Benelux Tour 2021 – Stage 6 [FULL STAGE]

September 4, 2021

Benelux Tour 2021 – Stage 6 – Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve – Houffalize : 207,6 km

The 2021 edition of the Benelux Tour will return to its traditional seven-day format, after adopting a shortened, five-day format last year. Whilst under the guise of a new name, the exciting racing will no doubt remain across the Benelux region. This year’s race will also fall just weeks before the rescheduled Paris-Roubaix and the World Championships in Flanders, allowing it to serve as an ideal warm up for those riders targeting the fabled cobbled trophy and a set of rainbow bands. Without a sponsor for this year, the race formerly known as the BinckBank Tour has adopted the title of the Benelux Tour, referring to the regions that the race will be travelling through. The Benelux Union is a politico-economic union between Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, and whilst this year’s international race only comes within touching distance of Luxembourg, the seven-day stage race will take place across both the Netherlands and Belgium. With stages across the windswept northern coasts of Belgium and the Netherlands, hilly stages in the Flemish Ardennes and cobbled stages in Belgium’s central region, the Benelux Tour truly is a race for the Classics specialists. Now entering its 17th edition, the Benelux Tour traditionally includes the hills, making it one of the most exciting stage races on the WorldTour calendar.

Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) continued his stellar season, winning stage 6 of the Benelux Tour with a long-range solo attack, and taking the leader’s jersey in the process.

The Italian champion crossed the line 42 seconds ahead of a small chase group led home by his teammate Matej Mohorič to complete an impressive 1-2 for Bahrain Victorious. They now sit in first and second in the overall, too, poised to take the overall win tomorrow, with Mohorič 51 seconds behind his teammate.

On a long, hilly, Liège–Bastogne–Liège-esque day, Colbrelli attacked on the first ascent of the Côte Bois des Mointes with Mohorič and Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) 50 kilometres from the finish.

As the time gap that this group had built up began to tumble due to a ferocious chase behind, Colbrelli attacked once more with 25km to go and was able to hold off the rest of the peloton.

“It was maybe the toughest stage of the career,” Colbrelli said at the finish, “it was maybe like the ones in the Tour de France, today was so difficult. Something I’ve never really done before. I think it will be another tough stage tomorrow and I’m going to try to recover, attack it again, hold the jersey and go full gas.”

How it unfolded

After a lively start, marked by a myriad of attacks, the day’s first breakaway formed, composed of Jonas Rickaert (Alpecin-Fenix) and, unusually, a former Tour de France winner- Geraint Thomas (Ineos-Grenadiers). Their gap was allowed to expand to seven minutes as Groupama-FDJ sat on the front of the peloton, defending Stefan Küng’s blue leader’s jersey.

At the front of the race, meanwhile, Thomas’ pace proved too much for Rickaert, who was dropped on the first ascent of the Côte Saint-Roch with 54km to go. Simultaneously, the peloton exploded into small groups on the Saint-Roch’s lower slopes, and, on the following climb, the Bahrain Victorious pair of Colbrelli and Mohorič attacked along with Hirschi. Their acceleration doomed Thomas’ lone effort and the trio built up a precarious lead of around 40 seconds.

Behind them, the chase group swelled on the flatter sections of the course and with the resulting influx of teammates, Deceuninck-Quickstep and Groupama-FDJ resumed their position at the head of the peloton. Under their watch, the gap began to fall and, by the time the race crossed the finish line to begin the final circuit, it was only 12 seconds.

On the second ascent of the Côte Saint-Roch, the peloton fractured once more. Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma) and Victor Campenaerts (Team Qhubeka Nexthash) proved the strongest on this climb and bridged up to the leading trio while Küng, the overall race leader, was dropped.

As Dumoulin and Campenaerts joined the front group, Colbrelli made his race-winning move, attacking 25.6km from the finish.

Initially, this acceleration was only designed to gain the bonus seconds available in the ‘golden kilometre’ where three sprints for three bonus seconds were scattered across the course.

“I wanted to get the extra seconds, but I didn’t want to spend too much energy,” Colbrelli said at the finish. “I was afraid that they would get back to me- there were so many kilometres to get to the finish line, but it went well.”

He gathered the maximum nine bonus seconds in this kilometre, while his teammate Mohorič thrice won the sprint behind for the two bonus seconds available for second place, picking up six bonus seconds. Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) who had bridged across with Tiesj Benoot (Team DSM) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek Segafredo) took third place in each of these sprints.

Despite the strength of the group chasing Colbrelli, it was marked by that familiar, fractious non-cooperation often present in bike races, and was further disrupted by Mohorič who policed the front of the group to prevent any counterattacks from catching his teammate Colbrelli who held on to take the win.

Results :
1 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain Victorious 4:55:27
2 Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain Victorious 0:00:42
3 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
4 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Team DSM
5 Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Team Qhubeka Assos
6 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
7 Marc Hirschi (Swi) UAE Team Emirates
8 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
9 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team DSM 0:01:02
10 Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
11 Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious
12 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
13 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
14 Davide Villella (Ita) Movistar Team
15 Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates
16 Mads Würtz Schmidt (Den) Israel Start-up Nation
17 Logan Owen (USA) EF Education-Nippo
18 Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech
19 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep
20 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Team BikeExchange
21 Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
22 Andrey Amador (CRc) Ineos Grenadiers
23 Jack Bauer (NZl) Team BikeExchange 0:02:00
24 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation 0:02:17
25 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
26 Michael Gogl (Aut) Team Qhubeka Assos
27 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Alpecin-Fenix
28 Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix
29 Aimé De Gendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
30 Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Ineos Grenadiers 0:02:21
31 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:23
32 Hugo Houle (Can) Astana-Premier Tech 0:02:32
33 Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:06:36
34 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
35 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Start-up Nation
36 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team
37 Michael Schär (Swi) AG2R Citroën Team
38 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation
39 Attila Valter (Hun) Groupama-FDJ
40 Mathias Norsgaard (Den) Movistar Team
41 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
42 Alexis Renard (Fra) Israel Start-up Nation
43 Mikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Team Emirates
44 Ben Swift (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
45 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal
46 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
47 Matteo Sobrero (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech
48 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep
49 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis
50 Timo Roosen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
51 Michal Golas (Pol) Ineos Grenadiers
52 Héctor Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team
53 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
54 Jake Stewart (GBr) Groupama-FDJ 0:13:54
55 Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
56 Julius van den Berg (Ned) EF Education-Nippo 0:14:02
57 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
58 Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
59 Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Movistar Team
60 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
61 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
62 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Team DSM
63 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech
64 Miles Scotson (Aus) Groupama-FDJ
65 Daniel Arroyave Cañas (Col) EF Education-Nippo
66 Boy van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
67 Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe
68 Attilio Viviani (Ita) Cofidis
69 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
70 Milan Menten (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
71 Stefan Bissegger (Swi) EF Education-Nippo
72 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team
73 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
74 Callum Scotson (Aus) Team BikeExchange
75 Andreas Stokbro (Den) Team Qhubeka Assos
76 Casper Pedersen (Den) Team DSM
77 Laurenz Rex (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
78 Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
79 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:14:14
80 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal 0:14:19
81 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:16:39
82 Charlie Quarterman (GBr) Trek-Segafredo
83 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech
84 Barnabás Peák (Hun) Team BikeExchange
85 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Team Qhubeka Assos
86 Tom Bohli (Swi) Cofidis
87 Norman Vahtra (Est) Israel Start-up Nation
88 Alvaro Hodeg Chagui (Col) Deceuninck-QuickStep
89 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) EF Education-Nippo
90 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates
91 Anthony Jullien (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team
92 Alexander Konychev (Ita) Team BikeExchange
93 Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Pol) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
94 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team
95 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
96 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
97 Finn Fisher Black (NZl) UAE Team Emirates
98 Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
99 Senne Leysen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
100 Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto Soudal
101 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) Cofidis
102 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
103 Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
104 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
105 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal
106 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain Victorious
107 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Qhubeka Assos
108 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
109 Jos van Emden (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
110 Edoardo Affini (Ita) Jumbo-Visma
111 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Groupama-FDJ 0:20:12
112 Arne Marit (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
113 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
114 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
115 Erik Baska (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
116 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) EF Education-Nippo
117 Thimo Willems (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
118 Elia Viviani (Ita) Cofidis
119 Stijn Steels (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
120 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal
121 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation
122 Jonathan Milan (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
123 Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
124 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Cofidis
125 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
126 Cees Bol (Ned) Team DSM
127 Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious
128 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Bahrain Victorious
129 Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) Team DSM
130 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek-Segafredo
131 Harry Tanfield (GBr) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:24:20
132 Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Luis Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team DSM
DNF Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Rune Herregodts (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Sam Bewley (NZl) Team BikeExchange
DNF Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Team Qhubeka Assos
DNF Sean De Bie (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
DNS Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) UAE Team Emirates

General Classification after Stage 6 :
1 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain Victorious 20:23:30
2 Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain Victorious 0:00:51
3 Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:00:53
4 Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:07
5 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:01:09
6 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
7 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:16
8 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Team DSM 0:01:33
9 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:01:40
10 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:01:42
11 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team DSM 0:01:47
12 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
13 Logan Owen (USA) EF Education-Nippo 0:02:11
14 Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:02:13
15 Marc Hirschi (Swi) UAE Team Emirates 0:02:20
16 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers 0:02:43
17 Mads Würtz Schmidt (Den) Israel Start-up Nation 0:02:44
18 Andrey Amador (CRc) Ineos Grenadiers 0:02:55
19 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:56
20 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation 0:04:19
21 Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix 0:04:37
22 Aimé De Gendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:04:53
23 Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious 0:05:05
24 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:06:19
25 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis 0:06:47
26 Jack Bauer (NZl) Team BikeExchange 0:06:52
27 Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates 0:07:05
28 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:07:19
29 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo 0:07:43
30 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:07:50
31 Mikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Team Emirates 0:08:14
32 Timo Roosen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:08:26
33 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 0:08:35
34 Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
35 Ben Swift (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:08:42
36 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team 0:08:46
37 Michael Schär (Swi) AG2R Citroën Team 0:08:49
38 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation 0:08:55
39 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Start-up Nation 0:08:59
40 Michal Golas (Pol) Ineos Grenadiers
41 Alexis Renard (Fra) Israel Start-up Nation 0:09:18
42 Mathias Norsgaard (Den) Movistar Team 0:10:13
43 Michael Gogl (Aut) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:11:48
44 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:11:55
45 Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech 0:13:15
46 Hugo Houle (Can) Astana-Premier Tech 0:14:21
47 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team 0:15:09
48 Jake Stewart (GBr) Groupama-FDJ 0:15:35
49 Andreas Stokbro (Den) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:15:52
50 Davide Villella (Ita) Movistar Team 0:16:02
51 Miles Scotson (Aus) Groupama-FDJ 0:16:16
52 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:16:27
53 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:16:44
54 Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:17:04
55 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:17:21
56 Casper Pedersen (Den) Team DSM 0:17:23
57 Matteo Sobrero (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech 0:17:50
58 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:17:52
59 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:18:05
60 Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Pol) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:18:14
61 Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:18:20
62 Milan Menten (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:18:21
63 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team 0:18:41
64 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain Victorious 0:18:43
65 Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:18:53
66 Attila Valter (Hun) Groupama-FDJ 0:19:10
67 Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Movistar Team 0:19:23
68 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Alpecin-Fenix 0:19:38
69 Stefan Bissegger (Swi) EF Education-Nippo 0:19:44
70 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) EF Education-Nippo 0:19:56
71 Alexander Konychev (Ita) Team BikeExchange 0:21:25
72 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:21:52
73 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers 0:22:10
74 Boy van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:22:18
75 Laurenz Rex (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:23:23
76 Alvaro Hodeg Chagui (Col) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:23:44
77 Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Ineos Grenadiers 0:23:46
78 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:24:25
79 Héctor Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team
80 Senne Leysen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:25:07
81 Elia Viviani (Ita) Cofidis 0:25:27
82 Barnabás Peák (Hun) Team BikeExchange 0:26:04
83 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:26:09
84 Norman Vahtra (Est) Israel Start-up Nation 0:26:20
85 Tom Bohli (Swi) Cofidis 0:26:27
86 Jos van Emden (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:26:31
87 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) Cofidis 0:26:32
88 Edoardo Affini (Ita) Jumbo-Visma 0:26:53
89 Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:27:11
90 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:27:18
91 Arne Marit (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:27:38
92 Anthony Jullien (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team 0:27:55
93 Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:28:16
94 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Cofidis 0:28:25
95 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Groupama-FDJ 0:28:31
96 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:28:33
97 Jonathan Milan (Ita) Bahrain Victorious 0:28:50
98 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek-Segafredo 0:28:51
99 Julius van den Berg (Ned) EF Education-Nippo 0:29:01
100 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:29:16
101 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates 0:29:20
102 Finn Fisher Black (NZl) UAE Team Emirates 0:29:38
103 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal 0:29:43
104 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:30:15
105 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:30:26
106 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Bahrain Victorious 0:30:41
107 Attilio Viviani (Ita) Cofidis 0:30:49
108 Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) Team DSM 0:31:04
109 Thimo Willems (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:31:11
110 Callum Scotson (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:31:48
111 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:31:49
112 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:31:58
113 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 0:32:02
114 Stijn Steels (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:32:28
115 Daniel Arroyave Cañas (Col) EF Education-Nippo 0:32:33
116 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 0:32:51
117 Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:33:01
118 Charlie Quarterman (GBr) Trek-Segafredo 0:33:41
119 Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious 0:33:43
120 Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:34:05
121 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:34:30
122 Cees Bol (Ned) Team DSM 0:34:34
123 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Team DSM 0:34:37
124 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:34:43
125 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation 0:35:25
126 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates 0:35:28
127 Erik Baska (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:37:52
128 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:41:09
129 Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:51:47
130 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) EF Education-Nippo 0:53:57
131 Harry Tanfield (GBr) Team Qhubeka Assos 1:01:13
132 Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 1:07:11