4 road stages, one individual time trial, a legendary sprint finish by the sea, a queen stage in the Ardennes, a grand finale under the Atomium… The course of the 94th edition of the Baloise Belgium Tour has a lot to offer. Read all about it here.
The Baloise Belgium Tour starts on Wednesday 18 June with a stage race from Merelbeke-Melle in East Flanders to Knokke-Heist in West Flanders. Four cobbled sections add spice to this flat stage: the Lange Munte on the border between Scheldewindeke and Gavere, the Lange Aststraat in Huise, the Brieversweg in Bruges and the Kerkstraat in Damme. Nevertheless, there is a good chance that we will see a bunch sprint on the Wandelaar in Knokke-Heist. Is there a more iconic sprint finish in Belgium?
On Thursday 19 June, the riders will travel from Beringen to Putte, close to Mechelen. This Limburg-Antwerp stage also features a couple of cobbled sections, including the Peulisbaan in Bonheiden, 7 km from the finish. The ideal place for a late breakaway? Or will the sprinter teams keep everyone in line?
The general classification is bound to be thoroughly shaken up on Friday 20 June. After all, the third stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour is an individual time trial of 9.7 km in Tessenderlo-Ham in Limburg.
Cycling fans can also expect fireworks on Saturday. Stage 4 is the queen stage, in the heart of the province of Luxembourg. The start and finish are in Durbuy. Along the way, the riders will have to tackle the Champs des Hêtres, Petite Sommes, Rue du Bout and Mur de Durbuy four times. The finish line is at the top of the Mur de Durbuy, 1,200 metres at a 6.2% gradient.
The final stage, on Sunday 22 June, has now become the classic ride from Brussels to Brussels. The riders will have to complete five laps of 37.6 km taking in Wemmel, Merchtem, Meise, Kapelle-op-den-Bos and Grimbergen. The finish in Brussels is on the wide avenues of the Heysel plateau. Is there a more beautiful place to finish the national cycling tour than under the Atomium?
