After a short but hilly 114-kilometer stage, De Pooter was the fastest in the sprint of a thinned out peloton at the finish in Minamiaso. Frenchman Geoffrey Soupe (TotalEnergies) finished second, Eritrean Henok Mulubrhan (XDS Astana) third. Luca Van Boven, who had led the sprint for his teammate De Pooter, was ninth.

For De Pooter, this is his first victory at the UCI level in three professional seasons. It undoubtedly comes as a big boost: the Kempen native is one of the riders at risk of falling victim to the impending merger between Intermarché-Wanty and the Lotto team. Sources report that there will no longer be a place for De Pooter in that merged team.

At the top of the Kyushu Tour standings, Ukrainian Kyrylo Tsarenko (Solution Tech-Vini Fantini) remains in the lead after winning Saturday's challenging opening stage. Van Boven is fifth, 1:44 behind, while De Pooter moves up to sixth, 1:51 behind Tsarenko. The three-day Kyushu Tour concludes tomorrow/Monday with a 119-kilometer stage.