"To be behind on this finish is dangerous every year. It's not my favorite thing to do at the beach."

Those were the words of Astana's Andrea Guardini after stage one at the Belgium Tour. Guardini turned the final corner at the Belgian seaside resort town Knokke-Heist following the front of a deeply-experienced peloton to a sharp and peculiar sprint 75m up a beach vehicle road exit. Guardini finished in the same time as stage winner Tom Boonen of Belgium.

There are likely no more pure sprint stages at the 2015 Baloise Belgium Tour, but a strong competition over various stage profiles each day.

Friday's stage will be similar to a key hill and cobblestone stage in the spring stage race 3 Daagse DePanne-Koksijde, flowing through the Flemish Ardennes, including the Valkenburg, Berendries and Leberg climbs, followed by the cobbles of Paddenstraat and Lippenhoevenstraat.

There were no principle changes in General Classification, a competition not likely to change too much before Saturday's hilly route around Charleroi in Wallonie.