Young talent Silvan Dillier has got a rare chance to lead the mighty BMC team in the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen and he got his race off to a great start when he finished 5th in the prologue. As riders scores bonus seconds in yesterday's first stage, however, he slipped down a few spots on GC.

BMC Racing Team's Silvan Dillier unsuccessfully fought to hold onto his fifth place in the overall standings Saturday as a bunch sprint capped the penultimate stage of Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen. Beginning in Brugge, the opening road stage traveled 182.9 kilometers and featured the climbs of Oude Kwaremont and the Tiegemberg, as well as a tricky finishing circuit in Harelbeke.

Danny Van Poppel (Trek Factory Racing) won ahead of Danilo Napolitano (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Scott Thwaites (Team NetApp-Endura). Dillier finished 28th, four seconds back of Van Poppel's winning time.

Gert Joeaar (Cofidis, Solutions Credits) held onto the overall lead by five seconds over Johan Le Bon (FDJ.fr). But Dillier slipped two spots in the overall – to seventh - and is 14 seconds off the lead.

"I tried to also get bonus seconds, but it didn't work out how we wanted it to," Dillier said. "It is bad for the teamwork that I dropped down in the GC. Rick Zabel and Klaas Lodewyck did a good job and tried to get me in position for the final sprint.

"It was so hectic and we just avoided a crash with 3 km to go, but we lost position in the peloton. We tried to fight back, but it wasn't possible. So we will try again tomorrow. The parcours is probably a bit harder and we can make a split."

More short, but steep climbs are on the menu for Sunday's 185.9-km race from Nieuwpoort to Ichtegem.

"I think it will be more selective," BMC Racing Team Sport Director Jackson Stewart said. "We will try to get Silvan some bonus seconds and a good stage finish to move him back up on the GC. I think he'll be one of the strongest guys on the Kemmelberg."