 The race started with a small delay caused by a farmers' strike. When racing got under way, five riders broke free of the pack after 20 km (12 mi): Jesse Sergent (Trek Factory Racing), Damien Gaudin (AG2R La Mondiale), Ralf Matzka (Bora – Argon 18), Matthew Brammeier (MTN – Qhubeka), and Dylan Groenewegen (Team Roompot), while Clément Venturini (Cofidis) was briefly in the front group as well before dropping back. At Sint-Eloois-Winkel, there was a bonus sprint, in which Brammeier won his body weight of 73 kg (161 lb) in local beer. Lars Bak (Lotto – Soudal) and Marco Frapporti (Androni Giocattoli) were able to bridge the gap to the leaders, creating a group of seven at the front. After 60 km (37 mi) of racing, the leaders were about seven minutes clear of the peloton, but the gap started to come down once the riders reached the first climbs.
