Caleb Ewan wins second stage in a row in Tour of Belgium, Schelling sixth

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Caleb Ewan recorded his second win in a row in the Tour of Belgium on Saturday. The Australian rider of Lotto Soudal also won the fourth stage after the third stage.

Ewan was supreme in the bunch sprint after 152.7 kilometers to and from Hamoir. He was ahead of Frenchman Bryan Coquard (second) and Italian Davide Ballerini (third). Ide Schelling was the best Dutchman in sixth place.

On Friday, Ewan did the same trick, writing a ride to his name for the first time since his much-discussed challenge in the Giro d’Italia. He was then heavily criticised for allegedly faking a sore knee after three ride victories. (Caleb Ewan)

Remco Evenepoel easily retained the lead in the general classification. The Belgian from Deceuninck-Quick-Step defends a comfortable lead on Sunday in the flat final stage from Turnhout to Beringen.

Van der Hoorn and Bugter in breakaway (Caleb Ewan)

In the queen’s ride of the Tour of Belgium through the Ardennes, two Dutchmen, Taco van der Hoorn and Luuc Bugter, were in the six-part breakaway of the day. They ran a six-minute lead together.

Van der Hoorn, Jonas Rickaert and Samuele Zoccarato were the last to remain, but they too were eventually taken in by the peloton. On the last climb of the day – seven kilometers from the finish – everyone was back together. (Caleb Ewan)

All the favourites for the ride victory survived the Côte d’Odeigne. No one seriously managed to demarrate, after which Ewan was perfectly put into position by his team-mates in the bunch sprint and he finished it expertly.

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