Lampre's Sacha Modolo won the second stage of the VDK-Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde (Three Days Of De Panne)
Stage two was a 206km stage from Zotegem - Koksijde (Oostduinkerke) and saw Peter Sagan in the leader's jersey following the Cannondale's rider's victory and the ten second bonus.
The attacks started early and Seb Rosseler, Vanlandschoot, Jelle Wallays, Canola, Antonio Parrinello, Daniele Colli and Allesandro Bazzana got away, taking a lead of 5.50 after 41kms and seven minutes after 55 kilometres.
With eighty six kilometres gone, the gap had come down slightly to 4.55 but was forty seconds ahead of a chasing group of twenty six riders which included Andy Fenn and Steegmans, Terpstra, Van Keirsbulck, Vermote, Gatto, Breen, Tlejoebajev, Demare, Delarge, Cimolai, Richeze, Durbridge, Jerome, Kittel, Porsev, Paolini, Lampaert, Vanbilsen, Napolitano, Finetto and Ruijgh and 5.12 ahead of the peloton with 62kms to go.
As the stage headed towards the coast and the start of three eleven kilometre circuits around this seaside town, the escapers were caught and the pace went up.
The peloton had reduced the lead of those willing to work in the leading group to 1.48.
Steegmans took three seconds in the first sprint of the day to become the virtual leader on the road and one second behind Sagan in the points competition, ahead of Van Bilsen and Terpstra.
Oscar Gatto, Terpstra and Van Keirsbulck took over on the front going into the final twenty kilometres.
Onto the final lap and six riders were closing down on the three escapers.
The chasers were swept up by a group of 31 riders and with 3.1kms to go, this group which included Marcel Kittel and FDJ's Arnaud Demare had joined them.
A right hander onto the sea front and then the sprnt was on and it was Sacha Modolo of Lampre who went down the middle to win in 4.28.15 ahead of Demare, Kristoff, Tleubayev, Napolitano, Colli, Bazzana, Kittel, Van Bilsen and Canola.
Modolo thanked his team mates for helped him win and said: "It was tough out there but to beat some great sprinters was a great honour for me. I had a perfect route to the line to take the win."
Gert Steegmans of Omega Pharma Quick Step now leads the race by a second from Oscar Gatto of Cannondale.
Source: DSG
