The 206.5 kilometres race, a leg of the International Cycling Union World Tour, saw the peloton start and finish in Herelbeke in the West Flanders region of the country.

A massive crash with 108 kilometres to go broke the field in two and caused favourites, including Sunweb's Australian Michael Matthews, to lose contact.

A small group of four then broke clear in a cobbled section before Terpstra and team-mate and home rider Yves Lampaert moved ahead.

Terpstra then went on his own with 23km to go and superbly held on to claim the win in 5 hours 4min 18sec.

It made him the first Dutchman to win E3 Harelbeke since Steven de Jongh in 2003.

Another Belgium Quick-Step Floors rider in Philippe Gilbert eventually took second place.

Belgium's Olympic road race champion Greg van Avermaet, riding for BMC Racing Team, took third place.

The fifth stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya also took place today with Trek-Segafredo's Colombian Jarlinson Pantano winning after a strong climbing performance.

He triumphed as the peloton journeyed 212.9km in Spain from Llivia to Vielha–Val d'Aran.

Spain's Alejandro Valverde finished eighth and retained the general classification on home soil, with two stages to go.