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Belgium 17 Jun – 21 Jun 2026 Class 2.Pro – Stages – UCI ProSeries
Website www.baloisebelgiumtour.be
The 2026 Baloise Belgium Tour (2.Pro) runs from June 17 to June 21, featuring an incredibly stacked lineup of top-tier sprinters and classics riders tuning up for the Tour de France.
Below are the main teams and headline riders on the official startlist:
🏆 Top General Classification & Sprint Contenders
- Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech)
- Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
- Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM)
- Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team)
- Florian Vermeersch & Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets)
🚴 Major Team Lineups
Alpecin-Premier Tech
- Jasper Philipsen, Tibor Del Grosso, Lindsay De Vylder, Jonas Rickaert, Florian Senechal, Tim Marsman, Jonas Geens.
Soudal Quick-Step
- Tim Merlier, Dylan van Baarle, Jasper Stuyven, Ayco Bastiaens, Fabio Van den Bossche, Bert Van Lerberghe, Casper Pedersen.
UAE Team Emirates XRG
- Florian Vermeersch, Tim Wellens, Heimo Fugger, Julius Johansen, Rune Herregodts, Juan Sebastián Molano, Rui Oliveira, Luca Giaimi.
Lidl-Trek
- Mads Pedersen, Héctor Álvarez, Søren Kragh Andersen, Mathias Norsgaard, Jakob Söderqvist, Tim Torn Teutenberg, Edward Theuns, Otto Vergaerde.
Decathlon CMA CGM
- Olav Kooij, Cees Bol, Stan Dewulf, Robbe Ghys, Antoine L’Hote, Rasmus Søjberg Pedersen, Daan Hoole.
NSN Cycling Team
- Biniam Girmay, Lewis Askey, Guillaume Boivin, Matîs Louvel, Krists Neilands, Riley Sheehan, Jake Stewart.
Lotto-Intermarché
- Jenno Berckmoes, Huub Artz, Jasper De Buyst, Joshua Giddings, Taco van der Hoof, Steffen De Schuyteneer, Liam Slock.
Unibet Rose Rockets
- Dylan Groenewegen, Lukáš Kubiš, Joren Bloem, Matyáš Kopecký, Tomáš Kopecký, Sergio Meris, Wessel Mouris, Rory Townsend.
Tudor Pro Cycling Team
- Arvid de Kleijn, Petr Kelemen, Sebastian Kolze Changizi, Fabian Lienhard, Luca Mozzato, Rick Pluimers.
Team Flanders – Baloise
- Tom Crabbe, Ferre Geeraerts, Jules Hesters, Michiel Lambrecht, Milan Lanhove, Leander Van Hautegem, Vincent Van Hemelen.
Note: A total of 19 teams (11 WorldTeams, 5 ProTeams, and 3 Continental teams) are competing across the 5 stages, making it one of the most competitive editions in recent years.
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
The 2026 Baloise Belgium Tour (UCI ProSeries, 2.Pro) takes place from June 17 to June 21, 2026. Serving as a premier preparation event for the world’s top sprinters and classics specialists ahead of the Tour de France, this year’s edition covers a total distance of approximately 925.6 kilometers across five distinct stages.
📅 Official Stage Schedule
Here is the full program and route itinerary for the 2026 edition:
| Stage | Date | Route | Distance | Stage Type / Key Features |
| Stage 1 | Wed, June 17 | Scherpenheuvel-Zichem ➔ Scherpenheuvel-Zichem | 187.9 km | Hilly / Circuit: Cobbled sectors and short, explosive climbs. Expected bunch sprint finale. |
| Stage 2 | Thu, June 18 | Merelbeke-Melle ➔ Knokke-Heist | 197.6 km | Flat / Coastal: A traditional sprint finish by the ocean where crosswinds could cause echelons. |
| Stage 3 | Fri, June 19 | Durbuy ➔ Durbuy | 173.0 km | Hilly (Queen Stage): Four laps of a brutal Ardennes circuit featuring a steep 600m uphill finish at 9%. |
| Stage 4 | Sat, June 20 | Begijnendijk-Betekom ➔ Aarschot | 183.5 km | Hilly: Features five short, punchy climbs. (Note: Originally intended to include gravel sectors from Dwars door het Hageland, but revised to a standard road route). |
| Stage 5 | Sun, June 21 | Gingelom ➔ Hoeilaart | 183.6 km | Hilly / Tactical: A dramatic final circuit featuring the 2km-long uphill cobbled sector of the Mommaertsstraat and late climbs. |
🚴 Key Race Information & Contenders
Top Headliners: High-profile riders expected in the mix include top-tier fast men and local heroes like Jasper Philipsen, Mads Pedersen, Tim Merlier, Dylan Groenewegen, and Olav Kooij.
Expected Profile: With its lack of an individual time trial this year, the General Classification (GC) will be heavily fought over through bonus seconds, tactical positioning on the short Flemish/Ardennes climbs, and consistency across the sprint stages.
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
The Baloise Belgium Tour (historically known as the Tour of Belgium, or Ronde van België in Dutch / Tour de Belgique in French) is one of the oldest and most respected stage races in professional cycling.
Steeped in rich cycling tradition, it has evolved from an early 20th-century endurance test into a premier, high-octane 5-day event under the UCI ProSeries (2.Pro) classification.
⏳ Origin and Early History (1908–1981)
The inaugural Tour of Belgium was organized in 1908, making it older than the Tour of Flanders and even the Giro d’Italia.
- The Pioneer Era: The early editions were grueling marathons held on brutal, unpaved roads. The first-ever edition was won by Belgian rider Lucien Petit-Breton, who had already won the Tour de France.
- The Golden Era: Following World War II, the race grew into a massive national event. It became a playground for the sport’s greatest “Hardmen” and Classics specialists. Legends like Eddy Merckx, Rik Van Looy, and Roger Swerts dominated the roads, cementing the race’s prestige.
- War & Disruptions: The race was halted during both World Wars (1914–1918 and 1940–1944).
📉 Financial Turmoil and Hiatus (1982–2001)
By the late 20th century, the race hit hard times:
- Between 1982 and 1990, organizing the race became a financial struggle, causing several editions to be canceled.
- The Dark Decade: From 1991 to 2001, the Tour of Belgium completely vanished from the cycling calendar due to a lack of sponsorship and administrative backing.
🔄 The Modern Era & Upgrade to 2.Pro (2002–Present)
In 2002, the race was triumphantly revived as an annual fixture, quickly reclaiming its spot as the ultimate tune-up race for riders preparing for the national championships and the Tour de France.
- Name Changes: * 2002–2012:Tour of Belgium
- 2013–Present: Baloise Belgium Tour (following a title sponsorship deal with the Baloise insurance group).
- The UCI ProSeries Era: When the UCI restructured its calendar, the race was designated as a 2.Pro event within the ProSeries, just one step below the WorldTour. This allows it to regularly draw elite WorldTour teams alongside top-tier ProTeams.
🏆 Records and Legends
The Baloise Belgium Tour is historically dominated by Belgian and Dutch riders, but a German time-trial powerhouse holds the ultimate bragging rights.
Most Overall Victories (General Classification)
- 🥇 Tony Martin (GER): 3 wins (2012, 2013, 2014) — The only rider to win three consecutive editions.
- 🥈 Remco Evenepoel (BEL): 2 wins (2019, 2021)
- 🥈 Eddy Merckx (BEL): 2 wins (1970, 1971)
- 🥈 Stijn Devolder (BEL): 2 wins (2008, 2010)
Most Stage Wins
- 🥇 Tom Boonen (BEL): 11 stage wins
- 🥈 André Greipel (GER): 10 stage wins
- 🥉 René Vermandel (BEL): 10 stage wins
🧩 The Classic Formula
What has historically made the Baloise Belgium Tour so exciting is its varied terrain packed into just five days. The modern race formula typically relies on:
- The Crosswind Stages: Flat routes through Flanders where echelons tear the peloton apart.
- The Ardennes Stage: A hilly, Liege-Bastogne-Liege style day around Durbuy or Houffalize.
- The Race Against the Clock: Historically, a short Individual Time Trial (ITT) that usually decides the final general classification margins (though 2026 relies purely on road stages and bonus seconds).
