The Jumbo-Visma rider completed the 162.5-kilometre route from Thizy-les-Bourgs to Chaintré in 3 hours 38min 35sec to further extend his lead in the general classification with three days of racing to go.

He outsprinted compatriot Jordi Meeus, representing Bora-Hansgrohe, for the stage win.

British Ineos-Grenadiers rider Ethan Hayter was third for a second day in a row after his time trial performance.

Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen of TotalEnergies and French rider Hugo Page of Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux completed the top five.

Van Aert's lead extended to 1min 03sec over Italian Mattia Cattaneo of Quick-Step as a result.

"It was a nervous final," said Van Aert after the race. 

"In the beginning it looked like it was finally going to be the first controlled stage.

"I thought we had the breakaway in check but then they started to speed up and we started to lose ground. 

"In the final kilometres, I was stressed that it was too short to catch them, but in the end, I think I passed them a few metres before the line and I could win."

Three seconds adrift of Cattaneo in third overall is Slovenian Primož Roglič, Van Aert's team-mate, who was dealt a major blow yesterday by losing valuable seconds in the time trial.

Hayter sits fourth and another Jumbo-Visma rider Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark is fifth, both just over 90 seconds behind the general classification leader.