Sagan claims maiden ‘Monument’ with Flanders win (Reuters)

(Reuters) – World champion Peter Sagan won the Tour of Flanders to secure his maiden ‘Monument’ victory after riding clear on the last hill of the one-day classic on Sunday. The Slovak, who had three previous top-five finishes in the race, pulled clear of Belgian Sep Vanmarcke in the climb up the Old Kwaremont, a brutal 360-metre ascent with a gradient reaching 20 percent, some 17kms from the finish. The Tinkoff rider, who broke a wheel early in the race, crossed the line 25 seconds ahead of Swiss Fabian Cancellara, who was aiming to become the first man to win the Belgian classic three times.