Kenny Van Hummel won the second stage of the Tour of Belgium between Eecklo and Knokke-Heist in a sprint finish. He beat Jimmy Casper (Saur-Sojasun) and Borut Bozic (Vacansoleil) in the lunge for the line at the end of the 162.7km stage.
With very little in the way of obstacles in the race the inevitable breakaway had to work hard to get away. After almost 25 kilometres though Benjamin Gourgue (Landbouwkrediet), Gregory Habeaux (Verandas Willems) and Niko Eeckhout (An Post-Sean Kelly) managed to get away. Within a further 25km the peloton had allowed them to build a lead of over 6 minutes before the OmegaPharma-Lotto team of race leader Philippe Gilbert decided to bring them back.
With 20km to go Gourgue and Habeaux were taken back by the peloton, now led by the Rabobank team; but Eeckhout was typically stubborn and managed to hang on alone. An attack from Jan Kuyck (Qin) overtook him and he was finally enveloped by the bunch with 15km to go, but Kuyck’s lead was not to last long. Neither was the late attack from Andy Cappelle (Verandas Willems) and Kenny Terweduwe (Jong Vlaanderen) who were allowed to dangle less than 100 metres in front before being pulled back with 3km to go.
Once the catch had been made the Vacansoleil team kept the pace high for Bozic, with the Rabobank team tucked in behind them for Oscar Freire. Just before the last kilometre though, Freire punctured as the peloton was about to take a corner; luckily the three-time World champion’s bike handling skills didn’t let him down and he managed to coast to a stop on the outside of the bend.
Vacansoleil continued with their lead out of Bozic and launched him at the line in the final few hundred metres. The Slovenian faded on the short rise to the line though allowing Van Hummel and Casper to throw their front wheels past his.
Gilbert finished safely in the peloton and keeps hold of his race lead.
Result stage 2
1. Kenny Van Hummel (Ned) Skil-Shimano
2. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Saur-Sojasun
3. Borut Bozic (Slo) Vacansoleil
Standings after stage 2
1. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) OmegaPharma-Lotto