Three-peat for Farrar

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Tyler Farrar took yet another stage win at the Eneco Tour, winning a photo finish on an uphill sprint in Libramont. Farrar just nosed out Edvald Boasson Hagen of Columbia-HTC, with Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre) taking third.

The finish came after a wild final 30 kilometres on the rolling, 221.2-kilometre course, with numerous breaks. However, it all came back together in the end. Boasson Hagen was first thought to be the winner, but a study of the finish photo showed the American ahead of the Norwegian.  The American sprinted first and Boasson Hagen nearly clipped him at the line -- but only nearly.

It was supposed to be at last a stage for the non-sprinters, and Farrar himself had expected to give up the lead on this Ardennes stage. “I'm really surprised that I am still leading,” the said after the stage. The climbs in the finale “were not steep enough to stop me.”

Sunday's stage, which has been called “a little Amstel Gold race”, will test the 25-year-old American's abilities further. “I will try to survive in the second queen stage. I am not looking any further than that. I prefer to look from day to day,” he said. “I am certainly not a favourite for the final win.”

One hundred and fifty three riders took to the start in Hasselt on another beautiful summer day to take on the Eneco Tour's hilliest stage. It was also the longest stage, at 221.2 kilometres, and featured eight "hellingen", those short but steep climbs.

Things got off to a fast start, as the peloton covered 48.6km in the first hour. After 60km, Damien Gaudin of Bbox Bouygues Telecom was the first to get away, but he was soon joined by Reinier Honig (Vacansoleil) and, for the second day in a row, Milram's Niki Terpstra.

The trio pulled away quickly, and with 131 kilometres to go had reached a maximum gap of 7:45. Behind them, Garmin-Slipstream, around race leader Tyler Farrar and GC hopeful Bradley Wiggins, and Rabobank led the peloton.

From then the lead dropped dramatically, and was down to two minutes with 66km to go. The hilly terrain wearied the legs of the escapees, and the peloton was able to outpace them. Graeme Brown and Rick Flens of Rabobank held the tempo high, and the gap continued to plummet.

Three riders jumped out of the field with 50 kilometres to go. Tony Martin (Columbia-HTC), Fabrice Piemontesi (Fuji-Servetto) and Thomas De Gendt (Topsport Vlaanderen) joined the three in the lead. The group didn't last long, though, and soon a new group was in the lead.

But Martin, Garmin's Brad Wiggins and Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) were too dangerous a trio, and were soon caught. New groups formed and were caught again practically every kilometre, as the finale proved to be very active, with numerous riders seeking their chance.

Sylvain Chavanel (Quick-Step), who won the prologue and was first to wear the leader's jersey in this year's race, got away with Lampre's Marco Bandiera with 32 kilometres to go. The high pace had by now torn apart the peloton, so that the first group was about 30, including leader Farrar.

Silence-Lotto's Jurgen Van Den Broeck led the chase of the two, who were soon joined by others. Things continued fast and furious, with the group's composition going through many changes. Finally, Chavanel and Bandiera were joined by Rabobank's Nick Nuyens, Michael Rogers (Columbia-HTC) and Angel Madrazo (Caisse d'Epargne), and they held a 20-second lead over the peloton led by Silence-Lotto and Liquigas. Race leaders Farrar and Boonen were in the leading chase group.

Madrazo and Rogers couldn't stay up with the break, and as they dropped back, Nuyens took off. He was soon joined by Chavanel and Bandiera, but they held only a slight lead over the peloton.

They were caught again with 7 kilometres to go. Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank) and Nibali tried to get away, but the peloton wouldn't let them go. Nibali tried again with 3 kilometres to go, with Columbia-HTC's Edvald Boasson Hagen leading the chase. It all came together, bringing about the sprint.