BELGIUM’S Gert Steegmans may have beaten Mark Renshaw in a sprint finish to take out the second stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk cycling race yesterday, but the Bathurst professional is still well in contention for both the leaders and points jerseys.

Representing French professional outfit Credit Agricole, Renshaw is placed sixth overall at the mid-way point of the race after placing fourth in stage two and second yesterday.

It is Frenchman Stephane Auge of the Cofidis team who Renshaw is chasing for the the leader’s pink jersey after the 192 kilometre stretch from Henin-Beaumont yesterday.

Auge’s overall time from the first two days is nine hours, 11 minutes and 11 seconds, Renshaw having two minutes, 48 seconds to make up on him.

The Bathurst star is also in the hunt for the points jersey with 30 from the first two stages seeing him trail leader Steegmans by just one point.

Yesterday Steegmans, who averaged an impressive 40.2km/h riding for the Quick Step team, crossed the line just ahead of Renshaw and Jean-Patrick Nazon of France.

As in the first stage, it was France’s Anthony Roux who attacked early on and he was soon joined by Britain’s Ian Stannard and Florian Vachon, though their escape was hampered at the 95km mark when their path was blocked at a crossing and they had to stop cycling for about two minutes.

After more than 170km of breakaway, Stannard and Roux were swallowed up by the main group in the final kilometre.

Steegmans, often the one who sets up Tom Boonen for the sprint, this time took the initiative and left little chance to Renshaw.

Stage one saw Renshaw 2:36 off the pace in fourth riding the 179.4 km from Dunkerque to Roost-Warendin and he will be keen to build on his second from stage two when he contests the third leg.

The third stage is the longest of the competition at 193km and runs from Cateau-Cambresis to Saint Quentin.

Renshaw’s duties in Belgium mean he was not, as was reported by some sections of the national media yesterday, involved in a road racing crash in Sydney.

It was reported that Renshaw was part of a group of 50 cyclists who were involved in a hit-and-run crash in Sydney yesterday at 6.35am on Southern Cross Drive.