Briton Stannard retains Het Nieuwsblad title

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Briton Ian Stannard won the first classic one-day race of the season when he beat three Etixx-Quick Step riders in a tense finale to the Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday.

The Team Sky rider, who also won the race last year, was part of a four-man breakaway with Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenberg 43-km from the end.

Boonen and Terpstra attacked one after another but Stannard could not be dropped.

The 27-year-old Englishman, whose 2014 season was plagued by injury, beat Terpstra in the final sprint to wrap up a flawless ride.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot, editing by Tony Jimenez)