Benelux Tour 2021 – Stage 7 [FULL STAGE]

September 5, 2021

Benelux Tour 2021 – Stage 7 – Namur – Geraardsbergen : 177,9 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.

Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) took a solo victory on stage 7 on the slopes of the Muur van Geraardsbergen at the Benelux Tour.

Bahrain Victorious put their stamp on the stage as Sonny Colbrelli finished second and sealed the overall victory of the seven-day event. Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma) finished third on the day.

“We knew that together we are a good unit,” Mohoric said. “We played our cards a little bit differently. We didn’t want just to defend Sonny’s lead by setting tempo and bringing back breaks, we wanted to provoke others to attack and for me to follow, so that the other riders would need to pace Sonny back to my wheel.

“We executed the plan perfectly, and it worked like a dream. We can’t be anything else but happy today.”

Colbrelli took the overall race lead on the previous day’s stage 6, and the only real threat to his lead came from his own teammate and breakaway rider Mohoric throughout stage 7. In the end, Colbrelli secured the overall title while Mohoric finished second overall at 29 seconds back and Victor Campenaerts (Qhebeka NextHash) in third at 1:14 back.

How it unfolded

The final stage of the Benelux Tour offered the field a 177.9km race between Namur and Geraardsbergen. The route included two intermediate sprints and nine climbs. The climbs were routed over the Muur van Geraardsbergen (1.2km at 6.8 per cent), Bosberg (0.5km at 7.6 per cent), and Denderoordberg (0.7km at 5.3 per cent), which were positioned along the final circuit that the peloton tackled three times, with one final half-climb of the Muur van Geraardsbergen to the finish line.

Eleven riders formed a breakaway early in the race that included Oscar Riesebeek (Alpecin-Fenix), Dries Devenyns (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Philippe Gilbert (Lotto Soudal), Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto Soudal), Hugo Houle (Astana-Premier Tech), Daniel Oss (Bora-hansgrohe), Jenthe Biermans (Israel Start-Up Nation), Barnabás Peák (Team BikeExchange), Casper Pedersen (Team DSM), Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (Team Qhubeka NextHash) and Toms Skujiņš (Trek-Segafredo). On the first entrance of the circuits the break held a gap of one minute.

Along the circuits over the punchy Muur van Geraardsbergen, and with attacks coming out of the peloton, a new group of four emerged to include Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Victor Campenaerts ( Qhubeka NextHash) and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates).

With 40km to go, and one full circuit remaining, the four leaders gained just under a minute on the main field led by Lotto Soudal and Jumbo-Visma. Mohoric went into the day second place on GC at 51 seconds behind his teammate Sonny Colbrelli, and he anticipated a chase group to form behind with Colbrelli in it.

McNulty was distanced from the breakaway as Asgreen, Campenaerts and Mohoric accelerated over the the ascents, and the American rider was reeled back into the main field ahead of the last circuit.

Mohoric made a solo attack at the base of the second last climb up the Muur van Geraardsbergen, to start the final lap, and just behind a chase group included Asgreen along with Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) and Mohoric’s teammate and overall leader Colbrelli, making for a perfect scenario for Bahrain Victorious. Mohoric pushed his lead out to 20 seconds, and with Wellens dropped from the chase, it was only Asgreen pulling with Colbrelli sitting on his wheel.

A larger second chase group formed at 30 seconds back with Wellens and Campenaerts, Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Fenix), Fred Wright (also Bahrain Victorious), Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), Aime De Gendt (Intermarche), and Tiesj Benoot (Team DSM).

Mohoric continued to push is lead out from 35 to 45 seconds with 10km to go, and as Colbrelli and Asgreen were reeled back into the next larger and reshuffling chase group, Mohoric briefly moved into a position to take the overall title for Bahrain Victorious.

Over the Denderoordberg, however, Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma) jumped out of what was left of the main field with Colbrelli glued to his wheel. Morhoric lost half of his gap as Dumoullin committed to the chase, and the overall classification once again moved back in favour of Colbrelli, with Bahrain Victorious playing their tactics to perfection.

Mohoric hit the base of the cobbled Muur van Geraardsbergen with 20 seconds in hand, and while he did not take the GC, he took a hard-fought win on the finale stage 7 in Geraardsbergen. His teammate Colbrelli powered over the line in second place, ahead of Dumoulin, and sealed his win in the overall classification at the Benelux Tour.

Results :
1 Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain Victorious 3:50:56
2 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain Victorious 0:00:11
3 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:00:15
4 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis 0:00:22
5 Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious
6 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:00:24
7 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation
8 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team
9 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Team DSM
10 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
11 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
12 Mads Würtz Schmidt (Den) Israel Start-up Nation
13 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
14 Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
15 Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
16 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
17 Marc Hirschi (Swi) UAE Team Emirates
18 Andrey Amador (CRc) Ineos Grenadiers
19 Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
20 Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
21 Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Team Qhubeka Assos
22 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Team BikeExchange
23 Logan Owen (USA) EF Education-Nippo
24 Davide Villella (Ita) Movistar Team 0:00:31
25 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team DSM 0:00:33
26 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:49
27 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:54
28 Aimé De Gendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:01:07
29 Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:01:43
30 Finn Fisher Black (NZl) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:46
31 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation 0:01:56
32 Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix 0:02:27
33 Michal Golas (Pol) Ineos Grenadiers 0:02:47
34 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:02:55
35 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:02:57
36 Tom Bohli (Swi) Cofidis
37 Milan Menten (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
38 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
39 Timo Roosen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:03:01
40 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Start-up Nation
41 Jake Stewart (GBr) Groupama-FDJ 0:03:03
42 Michael Schär (Swi) AG2R Citroën Team 0:03:05
43 Jack Bauer (NZl) Team BikeExchange
44 Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:03:09
45 Ben Swift (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
46 Hugo Houle (Can) Astana-Premier Tech 0:03:11
47 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep
48 Boy van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
49 Julius van den Berg (Ned) EF Education-Nippo 0:03:21
50 Attila Valter (Hun) Groupama-FDJ
51 Michael Gogl (Aut) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:05:49
52 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team 0:07:38
53 Senne Leysen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
54 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
55 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation 0:07:46
56 Miles Scotson (Aus) Groupama-FDJ 0:07:54
57 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:08:17
58 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal
59 Stijn Steels (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
60 Stefan Bissegger (Swi) EF Education-Nippo
61 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
62 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) EF Education-Nippo
63 Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates
64 Mathias Norsgaard (Den) Movistar Team 0:09:46
65 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Alpecin-Fenix
66 Edoardo Affini (Ita) Jumbo-Visma 0:10:22
67 Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious 0:11:24
68 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) EF Education-Nippo
69 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain Victorious
70 Arne Marit (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
71 Andreas Stokbro (Den) Team Qhubeka Assos
72 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
73 Laurenz Rex (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
74 Charlie Quarterman (GBr) Trek-Segafredo
75 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
76 Barnabás Peák (Hun) Team BikeExchange
77 Norman Vahtra (Est) Israel Start-up Nation
78 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
79 Alexis Renard (Fra) Israel Start-up Nation
80 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Groupama-FDJ
81 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team
82 Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Ineos Grenadiers
83 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers 0:01:12
84 Attilio Viviani (Ita) Cofidis 0:11:24
85 Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
86 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
87 Héctor Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team
88 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates
89 Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Pol) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:11:37
90 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
91 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers 0:11:53
92 Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech
93 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:12:09
DNF Elia Viviani (Ita) Cofidis
DNF Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Jos van Emden (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
DNF Alexander Konychev (Ita) Team BikeExchange
DNF Cees Bol (Ned) Team DSM
DNF Casper Pedersen (Den) Team DSM
DNF Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Qhubeka Assos
DNF Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Mikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
DNF Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal
DNF Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto Soudal
DNF Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech
DNF Matteo Sobrero (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech
DNF Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Bahrain Victorious
DNF Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Cofidis
DNF Daniel Arroyave Cañas (Col) EF Education-Nippo
DNF Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
DNF Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
DNF Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Callum Scotson (Aus) Team BikeExchange
DNF Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) Team DSM
DNF Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Team DSM
DNF Harry Tanfield (GBr) Team Qhubeka Assos
DNF Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Thimo Willems (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Alvaro Hodeg Chagui (Col) Deceuninck-QuickStep
DNF Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Anthony Jullien (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team
DNF Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech
DNF Jonathan Milan (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
DNF Erik Baska (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Szymon Sajnok (Pol) Cofidis
DNS Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Team Qhubeka Assos

Final General Classification :
1 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain Victorious 24:14:29
2 Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain Victorious 0:00:29
3 Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:01:14
4 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:01:26
5 Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:28
6 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:01:30
7 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:37
8 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Team DSM 0:01:54
9 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:01:55
10 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:02:01
11 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team DSM 0:02:17
12 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:02:25
13 Logan Owen (USA) EF Education-Nippo 0:02:32
14 Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:02:34
15 Marc Hirschi (Swi) UAE Team Emirates 0:02:41
16 Mads Würtz Schmidt (Den) Israel Start-up Nation 0:03:05
17 Andrey Amador (CRc) Ineos Grenadiers 0:03:16
18 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:03:47
19 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation 0:04:40
20 Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious 0:05:24
21 Aimé De Gendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:05:57
22 Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix 0:07:01
23 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis 0:07:06
24 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:07:40
25 Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:08:56
26 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team 0:09:07
27 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:09:13
28 Jack Bauer (NZl) Team BikeExchange 0:09:54
29 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation 0:10:48
30 Timo Roosen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:11:24
31 Michal Golas (Pol) Ineos Grenadiers 0:11:43
32 Ben Swift (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:11:48
33 Michael Schär (Swi) AG2R Citroën Team 0:11:51
34 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Start-up Nation 0:11:57
35 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers 0:14:33
36 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:15:03
37 Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates 0:15:19
38 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:16:04
39 Davide Villella (Ita) Movistar Team 0:16:50
40 Hugo Houle (Can) Astana-Premier Tech 0:17:29
41 Michael Gogl (Aut) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:17:34
42 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:17:42
43 Jake Stewart (GBr) Groupama-FDJ 0:18:35
44 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:19:36
45 Mathias Norsgaard (Den) Movistar Team 0:19:56
46 Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:20:00
47 Alexis Renard (Fra) Israel Start-up Nation 0:20:39
48 Milan Menten (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:21:15
49 Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:21:59
50 Attila Valter (Hun) Groupama-FDJ 0:22:28
51 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team 0:22:44
52 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers 0:23:19
53 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:24:02
54 Miles Scotson (Aus) Groupama-FDJ 0:24:07
55 Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech 0:25:05
56 Boy van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:25:26
57 Andreas Stokbro (Den) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:27:13
58 Stefan Bissegger (Swi) EF Education-Nippo 0:27:58
59 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) EF Education-Nippo 0:28:10
60 Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:28:25
61 Tom Bohli (Swi) Cofidis 0:29:21
62 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Alpecin-Fenix
63 Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Pol) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:29:48
64 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team 0:30:02
65 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain Victorious 0:30:04
66 Finn Fisher Black (NZl) UAE Team Emirates 0:31:21
67 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:32:10
68 Julius van den Berg (Ned) EF Education-Nippo 0:32:19
69 Senne Leysen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:32:42
70 Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:33:22
71 Laurenz Rex (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:34:44
72 Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Ineos Grenadiers 0:35:07
73 Héctor Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team 0:35:46
74 Edoardo Affini (Ita) Jumbo-Visma 0:37:12
75 Barnabás Peák (Hun) Team BikeExchange 0:37:25
76 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:37:30
77 Norman Vahtra (Est) Israel Start-up Nation 0:37:41
78 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:38:29
79 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:38:39
80 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:38:40
81 Arne Marit (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:38:59
82 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Groupama-FDJ 0:39:52
83 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates 0:40:41
84 Stijn Steels (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:40:42
85 Attilio Viviani (Ita) Cofidis 0:42:10
86 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation 0:43:08
87 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:43:19
88 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:43:55
89 Charlie Quarterman (GBr) Trek-Segafredo 0:45:02
90 Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious 0:45:04
91 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:46:17
92 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates 0:46:49
93 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) EF Education-Nippo 1:05:18