World champion Peter Sagan won his second straight stage on Thursday to take the overall lead at the Eneco Tour.
The Slovak outsprinted German Andre Greipel and Alexander Kristoff of Norway to claim victory in the 202km fourth stage which finished in Leeuw-St-Pierre in Belgium.
The 10-second time bonus he received on the line was enough to snatch the overall lead from Australian Rohan Dennis, who is now 7sec back in second.
Sagan, 26, had also won Wednesday’s 186km third stage in a sprint finish.
Just 50km into the stage, Belgian one-day classics specialist Tom Boonen pulled out of the race after crashing when his front wheel hit a pothole as he was eating.
Friday’s fifth stage is a 20.9km team time-trial around Sittard-Geleen in the Netherlands.
The Eneco Tour finishes in Geraardsbergen in Belgium on Sunday.
Results from the 202km fourth stage of the Eneco Tour from Bolsward in the Netherlands to Leeuw-Saint-Pierre in Belgium on Thursday:
1. Peter Sagan (SVQ/Tinkoff) 4hr 42min 12sec, 2. Andre Greipel (GER) same time, 3. Alexander Kristoff (NOR) s.t., 4. Arnaud Démare (FRA) s.t., 5. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) s.t., 6. John Degenkolb (GER) s.t., 7. Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) s.t., 8. Amaury Capiot (BEL) s.t., 9. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA) s.t., 10. Luka Mezgec (SLO) s.t.
Overall standings
1. Peter Sagan (SVQ/Tinkoff) 13hr 17min 29sec, 2. Rohan Dennis (AUS) at 7sec, 3. Jos van Emden (NED) 12, 4. Jasha Sutterlin (GER) 21, 5. Martin Elmiger (SUI) s.t., 6. Primoz Roglic (SLO) 23, 7. Taylor Phinney (USA) s.t., 8. Tony Martin (GER) 25, 9. Niki Terpstra (NED) 28, 10. André Greipel (GER) s.t.
– Agence France-Presse