Results Baloise Belgium Tour 2026 stage 4 | Olav Kooij edges Merlier and Philipsen in blanket sprint after breakaway caught in final kilometre

Olav Kooij won stage 4 of the 2026 Baloise Belgium Tour in Aarschot after the sprinters finally brought a stubborn breakaway back in the closing kilometre.

The Decathlon CMA CGM Team sprinter came out on top in a close finish after a long, hot day in the Hageland that stayed under control for most of the afternoon, but still forced the sprint teams to chase deep into the finale.

The 183.5 kilometre stage from Betekom to Aarschot always looked more suited to the fast men than the previous day’s queen stage in Durbuy, where Alex Aranburu had taken both victory and the overall race lead. Short climbs and local circuits gave the route some bite, but not enough to properly pull the race away from the sprinters.

A six-man break formed quickly after the start, with Killy, Jarno Bellens, Coppens, Michiel van Vliet, Maxence Place and Michael Vanthourenhout moving clear. The peloton kept the gap below three minutes for much of the day, holding the escape close without immediately shutting it down.

Alpecin - Premier Tech and Soudal - Quick-Step were prominent on the front for Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier, while the heat added another layer of difficulty. Temperatures in the sun reached around 35C, with riders using water and ice to cool themselves through the local laps.

The break began to weaken before the final phase. Van Vliet crashed after making contact with Vanthourenhout and had to let the move go, before Vanthourenhout himself slipped back with shifting problems on the Schoonhovendreef and was later caught by the peloton.

Place managed to return to the front group after briefly being distanced, but the advantage continued to shrink as the bunch moved into the last lap. Tibor del Grosso lifted the pace in the peloton, while NSN Cycling Team and Uno-X Mobility also helped drive the chase on the final passage of the Houwaartberg.

The Golden Kilometre passed without a major move from the general classification riders. The peloton failed to reach the break in time for the bonus seconds, leaving them up the road, although the leaders were already more focused on survival than contesting the sprints.

Inside the final 15 kilometres, the gap was still narrow enough to keep the break hoping but small enough to leave a bunch sprint looking likely. Rasmus Pedersen helped stretch the peloton through Baal, and the leaders were still around 20 seconds clear as the race charged towards Aarschot.

They were finally caught just before the sprint trains spread across the wide road in the final kilometre. Jake Stewart worked in the lead-out for Biniam Girmay, while Soren Waerenskjold launched the sprint, but Kooij timed his effort best and took the victory after a close call at the line.

After being forced to wait through the opening three stages, Kooij finally claimed the sprint win he needed in Aarschot.