It was held on 1 April 2012 over a distance of 256.9 kilometres (159.6 miles) – between Bruges and Oudenaarde[1] – and was the eighth race of the 2012 UCI World Tour season.

[4] Boonen finished ahead of Farnese Vini–Selle Italia's Filippo Pozzato and 2007 winner Alessandro Ballan of BMC Racing Team, who completed the podium.

[7] Former Belgian cyclist and three-time winner Johan Museeuw stated that the course was potentially made too hard: "Three times up the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg can blow you away.

In the peloton, the first attacks came during the first ascent of the Oude Kwaremont after about 180 km (111.8 mi), eliminating some of the lesser riders, but still leaving a big group chasing the leaders.

But the first major event happened some 10 km (6.2 mi) later, as Cancellara crashed out of the race, fracturing his collar bone in four places.

However, the riders stopped cooperating and in the peloton Team Sky chased hard in an attempt to bring Edvald Boasson Hagen back to the lead group, succeeding just before the third ascent of the Oude Kwaremont.