After "accidentally" winning yesterday's stage at VDK-Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde, when he didn't brake hard enough to allow his teammate Oscar Gatto to take victory, Peter Sagan began the day in the leader's jersey but decided to call it quits at De Panne for one of his season targets; victory at the Tour of Flanders. In 2012 and 2013, Sagan also withdrew from the race and went on to place fifth and second respectively at De Ronde.

Sagan had sat up and dropped back when the peloton rode over the Kemmelberg. He rolled across the finish line at the end of the first lap in De Panne more than nine minutes back and climbed off his bike recording a DNF as Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) won the stage and Stijn Vanderberg (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) took over the race lead.