The fourth stage, a 166,1 trek from Aalter to Ardooie, was halted early on for a crash, after which Thomas Sprengers, Arjen Livyns and Samuel Bewley escaped the peloton for the traditional breakaway.
On Wednesday the sprinters’ teams were caught out by the early attackers and they were determined not to let that happen again. The trio was never given more than three minutes and was duly caught with 60km to go.
Livyns, who was in the successful break on Wednesday but erroneously decided to drop back to the peloton, was not so easily discouraged this time. After Thursday he leads the Super 8 Checkpoint standings, taking a 17 point lead over Luke Durbridge.
Nervous final
In a nervous final several riders tried to escape. Victor Campenaerts, Fernando Gaviria, Rune Herregodts and Julien Duval all fired off attacks, but none managed to stay out of a hungry peloton’s reach.
With 10km to go the GC riders also got involved, trying to gobble up bonification seconds in the Benelux Tour’s traditional Golden Kilometre. Kasper Asgreen was the main winner of that scrap, the Dane taking six seconds.
In Ardooie’s Stationsstraat the peloton organised for a traditional bunch sprint. Trek-Segafredo attempted to secure a win with its fast triumvirate Pedersen, Stuyven and Theuns, but Tim Merlier finally found a gap at the end to pass former world champion Pedersen.
It’s Merlier’s second stage win in this Benelux Tour, the Belgian also taking over the Teamleader points jersey. Stefan Bissegger retains the overall lead.
“I am really happy with this win,” Merlier said. “This is a victory of the entire team, the other guys kept me out of the wind for 70 kilometres. On every small road and at each crucial point they brought me to where I needed to be. It was my duty to win today.”
Duty or not, Merlier nearly got blocked in the final 200 metres. “I wanted to go on the right side, but I got blocked for a bit,” he explained. “Suddenly there was another opening and I still managed to get through. I am super happy I could finish it off today.”
