Preview. From the 14th to 18th of June the riders take on the Baloise Belgium Tour, a race that is very popular among those preparing for the national championships, Tour de France but also the stage for an internal battle among the vast Belgian peloton.
With just under 1000 meters of climbing, the rolling opening stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour will take the riders through a four-lap circuit in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem where the first yellow jersey will be taken, likely in a bunch sprint. Stage 2 of the race sees the riders head towards the Atlantic ocean and the pan-flat roads of western Belgium. From Merelbeke to Knokke-Heist, the sprinters will likely have another opportunity in a day that can be dangerous with it's exposure to the wind.
Stage 3 of the race should be the most crucial one for the overall classification, as meaningful gaps can be created in the individual time-trial. Pan-flat, but in 15 kilometers it is possible to take quite a lot of time for such a small race. It may not decide the race, but into the hilly day there will be a clear set of rider who will have the advantage.
Stage 4 is as explosive as it could be. The town of Durbuy hosts the start and finish to this hilly day and the whole stage consists of a circuit around it's rolling hills. 2Km at 6% and 1Km at 6% will are the details of the two main climbs in the circuit that come with around 10 kilometers to go, but the finale itself is tough with the final 900 meters featuring ramps of over 10% towards the line. The final day of racing sees the riders back into sprinter country, this time in the capital of Belgium and the headquarters of the European Union. Stage 5 of the Baloise Belgium Tour should end in a bunch sprint in the city of Bruxelles.
Stage 1: Scherpenheuvel-Zichem - Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, 164.6 kilometers
Stage 2: Merelbeke - Knokke-Heist, 174.7 kilometers
Stage 3: Beveren - Beveren, 15.2 kilometers
Stage 4: Durbuy - Durbuy, 172.6 kilometers
Stage 5: Bruxelles - Bruxelles, 194.9 kilometers
Prediction Baloise Belgium Tour 2023 overall classification:
*** Mathieu van der Poel
** Thibau Nys, Yves Lampaert
* Jasper Stuyven, Florian Vermeersch, Rasmus Tiller, Vincenzo Albanese
** Thibau Nys, Yves Lampaert
* Jasper Stuyven, Florian Vermeersch, Rasmus Tiller, Vincenzo Albanese
Pick: Mathieu van der Poel
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
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.@baloise_be is er tijdens de Baloise Belgium Tour. En ook tijdens het toertje rond de blok. Baloise, trotse sponsor van de Baloise Belgium Tour. #baloisebelgiumtour #wielrennen #uciproseries #trotsesponsor #baloise
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