Demare Clocks Up Another Baloise Belgium Tour Stage Win

01 June 2015 09:54

FDJ's Arnaud Demare took his second successive Baloise Belgium Tour stage victory with a stage four win.

Stage Four started with a 157.5km stage which started and finished in Lacs de l'Eau d'Heure and ended with three closing laps of 13.8kms.

Eight riders in Ongena, Vorobyev, Jans, Vermote A, Van der Poel D, McConvey, Chevalier & Reus, were in the break with a lead of 5.25 after 22kms.

With fifty three kilometres to go, their lead stood at 3.14 and after Etixx Quick Step's Guilluame Van Keirsbulck had abandoned, the gap was 1.35 with forty kilometres to go.

Kai Reus went solo and was first over the second climbing of the Petit Poggio and with two laps to go, he had a lead of 1.40 over the peloton from which Greg Van Avermaet attacked from in order to get himself some points in the Golden Kilometre.

The BMC rider led a group which included the race leader Matthias Brandle but with 8.5kms left they were caught.

Tiesj Benoot attacked with 5.4kms to go but everyone was back together for the final kilometre thanks to good work from Etixx Quick Step and FDJ's Arnaud Demare came through to take the win ahead of Tom Boonen of Etixx Quick Step and Jens Debusschere of Lotto Soudal, followed by Tsatevich of Katusha, Ahlstrand of Cofidis, Van Asbroeck, Bozic, Napolitano, Van der Poel and Petit.

Going into the final stage, Matthias Brandle still leads by a second from Brandle from Demare and eight seconds from Greg Van Avermaet and Tom Boonen.

Source: DSG