FDJ's Arnaud Demare has won stage three of the Baloise Belgium Tour.
A rather lumpy 201km stage from Knokke-Heist to Herzele was in store for the riders who were without Jelle Vanendert who abandoned the race because of nausea which was a possible consequence of his crash in the prologue.
With Mattias Brandle still looking after a two second lead of the race, second placed Rohan Dennis got into a break along with Habeaux, Joeaar, Stevens and Vingerling.
This break was 2.35 ahead as they started on the first lap of a circuit which included the Valkenberg, Leberg, Berendries, Paddestraat and Lippenhovestraat climbs and cobblestones.
With 54kms to go, the leaders were caught by the peloton which had split into two groups. The first contained around forty five riders and saw a number of attacks including one by Thomas De Gendt along with Oliver Naesen and Vicente Reynes which was fifty six seconds ahead going into the final forty kilometres of the stage.
On the Valkenberg climb, De Gendt was dropped and with less than twenty kilometres to go, Naessen and Reynes had a lead of a minute.
With the duo only nineteen seconds clear, Jurgen Roelandts attacked on the Paddestraat section of cobbles. Etixx Quick Step and Lotto Soudal worked and with 8.9kms left, all the escapers were back in the bunch.
Steve Chainel attacked with eight kilometres to go but was caught and Benoot, Van Avermaet, Leukemans and Claeys from Verandas Willems took over with a ten second lead going into the final four kilometres.
Everyone was caught with 1.6km left and the sprint ensued. Jurgen Roelandts set up the sprint and up came FDJ's Arnaud Demare to take the win in 4.43.39 ahead of Tom Boonen, Jurgen Roelandts, Van Asbroeck, M van der Poe, R Kreder, Benoot, Theuns, Bille and Coenen.
Matthias Brandle keeps his lead in the race.
Source: DSG
