Soudal – Quick-Step sprinter Tim Merlier has won the second stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour. He outsprinted his competitors Jasper Philipsen and Olav Kooij in an impressive sprint on De Wandelaar in Knokke-Heist.
The traditional start in Merelbeke attracted quite a crowd. After the first loop, Daan van Sintmaartensdijk (Beat Cycling Club) won the bunch sprint in the battle for the first Super 8 intermediate sprint, the pack still complete after 14 kilometres. Team Flanders – Baloise grabbed quite a few points there, sticking to their annual tradition of throwing themselves into the battle for this side classification.
On the way to the coast five riders managed to escape: Italian Davide Bais (Team Polti Kometa), Belgians Kay De Bruyckere (Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal) and Gianni Marchand (Tarteletto-Isorex), Dutchman Max Kroonen (Volkerwessels Cycling Team) and Frenchman Quentin Bezza (Phillipe Wagner / Bazin). They were joined a little later by Ward Vanhoof and Lars Loohuis, but the seven were caught before the next Super 8 sprint and before the local laps. Lars Craps (Team Flanders – Baloise) took the highest number of points and will start in the Super 8 leader’s jersey in Turnhout tomorrow.
The many spectators enjoyed a true royal sprint in Knokke-Heist. Two-time Belgian Champion Tim Merlier launched his power sprint early leaving his competitors defenseless. Top sprinters like Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin – Deceuninck) and Olav Kooij (Visma – Lease A Bike) had to be content with second and third places on De Wandelaar.
Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) retained his purple-and-white Baloise leader’s jersey after fighting for a few seconds in the golden kilometre, while Mathias Vacek (Lidl – Trek) turned up the heat. The Norwegian maintained his two-second lead over his rival. Rune Herregodts (Intermarché – Wanty) remains third. Wærenskjold also retains the Ladbrokes points classification red jersey after coming seventh today. Mathias Vacek retains his yellow jersey as leader in the X2O Bathrooms youth classification.
