Okay, so this is the scene which sets the "stage" for GVA winning the Hell of the North for 2017, from my view:

It is some 103kms to-go, about 10kms out from the Forest of Arenberg, where a major selection usually occurs, and GVA crashes after narrowly missing a crash a little earlier. He requires a new BMC machine, and as the camera finds him standing on the side of the road we see a completely-panicked rider, something we don't often see on his face.
Why?
Because he is not riding, he requires a new bike and team support is way back in the convoy, and he is on good sensations. Clearly, he doesn't want the race to get away from him when he is feeling this good, so good, and in a monument. That is the panic we see, I think. 

Yet, BMC DS organises a train for him to get onto the back of the race whilst moving up Oss, and the race is not over, there is still hope. Not sure who it was in the car calling the shots for this one, but with Oss riding with so much power, it was the obvious strategy and it worked a dream. But Oss was a massive help for GVA, he has a place on that cobbled prize handed to GVA as the first over the line.

When Sagan went with Oss and Bodnar and Stuyven some 77kms to-go, it was still obviously a long way from the finish, however it looked like a really strong group, only that as soon as Sagan got his puncture the strength of that break was lost and it seemed to shift the race back in the favour of the peloton where GVA was, which was being called the Boonen Group. And Boonen was riding like a lion all day, he wasn't going to leave anything out on the course in his last bike ride across these mythical cobbles, but with Degenkolb sitting on comfortably and then the Gorilla re-joining, it was always going to be tough for him to win. Nevertheless, a top ride from Boonen, he did himself proud, I believe.

Sagan did a lot of work early, almost like he was afraid of being the Sagan of old who missed a lot of the race-winning moves out on the road. I mean, it was 152kms to-go and Sagan was in third position on the front of the peloton. It was a bit desperate, and it cost him by the end as he emptied, entirely. Haven't seen that all too often from him.

Senechal tried his hand with Moscon and co., that was some 57kms to-go, and Hayman was there all day actually, so a good defence from him. He too can be very proud with that ride, I believe. Turbo crashing, unlucky. Keukeleire was strong but he punctured with 38kms to-go, so unlucky also. Didn't hear Debusschere once, and Kristoff tried his hand to maintain the selections but was struggling and I think the plan for TFR was for the Panzerwagon, much later. Quite disappointing from Kristoff actually, but the fast pace of the race was clearly too much for him.

I think not too many people would disagree that the best rider of the season won this race and won it with a fierce hunger, for Stybar opened-up a decent gap in the sprint coming off the Velodrome turn, and GVA just wasn't going to let go, which is what we witnessed in E3 when he had a second bite in the sprint to win. This was another level though, it was brutal fierce!