Bad luck spoils homecoming for De Lie as Meeus sprints to victory in the Tour of Wallonia
CyclingMonday, 01 June 2026 at 17:25
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Follow us on GoogleThe opening stage of the Tour of Wallonia was won by Jordi Meeus. The Belgian sprinted convincingly to victory after a stage that had been attacked hard from the finish. Home rider Arnaud De Lie endured a day of terrible bad luck, with no fewer than three punctures.
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The Giro d’Italia had only just finished when the next stage race was already on the programme. In Belgium, the Tour of Wallonia began on Monday. Corbin Strong was unable to defend his title because of Giro duty, but that did not mean there was a shortage of big names.
Arnaud De Lie was on the start line, for instance. The Belgian withdrew from the Giro because of illness, but was able to ride his home race, which he was keen to do. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe also had strong cards to play with Meeus and the in-form Laurence Pithie.
Three riders up front, De Lie punctures
Three riders went clear straight from the start. Dries De Bondt was the best-known name in that group. German Oscar Schempp then tried to bridge across, but ended up in a classic chasse patate.
Up to the local circuit, it was mainly Lotto-Intermarché and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe who took charge in the peloton. Until unlucky Arnaud De Lie punctured yet again. The Belgian was fortunately able to get back quickly.
Continue reading below the photo!
NSN Cycling lifts the pace
On the local circuit, it was mainly NSN who took control. The team did not have a top sprinter and did everything it could to avoid a bunch finish. The pace really went up towards the final climb of the Mur de Thuin, while De Lie had to change bikes again.
The Belgian was able to return just before the climb, but up front the race exploded thanks to NSN. A group including Pithie and Sente Sentjens got a bit of freedom, but did not work together well. Still, it was the start of an aggressive finale.
Final sprint decided it
The peloton had been reduced substantially, making control difficult. At this stage it was the smaller teams Tarteletto and Flanders-Baloise who tried to steady things. With five kilometres to go, calm seemed to have returned and a sprint still looked likely.
Tom Crabbe of Flanders-Baloise and Axel Laurence of INEOS Grenadiers had plenty of riders around them, while De Lie punctured for a third time. The Belgian gave up with 3 kilometres to go, so he would not lose time in the general classification.
With 1.5 kilometres remaining, Krists Neilands tried to catch the sprinters out with a late attack. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, however, stayed alert and covered it. Meeus then finished the job of his team in convincing style.
Results stage 1 Tour of Wallonia 2026
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- Who cares what Stef Clement says? Really, who cares about his idle, baseless comments about Taej's crash, or anything else? Really, does anybody care?rjb31-08-2026
- Show me a video or photo of one rider in the peloton pointing to the rock or whatever the obstacle was and I'll believe Pogacar was complacent. Even on a group ride that would have been pointed out by other riders, and the folks I ride with are far from pros!packfiller7131-08-2026
- - Mas was pure patience. Closing bit by bit instead of a single surge was clever — avoids going into the red. But the article says “toughest day” and still small gaps; doesn’t that suggest the field is pretty evenly matched or the pace never fully detonated?samanthak31-08-2026
- - Mühlberger basically admitted they burned matches too soon, which left Gall solo way too early. If you’ve got numbers, you don’t nuke them at 7k to go on a HC climb. That’s Climbing Tactics 101, lads.velodromevirtuoso131-08-2026
- - Can someone explain the 10 bonus seconds? Are those just for stage placings and do they always apply at mountain-top finishes?jennifer1931-08-2026
- - Not sure I buy all the Decathlon bashing. Yes, they lit it too early, but if Gall was on a meh day, the damage control wasn’t awful. Only 28s on a monster elevation day isn’t catastrophic.tourdeforce931-08-2026
- - Brilliant ride from Mas. Loved how Movistar kept their powder dry until the final ramps — textbook pacing, then the killer punch. Red jersey and a stage, vaya crack.gearguru3331-08-2026
- - Muy buen análisis pero un poco duro, no? He had an off day. Give him a full build and a clean start position and it’s a different carrera. Still, totalmente de acuerdo: compromiso total o nada.pedalpowe2931-08-2026
- - He’s had flashes on the MTB (Nové Město when healthy, the power is there), but execution and tech flow on slick courses still a gap. If he wants Olympic gold, he needs a full XC calendar, altitude, and proper technical blocks. No more dipping in between Tour and Worlds. Allez, do it right!lindae31-08-2026
- - Sorry if this is basic, but why did he start so far back? Is that because of UCI points from MTB events he hasn’t raced, or something else with the grid system?andrewf31-08-2026
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