Under the circumstances, a third-place finish felt like a victory. As if to underscore that fact, Sepp Vanmarcke (Israel Premier Tech) celebrated by tapping in the air as he crossed the finish line in rain-soaked Ghent-Wevelgem. He has had better results in this part of the world, but few have been as encouraging.

Nearly two minutes had passed since Wout Van Aert and Christophe Laporte crossed the finish line arm in arm, but the Jumbo-Visma pair had already made this Ghent-Wevelgem strictly an inside event when they escaped in Kemmelberg with 55 km to go.

Vanmarcke and those left behind threw themselves into the remaining podium contenders as the unwieldy chase group split and reformed repeatedly on the long run-in to Wevelgem.

From the moment they passed under the towers and spires of Ypres, which were barely visible as West Flanders was shrouded in winter clouds, Vanmarcke was constantly trying to create a gap. He eventually pounced on Frederik Frisson near the finish, fending off Lot Dostny and the Danish pairing of Mads Pedersen (Trek Segafredo) and Mikkel Bjarg (UAE Team Emirates) to take third place.

"The two guys in front of me were long gone and I didn't think about them. I was just focused on getting a good result for myself and the team," Vanmarcke told Cycling News in the mixed zone after the race. The sprinters got tired at the end and everyone started to gamble. In the last 15-20 km, I felt I had to keep attacking and stay with the pack.

"When Frison went, I quickly followed him. Pedersen came back but he had to use a lot of energy to catch us. He sprinted from a distance, but I was able to use him as a leadout.

As a neo-pro, Vanmarcke finished second to Bernhard Eisel in this race, showing for the first time his potential as a Classics rider. Vanmarcke had been expected to make his mark on the Monument after finishing a close second in the Tour de Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, but this big stage has been out of reach for the past few seasons. For the 34-year-old, Sunday's race was encouraging.

"I've been in good shape all season and I've been able to race at a high level, but I just didn't have that last push," Vanmarcke said. Today proved to me that if you keep doing your best, at some point you will get a great result. Everyone gave their all and I and the team are relieved.

In the second half of last season, Vanmarcke, as a member of Israel's premier tech team, was climbing the ranks in modest races to earn the UCI points he needed to maintain his WorldTour status. With his demotion from the top team, Vanmarcke was freed from the pressure of having to earn points and could now take risks to win the battle for third place.

At this time of year, in this corner of the world, it is always easy to think about the Tour de Flanders. Vanmarcke has competed in 12 consecutive editions in his 12 years as a professional, but last year he was forced to miss the Ronde due to illness. He will return to the race next week with a renewed sense of confidence, albeit with a realistic view of the big Classics, where Van Aert, Mathieu Van Der Pol, and Taddei Pogacar seem to dominate the rest of the field.

"I have to be honest," he said. But I still think we can do well next weekend."

"If I can finish third in a race like Ghent-Wevelgem and in weather like today, I should be able to do well in the Tour of Flanders. A third place here will give us a good feeling for the Ronde."