Team LottoNL-Jumbo rider Dylan Groenewegen placed fifth in the Eneco Tour’s fourth stage today in St-Pieters-Leeuw. Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) sprinted to victory again from a small group and took over the leader's jersey. Jos van Emden holds his third place overall. 

Four men escaped in the longest stage of the Eneco Tour, 202 kilometres from Aalter. The peloton kept them close and with 60 kilometres left, they were back in the peloton. Several others tried and made the sprinters’ lives difficult.

“We rode fast today, the cobblestones and the hills made it hard,” Groenewegen said. “A fifth place after such a stage is more acceptable. Halfway through the race, I did not feel very good, but in the sprint, I felt good again." 

Again it was a hectic sprint. Groenewegen said that it has been like that in every road stage of the Eneco Tour.

"It's like it just does not work. In the final, we were separated because we were caught on the left side after the crash. I jumped on Boasson Hagen’s wheel, but he did not move up and so I started the sprint.”

Very hectic 

"It was an exciting day with the bends, cobblestones and hills. That made it very hectic," said Sports Director Merijn Zeeman.

“Wagner, Wynants, Leezer and Roosen rode themselves completely empty for the GC men and our sprinter. As planned, we looked after Dylan and made sure he was still in the peloton over the last climb. We brought him into position. It seemed that he was well-positioned, but the crash in the final threw a spanner in the works and prevented Groenewegen from sprinting for victory."

 In the overall standings, Jos van Emden holds in third place. Because Andrei Grivko (Astana) took some seconds, he rose to fourth. Wilco Kelderman and Primoz Roglic now sit in seventh and ninth place. The team time trial tomorrow should change things again in the Eneco Tour.