Frills at Curborough #7
- TT Result: Swindon RC & Swindon Wh 50m TT
- Crit News: Spatzwear Friday Night Crit Series #6 | YBC
- GB News: Paracycling Squad for Paris 2024
- Crit Result: Thanks Crit it’s Friday 7
- Crit Result: Omega Portsmouth Circuits 6
- Result: BMCR National Road Bike TT Championship
- Crit Result: Ride Revolution Coaching Summer Crits #2
- Crit Result: Shutt Velo Rapide Hitters Crits Rd2
Other News on VeloUK
- Hill Climb Championships: Change of Course
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 25m TT
- News: Men’s Tour of Britain Route (Stage 1 & 2)
- GB News: Paracycling Squad for Paris 2024
- Ribble Redefines Road with launch of Allroad
- BMCR: National Road Bike Time Trial Championship
- SUNDAY: Bath Road Club Junior National Series Road Race
- TLI CYCLING FEATURE: SUPER4SERIES
- NATIONAL CIRCUIT SERIES UPDATE 2024
- News: Josh Tarling Extends Contract at Ineos
- Tour of Britain for Men 2024
- News: Connor Swift Extends Contract with Ineos
- Updated GB Olympic Team News
- Sunday: 2024 Youth Circuit Race Championships (Cyclopark)
- ROBBED BY THE HIGHWAYS AGENCY – National Highways
- Startlist: BMCR National Road Championships E/F/G/H
- OLYMPIC NEWS – Team GB Announces First Riders for Olympics
- News: Alex Richardson Retires
- New Releases from Shutt Velo Rapide
- STARTLIST: Men’s British Road Race Championships
- STARTLIST: 2024 Women’s British Road Race Championships
- Startlist: 2024 CAMS Yorkshire Classic Road Races
- Startlists: 2024 Circuit Race Championships
- Startlist: CAMS Ronde van Wymeswold
- Startlists & 2023 Results: National Time Trial Championships
- NEWS: Star Studded Line Up for National Road Champs
- Riders so far: London Dynamo Summer Road Races
- Women’s Tour of Britain Startlist (provisional)
- News: Lincoln winner hit by car
- Entries Wanted: Ilkley Cycles Races
- GB Team Named for Women’s Tour of Britain
- STARTLISTS: NW, Yorkshire & NE Regional RR Championships
- Startlists: East Midlands Road Race Championships
- News: Ribble Rebellion Race USA’s Armed Forces Cycling Classic
- TT Result: Legato Racing Team 10m TT
- Pre-Race Rider Quotes: Ford RideLondon Classique
- STARTLIST: Witham Wheelers Road Races
- Team News: Tour of Britain for Alba Development RT
- Startlist: Totnes Vire 2024
- Starters: NW Junior/U23 360cycling Two Day