The duo won the team elimination race, in front of Germany's Leif Lampater and Marcel Kalz, on their way to ending the day on a score of 253 points at The Amsterdam Velodrome.

Lampater and Kalz are the closest challengers to the Belgians on 217 points, but good performances from Switzerland's Tristan Marguet and Claudio Imhoff helped close the gap.

The Swiss team began day two in commanding fashion as they clocked 10.420sec to take the 200 metres madison time trial honours.

They finished narrowly in front of Lampater and Kalz, with De Ketele and De Pauw not far adrift in third place.

Marguet and Imhoff then emerged victorious once again, winning the 40-lap Derny race as they edged Nick Stöpler and Roy Pieters from The Netherlands.

Niki Terpstra and team-mate Raymond Kreder did enough for third place but the event belonged to the Swiss pair, whose triumph put them back in contention for top spot.

They ended with 187 points, 66 less than the total of the current leaders going into the third day of action in Amsterdam.

De Ketele and De Pauw owed a lot to their win in the team elimination event as it gave them the boost they needed to maintain top spot on the leaderboard.

Lampater and Kalz were second, while Pim Ligthart and Jens Mouris came home third quickest.

The Germans bounced back by securing top points in the two lap madison time trial, clocking 21.848, as Marc Hester and Jesper Morkov of Denmark came home second.

"The first day was all perfect, and the second is not bad," De Pauw said.

"We are really in good shape. 

"It is not a disadvantage that we are already in the lead now. 

"Of course, now everyone is looking at us. 

"But on the other hand, we now have the chance to defend our position. 

"That is a luxury. ''

Action in Amsterdam continues tomorrow.