Australian Sam Welsford won the 4th stage of the Tour du Benelux by beating some of the best sprinters in the world, notably Dutchman Olav Kooij, 2nd, and Belgian Jasper Philipsen, 3rd, on Saturday in Peer, Belgium. The Belgians Tim Merlier and Arnaud De Lie as well as the Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen completed the top-6. The Belgian Tim Wellens (UAE), who finished in the peloton, kept his blue jersey as leader of the general classification.
Welsford, rider of the DSM training, track specialist, signed his fourth success of the season by dominating the cream of the sprint present this week in Belgium. On a completely flat course, the teams of the best sprinters (Alpecin for Philipsen, Lotto for De Lie, Soudal for Merlier and Jayco for Groenewegen) controlled the race. Breakaway attempts were rare, and it was logically a collective packing that decided the victory.
Among the fastest men in the peloton, only Frenchman Arnaud Démarre was missing, caught in a fall shortly after the red flame. The sprint launched by the Belgian Arnaud De Lie therefore smiled on the Australian Welsford who had never won in a World Tour event.
Sunday, the last stage will offer a profile favorable to the punchers with thirteen small climbs on the program for the riders. Saturday, the race was preceded by a minute of silence in tribute to Tijl De Decker, a young Belgian runner (22 years old) from the Lotto-Dstiny formation, who died on Friday following a fall on Wednesday in training.
