The time trial in Wulpen yielded a win for Witse Bertels, but it was Mikita Babovich who took over the lead in the rankings. The Belarus had to defend his sweater in the ride around Koksijde (99 km), with the Hoge Blekker as a sharpener.
There, Edvin Hansen (UNO-X) and Jasper Verbrugge, third in the time trial and eleventh in the stand, tried to set up an attack. The duo took a 25 second lead and Verbrugge even flirted with the virtual leader’s jersey. But with two it was impossible. Both refugees were grabbed in the final.
It again turned on a mass sprint, in which Smoras showed his force majeure. The Noor took his second stage victory and thus confirmed its shape. Mikita Babovich wins the final classification.