Fabian Cancellara beats Sir Bradley Wiggins in his last ever race (+ video)

Fabian Cancellara has signed off on his professional cycling career with victory against Sir Bradley Wiggins in his last ever race, to the delight of 6,200 people who packed into Ghent’s 't Kuipke velodrome.

There was never going to be any other result on an emotional evening that saw Cancellara beat Pippo Pozzato – the pair began their careers together at Mapei-Quick Step – in the semi-final of a 2km individual pursuit contest before seeing off Wiggins.

Final !! #ciaofabian 2riders 2 hard km chasing !! @f_cancellara vs @OfficialWIGGINS pic.twitter.com/tsagKdDUKO

— Ayrton lambrechts (@ayrtonlambrecht) November 13, 2016

Cancellara said it was “unbelievable that so many people turned up for the retirement of a Swiss rider,” adding, “this could only happen in cycling-mad Belgium.”

The 35-year-old is hugely popular in Belgium partly because of his prowess over the cobbles – he’s a three-time winner of the Tour of Flanders and has the same number of victories in Paris-Roubaix across the French border – and because of his style of riding.

He also took his first Tour de France yellow jersey in Belgium after winning the Prologue in Liege in 2004.

#ciaofabian Over 6000 people in @Stadgent saying goodbye to @f_cancellara! pic.twitter.com/fFJ0Ef5IGt

— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) November 12, 2016

Last night was a happier experience for the Swiss rider than the last time we saw him in a velodrome – he had a rather embarrassing fall as he took a farewell lap of the track in Roubaix in April.

>Video: Fabian Cancellara's final Paris-Roubaix ends with velodrome fall

While Cancellara has ridden his last race, Wiggins has a busy week ahead – he’s staying in Ghent, the city of his birth, to partner Mark Cavendish in the Six Day meet that starts on Tuesday and which may (or may not) be the final event of his career.

Perhaps the most bizarre tribute is this one from the organisers of the E3 Harelbeke race, an event Cancellara won three times, with a caption that roughly translates as “the race is holy, Fabian is sacred.”

Ciao @f_cancellara.
Winner @E3Harelbeke: 2013, 2011, 2010
Koers is heilig
Fabian is zalig! #ciaofabian #RBE3H pic.twitter.com/QRnGXGW5Do

— E3 Harelbeke (@E3Harelbeke) November 13, 2016