Click on the flag to change language. The automatic translation of this website is done by “Gtranslate” and may contain translation errors. The English text is authoritative.
Belgium 15 Jul – 19 Jul 2026 Class 2.1 – Stages – Class 1
The 2026 Baloise Ladies Tour (UCI Class 2.1) is running from July 15 to July 19, 2026, this five-day, six-stage race is highly regarded as a key battleground for elite time trialists, sprinters, and classic specialists, splitting its route across the Netherlands and Belgium.
📅 2026 Route & Stages at a Glance
The race covers a total of 471.4 km across five different provinces in five days:
Date
Stage
Route
Distance
Type
July 15
Prologue
IJzendijke – IJzendijke (NED)
3.9 km
Individual Time Trial
July 16
Stage 1
Oostende – Knokke-Heist (BEL)
112.5 km
Flat / Puncheur Finish
July 17
Stage 2
Zulte – Zulte (BEL)
130.4 km
Flat (Flemish Ardennes loops)
July 18 (AM)
Stage 3a
Maaseik – Maaseik (BEL)
8.4 km
Individual Time Trial
July 18 (PM)
Stage 3b
Maaseik – Maaseik (BEL)
104.8 km
Flat / Road Stage
July 19
Stage 4
Mechelen – Mechelen (BEL)
111.4 km
Flat / Sprinter Finale
🚴♀️ Key Contenders to Watch
With a route dominated by flat road stages, crosswind potential, and critical time trials, the fight for the General Classification (GC) and stage wins is packed with world-class talent:
Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx-Protime): The Belgian superstar is the local favorite and stands as the major candidate for the overall GC title.
Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon//SRAM Racing): The defending 2025 champion returns in stellar form. Now sporting her new double British National Champion jerseys, she is a massive threat for the short time trials.
Anna Henderson (Lidl-Trek): A highly consistent time-trial specialist who is a serious alternative card for the overall podium.
Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech): Leading a highly competitive sprint field alongside riders like Martina Fidanza and Anniina Ahtosalo, she’ll be hunting for stage victories on the flat finishes.
🔍 The Decisive Stage
Keep an eye on Saturday, July 18. The Maaseik double-stage format asks riders to produce two elite efforts in a single day (an 8.4 km morning time trial followed by a 104.8 km afternoon road stage). This is where the GC is expected to blow wide open!
Result
The 2026 Baloise Ladies Tour is currently underway (running from July 15 to July 19, 2026). Below are the latest results and standings following the opening stages of the race.
Stage 1 Results (Oostende › Knokke-Heist — 112 km)
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Nienke Veenhoven timed her finish perfectly to win a chaotic, crash-disrupted bunch sprint in Knokke-Heist, overtaking Charlotte Kool in the final meters.
#
Rider
Team
Time
1
Nienke Veenhoven
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
2h 46′ 00″
2
Charlotte Kool
Fenix-Premier Tech
+ 0″
3
Zoe Bäckstedt
Canyon//SRAM Racing
+ 0″
4
Gladys Verhulst-Wild
AG Insurance – Soudal Team
+ 0″
5
Clara Copponi
Lidl – Trek
+ 0″
Prologue Results (IJzendijke › IJzendijke — 3.9 km ITT)
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Defending champion Zoe Bäckstedt started her campaign in dominant fashion, flying through the short, technical individual time trial to secure the first leader’s jersey.
#
Rider
Team
Time
1
Zoe Bäckstedt
Canyon//SRAM Racing
4′ 40″
2
Millie Couzens
Fenix-Premier Tech
+ 5″
3
Fleur Moors
Lidl – Trek
+ 6″
4
Felicity Wilson-Haffenden
Lidl – Trek
+ 7″
5
Erin Bootham
Liv AlUla Jayco Continental
+ 11″
General Classification (After Stage 1)
Zoe Bäckstedt holds onto the overall leader’s jersey heading into Friday’s Stage 2.
#
Rider
Team
Time
1
Zoe Bäckstedt
Canyon//SRAM Racing
2h 50′ 36″
2
Charlotte Kool
Fenix-Premier Tech
+ 5″
3
Nienke Veenhoven
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+ 8″
Stage 2 Results (July 17, 2026 — Zulte to Zulte)
Charlotte Kool took the victory in a bunch sprint finish, reversing her fortunes from the previous stage.
Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech)
Nienke Veenhoven (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
Maike van der Duin (Canyon//SRAM Racing)
General Classification (After Stage 2)
Thanks to the time bonuses from her Stage 2 win, Charlotte Kool has taken over the race leader’s purple jersey.
Prologue (July 15): A 3.9km individual time trial in IJzendijke, where Zoe Bäckstedt initially put on an impressive display to grab the early lead.
Stage 1 (July 16): Won by Nienke Veenhoven in a tight sprint ahead of Charlotte Kool in Knokke-Heist.
What’s Next: The riders head into a critical double-header on Saturday, July 18, featuring a morning 8.4-kilometer individual time trial in Maaseik followed by a road stage later in the afternoon.
Results of the Stage 3a Individual Time Trial (ITT) of the 2026 Baloise Ladies Tour (2.1)
The Stage 3a Individual Time Trial (ITT) of the 2026 Baloise Ladies Tour (2.1) in Maaseik has wrapped up. Here are the top results for the stage and the updated General Classification leader:
Stage 3a Results (Maaseik > Maaseik | 8.3 km ITT)
#
Rider
Team
Country
1
Zoe Bäckstedt
Canyon//SRAM Racing
🇬🇧 Great Britain
2
Felicity Wilson-Haffenden
Lidl–Trek
🇦🇺 Australia
3
Lotte Kopecky
Team SD Worx–Protime
🇧🇪 Belgium
General Classification Leader
Following her dominant performance in the time trial, Zoe Bäckstedt is currently leading the overall standings.
History
The Baloise Ladies Tour is one of the most highly anticipated mid-summer stage races on the UCI Women’s international calendar (classified as Category 2.1). Characterized by high-speed flat stages, strong crosswinds, and short, decisive time trials, the race has built a unique identity since its inception.
🏷️ The Origins: BeNe Ladies Tour (2014–2020)
The race was founded in 2014 under the name BeNe Ladies Tour. The name “BeNe” represented its geographic footprint, crossing borders between Belgium (Flanders) and the Netherlands (Zeeland).
The Vision: The organizers wanted to create a highly competitive stage race specifically tailored for sprinters, classics specialists, and time trialists. Unlike mountainous Grand Tours, this race prioritized flat, tactical terrain, crosswinds, and pure speed.
Inaugural Edition (2014): Swedish legend Emma Johansson won the first-ever edition of the race.
📈 Rebranding and Growth (2021–Present)
After the 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the race returned in 2021 with a major new title sponsor, the Swiss insurance company Baloise, officially renaming the event to the Baloise Ladies Tour.
Despite the rebranding, the race retained its popular “cross-border” philosophy, continuing to start in the Netherlands before crossing over into Belgium for its final stages.
🏆 Past Winners & Dominant Riders
Since 2014, the race has been won by some of the biggest names in women’s professional cycling:
Year
Winner
Team
2014
🇸🇪 Emma Johansson
Orica–AIS
2015
🇧🇪 Jolien D’Hoore
Wiggle–Honda
2016
🇧🇪 Jolien D’Hoore
Wiggle High5
2017
🇳🇱 Marianne Vos
WM3 Energie
2018
🇳🇱 Marianne Vos
WaowDeals Pro Cycling
2019
🇩🇪 Lisa Klein
Canyon//SRAM
2020
Cancelled (COVID-19)
—
2021
🇩🇪 Lisa Klein
Canyon//SRAM
2022
🇳🇱 Ellen van Dijk
Trek–Segafredo
2023
🇳🇱 Lucinda Brand
Lidl–Trek
2024
🇳🇱 Lorena Wiebes
Team SD Worx–Protime
2025
🇬🇧 Zoe Bäckstedt
Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto
🔑 Historical Records:
Most Overall Victories: A three-way tie between Jolien D’Hoore (2015, 2016), Marianne Vos (2017, 2018), and Lisa Klein (2019, 2021).
Most Stage Wins: Dutch sprinting sensation Lorena Wiebes holds the record for the most individual stage wins in the race’s history.
I am a competitive cyclist with expertise in sports-related internet content. In the past, I have coached various amateur teams, and today I still participate in races open to everyone.
