The 93rd edition of the Baloise Belgium Tour takes place from 12 to 16 June. Once again, it will be a true Belgian cycling race, with start and finish locations in the three regions. A time trial in Beringen is the opener of the five-day UCI ProSeries stage race. The final stage starts from the Heysel Plateau and finishes at the Atomium in Brussels. Nine UCI WorldTeams have already confirmed that they will participate in the Baloise Belgium Tour.
Visma-Lease a Bike, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Soudal-Quick Step, Lidl-Trek, Intermarché-Wanty, Decathlon-AG2R, dsm-firmenich-PostNL, Arkea-B&B Hotels and Movistar. Those are the nine UCI WorldTeams that will compete in the Baloise Belgium Tour next month. UCI ProTeams like Lotto Dstny, Uno-X, Israel-Premier Tech and Flanders-Baloise will also attend. Riders’ names are yet to be announced.
On Tuesday evening, 11 June between 5:30pm and 6:30pm, the official team presentation of the 93rd Baloise Belgium Tour will take place on the Market square in Beringen. The Limburg mining town will also be the setting for the opening stage, a 12 km individual time trial the following day. In the preliminary programme, Special Olympics riders will also give their all on the time trial course.
The second stage, on Thursday 13 June, is a stage that goes straight from East Flanders’ Merelbeke to Knokke-Heist in West Flanders. In the country’s easternmost coastal town, the sprinters will have a great opportunity to show off their fast legs on De Wandelaar, a classic finish location in the Baloise Belgium Tour. On Friday 14 June, Turnhout will be the start of the third stage. Riders will go from the Antwerp Kempen to Flemish Brabant, with finish in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem and some Hageland hills along the way.
Apotheosis at the Atomium
The queen stage will be ridden on Saturday 15 June in the province of Luxembourg, with the hotspot of the stage in Durbuy. The starting shot will sound by Le Sanglier des Ardennes, the finish will be near Greenfields Durbuy. With five climbs of the Champs des Hêtres, the Côte de Petite-Somme, the Côte de Hermanne, the Côte Grand Houmart and especially the Mur de Durbuy, the classification will be thoroughly shaken up.
The denouement of the Baloise Belgium Tour will follow on Sunday 16 June with a stage in and around Brussels. The Esplanade in front of the Atomium is the majestic backdrop for the final sprint. The overall winner gets to don the purple Baloise leader’s jersey. The winners of the Ladbrokes Points Classification, the Super 8 Combativity Classification and the X²O Badkamers Youth Classification will be honoured on the podium.
Like last year, the final stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour in Brussels coincides with the BXL Tour, an inclusive cycling event allowing you to (re)discover our capital over a traffic-free 40 km course, finishing at the Atomium. Riding the BXL Tour and then watching the pros at work in the Baloise Belgium Tour – with the peloton passing by the Atomiuim no fewer than five times – are the perfect ingredients for a fun day trip to Brussels on 16 June!
Christophe Hamal, CEO of Baloise: “With stages in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels, the Baloise Belgium Tour is thoroughly Belgian. We inspire people all over the country and get them moving. That’s why we do it! Moreover, non-professional cyclists can also have a great time during the BXL Tour on Sunday 16 June. That way, we inspire supporters and cyclists all over the country.”
Safety Report
As always, safety is a top priority for organiser Golazo. “The Baloise Belgium Tour is known for its innovation of safety”, says Race Director Jan Nys. “This year, the Baloise Belgium Tour has produced a safety report in cooperation with Safe Cycling that will be sent to the teams prior to the race. Safe Cycling carried out an extensive analysis of the course and proposed to secure potential hazards. That way, we are making strides to continuously make cycling safer.”
PRACTICAL INFO BALOISE BELGIUM TOUR 2024:
Stage schedule:
• Tuesday 11 June – Team presentation in Beringen
• Wednesday 12 June – Stage 1: Time trial in Beringen (12 km)
• Thursday 13 June – Stage 2: Merelbeke – Knokke Heist (185.5 km)
• Friday 14 June – Stage 3: Turnhout – Scherpenheuvel Zichem (188.2 km)
• Saturday 15 June – Stage 4: Durbuy – Durbuy (177.1 km)
• Sunday 16 June – Stage 5: Brussels – Brussels (186.1 km)
Participating Teams:
• UCI WorldTeams: Alpecin-Deceuninck, Arkea-B&B Hotels, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, Intermarché-Wanty, Lidl-Trek, Movistar Team, Soudal-Quick Step, Team dsm-firmenich Postnl, Team Visma | Lease a Bike
• UCI ProTeams: Bingoal WB, Israel-Premier Tech, Lotto Dstny, TDT-Unibet, Team Flanders-Baloise, Team Novo Nordisk, Team Polti Kometa, TotalEnergies, Uno-X Mobility
• UCI Cyclo-Cross ProTeams: Baloise Trek Lions, Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal
• UCI Continental Teams: Beat Cycling Club, Philippe Wagner / Bazin, Tarteletto-Isorex, Völkerwessels Cycling Team
Live on TV:
The Baloise Belgium Tour 2024 will be broadcast live on Sporza, Tipik and Eurosport.
