Preview Baloise Belgium Tour 2025 | Ganna and Nys on familiar ground, just like Philipsen and Merlier
CyclingTuesday, 17 June 2025 at 13:21
With the ZLM Tour canceled due to the NATO summit in the Netherlands, the Baloise Belgium Tour is the only remaining warm-up race for the Tour de France in the Low Countries. Eight WorldTeams will be in action from Wednesday to Sunday in Belgium, so we can expect another exciting edition. IDLProCycling.com shows you what to expect!
Last year, victory went to the strong Uno-X-Noor Soren Waerenskjold, who held on to his leader's jersey after the time trial. The year before, Mathieu van der Poel dominated the race in Durbuy, while Mauro Schmid won in 2022 by taking advantage of the Golden Kilometer.
In 2021 and 2019, Remco Evenepoel won, while in previous years, riders such as Jens Keukeleire, Dries Devenyns, and Greg Van Avermaet, who have since retired, came out on top.
Latest winners Baloise Belgium Tour
2024 Soren Waerenskjold
2023 Mathieu van der Poel
2022 Mauro Schmid
2021 Remco Evenepoel
2020 Not ridden
2019 Remco Evenepoel
2018 Jens Keukeleire
2017 Jens Keukeleire
2016 Dries Devenyns
2015 Greg Van Avermaet
2023 Mathieu van der Poel
2022 Mauro Schmid
2021 Remco Evenepoel
2020 Not ridden
2019 Remco Evenepoel
2018 Jens Keukeleire
2017 Jens Keukeleire
2016 Dries Devenyns
2015 Greg Van Avermaet
Baloise Belgium Tour 2025: Course, favorites stage wins and times
Stage 1, Wednesday, June 18: Merelbeke - Knokke-Heist (197.6 km)
This year, the Baloise Belgium Tour will start in Merelbeke-Melle and finish almost 200 kilometers later at the now-familiar location in Knokke-Heist. At De Wandelaar, the road climbs steeply at the end, but we usually see sprinters in action.
Favorites
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Casper van Uden (Picnic PostNL)
Casper van Uden (Picnic PostNL)
Times
Start: 12:45 PM local time (06:45 AM EDT)
Finish: 5:10 PM local time (11:10 AM EDT)
Start: 12:45 PM local time (06:45 AM EDT)
Finish: 5:10 PM local time (11:10 AM EDT)
Stage 2, Thursday, June 19: Beringen - Putte (194.6 km)
On day two, the peloton will cycle from Beringen to Putte, where several local laps are on the program. This is likely another battle between the faster men in this Baloise Belgium Tour.
Favorites
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Times
Start: 12:50 PM local time (06:50 AM EDT)
Finish: 5:05 PM local time (11:05 AM EDT)
Start: 12:50 PM local time (06:50 AM EDT)
Finish: 5:05 PM local time (11:05 AM EDT)
Stage 3, Friday, June 20: Tessenderlo - Ham (9.7 km, individual time trial)
This year, the Baloise Belgium Tour is visiting Jasper Philipsen's region, but it is unlikely that he will compete for the victory. The program includes a 9.7-kilometer individual time trial—really something for the powerhouses.
Favorites
Times
Start: ... hour local time
Finish: 5 PM local time (11 AM EDT)
Start: ... hour local time
Finish: 5 PM local time (11 AM EDT)
Stage 4, Saturday, June 21: Durbuy - Durbuy (173.0 km)
For the third year in a row, the queen stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour will be held in and around Durbuy. In this tourist town, developed by Marc Coucke, the finish is on a steep hill after a day of ups and downs. Who will follow Alex Aranburu and Mathieu van der Poel?
Times
Start: 12:50 PM local time (06:50 AM EDT)
Finish: 5:02 PM local time (11:02 AM EDT)
Start: 12:50 PM local time (06:50 AM EDT)
Finish: 5:02 PM local time (11:02 AM EDT)
Stage 5, Sunday, June 22: Brussels - Brussels (183.4 km)
The Baloise Belgium Tour ends in Brussels, Belgium's capital. There, the 180-kilometer stage is divided into five local laps, after which the sprinters must time their sprint on the slightly uphill finish.
Favorites
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Fernando Gaviria (Movistar)
Fernando Gaviria (Movistar)
Times
Start: 12:45 PM local time (06:45 AM EDT)
Finish: 4:30 PM local time (10:30 AM EDT)
Start: 12:45 PM local time (06:45 AM EDT)
Finish: 4:30 PM local time (10:30 AM EDT)
Favorites final classification Baloise Belgium Tour 2025
Will the time trial or stage towards Durbuy be crucial? That seems to be the key question ahead of the Baloise Belgium Tour. With Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) for the individual time trial and Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) for the uphill stage, there are two clear favorites for these stages, which, in theory, could make for a spectacular race.
Behind them are the names of riders who are capable of anything. UAE-Emirates XRG has several options, with Florian Vermeersch, Filippo Baroncini, and Rune Herregodts, although Ganna and Nys also have some backup. Respectively, Ben Turner, Connor Swift, Arthem Schmidt, Soren Kragh Andersen, Jakob Soderqvist, and Alex Kirsch are also in the mix.
This pushes the Belgian teams somewhat into the background in the GC, although they do have the sprinters with them. Jasper Philipsen could also compete in the GC for Alpecin-Deceuninck, while Soudal Quick-Step and Lotto will be betting on guys like Ethan Hayter and Jenno Berckmoes.
Other outsiders are Kevin Vermaerke (Picnic PostNL), Orluis Aular, Gonzalo Serrano, Jon Barrenetxea (Movistar), Alexandre Delettre (TotalEnergies), Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Wanty), Jonas Abrahamsen, Adne Holter (Uno-X) and possibly Pim Ronhaar or David Haverdings of Baloise Trek Lions.
Who are the favorites for the final classification of the Baloise Belgium Tour 2025, according to IDLProCycling.com?
Top favorites:Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) and Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek)
Outsiders:Florian Vermeersch (UAE Emirates-XRG), Jakob Soderqvist, Soren Kragh Andersen (Lidl-Trek), Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto) and Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers)
Long shots: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step), Kevin Vermaerke (Picnic PostNL), Connor Swift (INEOS Grenadiers), Rune Herregodts, Filippo Baroncini (UAE Emirates-XRG), Orluis Aular (Movistar) and Alexandre Delettre (TotalEnergies)
Outsiders:Florian Vermeersch (UAE Emirates-XRG), Jakob Soderqvist, Soren Kragh Andersen (Lidl-Trek), Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto) and Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers)
Long shots: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step), Kevin Vermaerke (Picnic PostNL), Connor Swift (INEOS Grenadiers), Rune Herregodts, Filippo Baroncini (UAE Emirates-XRG), Orluis Aular (Movistar) and Alexandre Delettre (TotalEnergies)
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
TV broadcast Baloise Belgium Tour 2025
For live TV coverage, tune in to Sporza this week. It will begin its live broadcasts between 3:00 PM and 3:30 PM local time. HBO Max also offers coverage, but online.
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Latest Comments
- Two old men shouting at pigeons in the park…JonS16-06-2025
- Out of touch old men hankering after their youth through rose tinted spectacles, their arrogance almost outshines their irrelevance. Turn the volume down, this modern stuff just isn't music like we used to sing...johnny20whales16-06-2025
- In talking speed skating, the days when Heiden did that, nobody else did that. And Eddy couldn't do the equivalent of the bike. His 200 on the velodrome was good, but not world competitive for gold. Heiden was in his own world on the ice, moreso than Eddy if we pretend Eric didn't have a very short career on the ice.Veganpotter16-06-2025
- They wouldn't have dropped HIM so easily.... the GOAT. They would have dropped the rest from that era easily thoughVeganpotter16-06-2025
- Merckx was able to win in a break away on a flat (sprinters) stage, what do you mean they did not drop that easily in his time. Vlaeminck won in the mountains and the classics, but now you need to specialise. The days that a Eric Heiden could win the sprint and the 10k and everything in between are long gone and cycljng is no differentJoostmehrtens16-06-2025
- Carsapaz and Del torro were not capable of chasing Yates. They paused and looked at each other because they didn't have it in them. Yates had kept his powder dry waiting for this stage and demolished both of them. They lost Yates won. Your second guessing is utter nonsense., if either felt they could close Yates down they would have , just like they did countless times for other riders. They blew up , Yates excelled.Uphillbilly05-06-2025
- Carapaz is full of it. He is absolutely irrelevant after a rant at del Toro. Isaac had no obligations to do anything for Carapaz. It should remind one of the saying that goes lke this: "If I jump off the bridge, are you going to jump too?" If Caapaz wanted to win the Giro he should have chased Yates with or without Isaac. And if del Toro could follow, then so be it. But it was Carapaz's choice to slow down and stare at Isaac. Isaac was on the radio at times and you can bet he was being told by the Team car to do just what he was doing. Did I like that he didn't set out after Yates himself, NO. But the 21 year old was probably being instructed to do what he did, otherwise you can bet we would have heard from UAE mgmt. that Isaac chose to ignore their orders. But what we did hear was they were happy with his result. Which I think was a terrible betrayal of their young rider, who I think was capable of more than that penultimate stage showed. The Giro finished on a truly sour note as far as I'm concerned, because it was not "raced" The most crucial stage of the whole 21 stage race was simply given away, playing games with the unwritten rules of bicycle racing. "Leaders jerseys responsibility" and all that nonsense. Just RACE! It was disgraceful.
reemmo004-06-2025 - Well this aged like fine milkGlyn31-05-2025
- This is just mean-spirited.agnessk29-05-2025
- Something a bit misleading with this headline...mrbobke23-05-2025