“Ultimately I proved to be the stronger rider” – Jenno Berckmoes outduels Alec Segaert and stuns Jasper Philipsen at Renewi Tour
CyclingFriday, 21 August 2026 at 17:35
Jenno Berckmoes admitted he feared Alec Segaert’s strength during their late breakaway at the Renewi Tour, but still found enough left to drop his fellow Belgian and deny Jasper Philipsen victory in Geraardsbergen.
The Lotto Intermarché rider attacked inside the final kilometre of Stage 3 after spending much of the finale working alongside Segaert. Philipsen finished second, Olav Kooij took third and Berckmoes’ teammate Arnaud De Lie completed the top four.
A dangerous ally on the road to Geraardsbergen
Berckmoes made his move on the Kapelmuur, where the peloton had already fractured following a high-speed crash. Segaert went with him, and the pair built an advantage that survived repeated attempts to bring them back.
Their alliance also paid off on the Bosberg, where Berckmoes collected eight bonus seconds across the Green Kilometre and Segaert took seven. Neither rider could afford to stop working with the bunch close behind, but Berckmoes understood the danger of taking the Bahrain - Victorious rider all the way to the finish.
“Alec was a good companion, but I was a little wary of him. I know how strong he is,” Berckmoes admitted afterwards. “He did some great turns on the front, but ultimately I proved to be the stronger rider.”
Laurence Pithie briefly threatened to bridge across, but the leading pair remained clear as the chase accelerated towards Geraardsbergen. Their advantage was down to a handful of seconds beneath the red kite, with Philipsen and Kooij preparing for a possible sprint.
Berckmoes attacked with around 700 metres remaining. Segaert could not follow, and the Lotto Intermarché rider held off the charging bunch on the uphill finish.
Crash disrupted plan with Arnaud De Lie
The winning move had grown out of a plan agreed with De Lie before the final passage over the Kapelmuur. Their intention was to force the pace together, but the crash approaching Geraardsbergen split the field and prevented De Lie from joining his teammate at the front.
“The plan was to ride up the Muur as fast as possible on the final passage. That was what I’d agreed with Arnaud,” Berckmoes explained. “It’s a shame the peloton split because of a crash, otherwise Arnaud might have been there too. Fortunately, I stayed upright.”
Young rider classification leader Vlad Van Mechelen and Netcompany INEOS rider Magnus Sheffield both abandoned following the crash.
De Lie remained in the chasing group and launched the sprint behind Berckmoes, ultimately finishing fourth as Lotto Intermarché placed two riders inside the top four on the queen stage.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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