Etixx Quick Step's Tom Boonen has won the second stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour.
Today, provided a trip to the sea-side with a finish at Knokke-Heist after a 178.5km stage which started in Lochristi and saw IAM Cycling's Matthias Brändle in the lead of the race.
Sander Cordeel, Benjamin Verraes, Dries De Bondt, Philipp Walsleben, Ludwig De Winter and Kevin Hulsmans were straight into a break as soon as the flag dropped.
They quickly amassed a lead of 6.25 with Ludwig De Winter taking the first sprint of the day.
With 68.2kms to go, Cordeel, De Bondt, De Winter, Premont, Verraes and Walsleben were 4.02 clear of the peloton.
Walsleben took the second sprint as the gap hovered around the four minute mark with seventy kilometres left in the stage.
Into Knokke-Heist for the first time to start two 30.5km laps and the lead stood at 3.43.
Julien Vermote crashed but he was soon back on his way and chasing to get back into the peloton who started the second lap 2.16 down on the six out front.
The riders then contested the Golden Kilometre with three intermediate sprints within one kilometre and each sprint having 3, 2, and 1 seconds to win.
Sander Cordeel took the three points on all three stages as the gap dropped to 2.04 with twenty three kilometres left.
Three kilometres later and the race leader punctured but was able to get back into the peloton, stretched out down the road,.which was now 1.47 behind.
Into the final ten kilometres and with a lead of forty seconds, Sander Cordeel attacked.
He was caught with two kilometres to go as Jurgen Roelandts punctured and the sprint was on.
Etixx Quick Step brought up Tom Boonen, who abandoned the Giro D'Italia so he could compete in this race, and he duly obliged, taking the win in 4.19.21 ahead of Arnaud Demar of FDJ, followed by Jens Debusschere, Vangenechten, Groenewegen, Drucker, Jans, Van Asbroeck, Lampaert and Tsatevich.