Tom van Asbroeck sprinted to fourth place in the third stage of the Tour de Wallonie. After 196 kilometers of racing, the Belgian all-rounder got a great lead-out from his fellow countryman Sep Vanmarcke and ended just outside the podium.

It took loads of time before the breakaway of the day went up the road. At first, it even looked like a front group of over forty riders was formed early in the stage. However, everything did come back together and a group of escapees got some space from the peloton for the majority of the day. However, they were caught far before the finish line.

The final was not as hard as the beginning of the stage. Still, some sprinters ran out of juice and dropped on the final two short ascents of the day. Our Tom van Asbroeck did not, and then had a chance to sprint for the line.

“Reto Hollenstein and Sep helped me a lot in the final. I trust them completely and they keep proving their lead-out skills over and over again. Reto and Sep brought me in a good position from where I could launch my sprint”, Van Asbroeck said after the stage.

“They are a team on their own”, he emphasised the great work ethic of his teammates.

Yesterday we saw Omer Goldstein in the mix as well. The Israeli cyclist found himself in a group of escapees but had to drop when his competitors started attacking on the final climb. He finished 11th.

There are two more stages in the Tour de Wallonie. Tomorrow’s stage is similar to today, and on Wednesday the riders will have to endure many cobbled sectors.