PREVIEW | Baloise Belgium Tour 2023 stage 2 - Pan-flat day to see deluxe sprinter battle including Philipsen, Jakobsen, Ewan and Welsford
Cycling
Preview stage 2. 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.
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.
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Stage 2: Merelbeke - Knokke-Heist, 174.7 kilometers
Prediction Baloise Belgium Tour 2023 stage 2:
*** Jasper Philipsen, Fabio Jakobsen
** Gerben Thijssen, Alexander Kristoff, Sam Welsford
* Caleb Ewan, Timothy Dupont, Cees Bol, Matteo Malucelli, Vincenzo Albanese
** Gerben Thijssen, Alexander Kristoff, Sam Welsford
* Caleb Ewan, Timothy Dupont, Cees Bol, Matteo Malucelli, Vincenzo Albanese
Pick: Jasper Philipsen
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- 'Children these days'... Wout, since the caveman learned to say "Ug", older generations have always said this about younger generations. Not every young rider is a cowboy. So what's to say that the fact that Poels was respectful meant that his peers were equally so?
Rafionain-Glas19-10-2026 - "...In a weakened field" Most definitely ! YAWN !frieders319-10-2026
- Noted. But I had to appease his fans.MajorPayne19-10-2026
- I wonder if he'll race Challenge MallorcaRafionain-Glas19-10-2026
- Head to head time-splits: Jay Vine vs Remco Evenepoel: 10.5 km - Vine lost 45 seconds to Evenepoel 34.2 km - Vine lost a further 1:10, and was caught in the vicinity of that checkpoint. Note: I remember Vine getting caught before the second checkpoint, and ProCyclingStats log supports that, however, the gap at the second checkpoint was less than 2 minutes. 45.4 km - Vine lost only 16 seconds Of course, Vine lost less time in the middle section than the early section, but at the final segment rate, he'd have lost 15 seconds in the opening section and and 34 seconds in the middle. It is possible that Vine paced himself very well but that seems unlikely. In comparison with Stefan Küng: Kung lost: 26 seconds at T1. A further 1:11 by T2. A further 40 seconds by the finish. Relative to Evenepoel, Küng did slow down by the end. Maxime Decomble: Lost 47 seconds at T1. A further 1:20 by T2. A further 26 seconds by the finish. Mikkel Bjerg: Lost 37 seconds at T1. A further 1:34 by T2. A further 46 seconds by the finish. It is not concrete evidence that Vine cheated though it certainly doesn't absolve him. However, watching the race, I am 100% sure that Vine did not pull over and follow a different line when Remco passed him. Remco pulled away quite quickly, but the gap did not balloon and Vine definitely got aero assistance.Rafionain-Glas19-10-2026
- That ship has sailed years agovappaxbipmv19-10-2026
- He doesn't have to. I'd be perfectly happy if he loses SB if he then wins everything elsevappaxbipmv19-10-2026
- Please don't put Remco in the same sentence as Tadej. It's disrespectful to Tadej. Please make a note of this.KissinKate19-10-2026
- ....and you just described how americans are fleecing american fans as well. We don't even get the eurosport coverage you get. What you see on yurrup HBO is not available in this country. Trust me, being a cycling fan sucks everywhere.KissinKate19-10-2026
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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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