Boonen first in Belgium

The stage victory is the popular Belgian"s second on the tour so far, and keeps him in the leader"s claret jersey. The quartet of Rik Reinerink, Bert Roesems, Gorka Gonzalez and Erwin Thijs broke almost as soon as the stage was underway, but at no point looked likely of being able to maintain their advantage until the finish, and were swallowed by the peloton with 14 kilometres remaining.

Milram forced the pace along, with Italian sprinter Simone Cadamuro desperate for a win after two second place finishes this week, before Discovery Channel gathered en masse at the front, followed closely by Boonen.

Leif Hoste, Yaroslav Popovych and finally George Hincapie peeled away one by one, leaving van Heeswijk to fight it out with Boonen in the last 250 metres, but the Belgian was not to be denied.

1. Tom Boonen (Belgium / Quick-Step) 13:12:20"
2. Manuel Quinziato (Italy / Liquigas) + 11"
3. Stefan Schumacher (Germany / Gerolsteiner) + 13"
4. Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Spain / Caisse d'Epargne) + 18"
5. Fabrizio Guidi (Italy / Phonak) + 35"
6. Simone Cadamuro (Italy / Milram) + 35"
7. Baden Cooke (Australia / Unibet.com) + 35"
8. Max van Heeswijk (Netherlands / Discovery Channel) +38"
9. Lars Michaelsen (Denmark / Team CSC ) +39"
10. Wouter Weylandt (Belgium / Quick-Step ) +49"