Ronde van Limburg 2021 [FULL RACE]

May 24, 2021

Ronde van Limburg 2021 – Dunkerque – Iwuy : 197,1 km

Ronde van Limburg is a one-day race held in the Belgian province of Limburg, one of five Dutch-speaking provinces that make up the Region of Flanders. Appropriately so, this year the lumpy one-day event will be run by the Flanders Classics organisation for the first time. Ronde van Limburg features difficult slopes and cobblestone sections for the riders to negotiate. Unlike its fellow Flanders Classics’ events, the Ronde van Limburg falls outside of the Spring Classics this year. Usually run in June, the race returns after a one year absence and in a new slot. The Ronde van Limburg is no stranger to rejuvenation, having been revived in 2012 after an 18-year absence. This year’s 73rd edition of the race will feature a spirited startlist. Beginning in the provincial capital of Hasselt, as it will do for the next three years, the route will feature an undulating route that heads south into Haspengouw, whilst showing off two of the region’s finest tourist destinations, namely Bilzen and Borgloon, a city known as the Pearl of Haspengouw. There will be no time for coffee and cake however, with menacing climbs, narrow roads and cobblestone sections a staple of the race. After travelling over lumpy terrain, the race will end in Tongeren, with three laps of a local circuit. Whilst often finishing in a reduced bunch sprint, the riders must be aware of the slightly uphill drag to the line on the Eeuwfeestwal.

Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) nabbed the victory in the Ronde van Limburg, taking out the surprise bunch sprint ahead of Dan McLay (Arkea-Samsic) and John Degenkolb (Lotto Soudal).

The sprint followed the shocking disappearance of solo attacker Brent Van Moer (Lotto Soudal) who had a lead of almost 10 seconds at the 1km to go banner and then was gone.

After the finish, cameras revived footage of Van Moer taking the wrong right-hand turn, one that came around 100m before the final bend in Tongeren.

“At 500 meters from the finish, some riders had gone off course,” Merlier said after his win. “I almost took the wrong turn there, too.

“In the meantime I had completely lost sight of whether Van Moer was already caught or not. I raised my hands, but then I thought: ‘Am I winning? I won’t be second, will I?'”

Van Moer was part of the day’s breakaway that went clear after 60km of racing, the only WorldTour rider in a move that included Cedric Beullens (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) and Sven Burger (BEAT Cycling) and, later, Frederik Backaert (B&B Hotels), Alex Colman (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) and Jules Hesters (Beat Cycling) after Burger had been dropped.

Van Moer went away solo with 16km to go and, with 3km to go he still had 25 seconds with Uno-X and Arkéa-Samsic leading the chase, but it all went wrong for the young time trial talent inside the final kilometre when he mistook the instructions of the signalman and took the wrong right turn. Banging his bars in frustration, the 23-year-old – second in a stage in Tirreno-Adriatico this year – didn’t bother to cross the finish line.

Lotto Soudal directeur sportif Kurt Van de Wouwer told Sporza the signalmen clearly directed Van Moer down the diversion meant for the team cars. “We have already reviewed the images several times and it is clear that Van Moer was sent in the wrong direction by two signalmen standing along the side of the road,” Van de Wouwer said.

“Those two signalers urged Van Moer to take the road that was there to divert the support cars.

“This is such a shame. Brent is in sack and ashes. He’s deeply disappointed. He made the race all the way. He was the strongest of the day.

“Brent was in the early breakaway. New guys came to him, but Brent Van Moer rode them all off and so he could start the final alone. Everything went perfectly up to 500 meters from the finish.”

Although the team still had Degenkolb on the podium in third, Van de Wouwer said “This is a small plaster on a large wound. My riders collectively rode a very good and strong race. It would have been close, but the possibility that Van Moer would win was there.

“Brent will be heading to the Dauphiné soon. There will be some mental tinkering to follow. This will have to settle for a few days.”

Merlier, the winner of a stage in the Giro d’Italia, dropped out of the Grand Tour citing stomach problems and fatigue, but was allowed to compete in the Ronde van Limburg with permission from RCS Sport and the UCI.

Results :
1 Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 4:41:35
2 Daniel McLay (GBr) Team Arkea-Samsic
3 John Degenkolb (Ger) Lotto Soudal
4 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Qhubeka Assos
5 Bram Welten (Ned) Team Arkea-Samsic
6 Milan Menten (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
7 Stan Van Tricht (Bel) SEG Racing Academy
8 Boy van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
9 Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
10 Rory Townsend (Irl) Canyon DHB Sungod
11 Casper van Uden (Ned) Team DSM
12 Arne Marit (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
13 Ward Vanhoof (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
14 Tom Paquot (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
15 Ruben Apers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
16 Andreas Stokbro (Den) Team Qhubeka Assos
17 Fabio Van Den Bossche (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
18 James Fouche (NZl) Black Spoke Pro Cycling
19 Jarrad Drizners (Aus) Hagens Berman Axeon
20 Toon Aerts (Bel)
21 Elmar Reinders (Ned) Riwal Cycling Team
22 Andreas Goeman (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
23 Leon Heinschke (Ger) Team DSM
24 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
25 Martijn Budding (Ned) Beat Cycling
26 Piotr Havik (Ned) Beat Cycling
27 Hartthijs de Vries (Ned) Metec-Solarwatt p/b Mantel
28 Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
29 Luke Mudgway (NZl) Black Spoke Pro Cycling
30 Matthew Bostock (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod
31 Martin Urianstad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
32 Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:00:14
33 Jens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 0:00:17
34 Carlos Barbero (Spa) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:00:20
35 Maikel Zijlaard (Ned) SEG Racing Academy 0:00:25
36 Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:00:32
37 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:00:40
38 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Team Qhubeka Assos
39 Bert De Backer (Bel) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 0:00:44
40 Markus Pajur (Est) Team Arkea-Samsic
41 Florian Vermeersch (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:01:04
42 Iver Skaarseth (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:01:10
43 Daniel Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
44 Laurenz Rex (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
45 Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
46 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
47 Luca Mozzato (Ita) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
48 Rick Ottema (Ned) Metec-Solarwatt p/b Mantel
49 David van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix
50 Wessel Krul (Ned) SEG Racing Academy 0:01:30
51 Jesper Rasch (Ned) SEG Racing Academy 0:01:31
52 Lars Van Der Haar (Ned)
53 Thomas Mijnsbergen (Ned) Metec-Solarwatt p/b Mantel
54 Stefano Museeuw (Bel) Beat Cycling
55 Lars Hohmann (Ned) Metec-Solarwatt p/b Mantel 0:01:34
56 Reece Wood (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod 0:01:37
57 Jacob Scott (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod
58 Gianmarco Garofoli (Ita) Team DSM
59 Daan Hoole (Ned) SEG Racing Academy
60 Frederik Backaert (Bel) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
61 Lucas Eriksson (Swe) Riwal Cycling Team
62 Tom Sexton (NZl) Black Spoke Pro Cycling
63 Viktor Verschaeve (Bel) Lotto Soudal
64 Thibau Nys (Bel) 0:01:41
65 Thijs Aerts (Bel)
66 Robert Scott (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod 0:01:55
67 Marius Mayrhofer (Ger) Team DSM
68 Lars Saugstad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:03:33
69 Cedric Beullens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:04:06
70 Jens Reynders (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
71 Tim Naberman (Ned) Team DSM
72 Marten Kooistra (Ned) Beat Cycling
73 Tobias Kongstad (Den) Riwal Cycling Team
74 Gil D´Heygere (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
75 Jens van den Dool (Ned) Metec-Solarwatt p/b Mantel
76 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:07:17
77 Donavan Grondin (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
78 Jesper Schultz (Den) Riwal Cycling Team
79 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
80 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Team Arkea-Samsic
81 Marcel Meisen (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
82 Sven Burger (Ned) Beat Cycling
83 Sébastien Grignard (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:07:26
84 Ryan Christensen (NZl) Canyon DHB Sungod 0:09:40
DNF Jordy Bouts (Bel) Beat Cycling
DNF Pedro Andrade (Por) Hagens Berman Axeon
DNF Pepijn Reinderink (Ned) Team DSM
DNF Lucas Bourgoyne (USA) Hagens Berman Axeon
DNF Jonas Castrique (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
DNF Diogo Barbosa (Por) Hagens Berman Axeon
DNF Jules Hesters (Bel) Beat Cycling
DNF Alex Colman (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Wesley Vercamst (Bel) Bingoal WB
DNF James Oram (NZl) Black Spoke Pro Cycling
DNF Samuel Janisch (USA) Hagens Berman Axeon
DNF Jim Brown (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod
DNF Alexander White (NZl) Black Spoke Pro Cycling
DNF Erlend Blikra (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNF Kiaan Watts (NZl) Black Spoke Pro Cycling
DNF Ethan Batt (NZl) Black Spoke Pro Cycling
DNF Kristian Kulset (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNF Enzo Leijnse (Ned) Team DSM
DNF Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Dietmar Ledegen (Bel)
DNF Ward Huybs (Bel)
DNF Chris Ernst (Can) Xspeed United Continental
DNF Doron Wiggins (Bel) Xspeed United Continental
DNF Joshua Teasdale (GBr) Xspeed United Continental
DNF Tom Thill (Lux) Xspeed United Continental
DNF Simon Daniels (Bel) Xspeed United Continental
DNF Evan Burtnik (Can) Xspeed United Continental
DNF Enzo Wouters (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
DNF Brent Van Moer (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Alfdan De Decker (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
DNF Brent Van De Kerkhove (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
DNF Elias Van Breussegem (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
DNF Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
DNF Adrie Lindeman (Ned) Riwal Cycling Team
DNF Victor Broex (Ned) Metec-Solarwatt p/b Mantel
DNF Yentl Bekaert (Bel)
DNF Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix Development Team
DNF Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
DNF Ramon van Bokhoven (Ned) Metec-Solarwatt p/b Mantel
DNF Ylber Sefa (Alb) Tarteletto-Isorex
DNF Kim Magnusson (Swe) Riwal Cycling Team
DNF Xandres Vervloesem (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Morten Nørtoft (Den) Riwal Cycling Team
DNF Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Sean Flynn (GBr) SEG Racing Academy
DNF Danny van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Milan Paulus (Bel) SEG Racing Academy
DNF Simon Jones (USA) Hagens Berman Axeon
DNF Emil Vinjebo (Den) Team Qhubeka Assos