Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) claimed the ultimate stage 5 victory on the Baloise Belgium Tour, his second win within the five-day race. Merlier out-paced rivals Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Tom Van Asbroeck (Israel-Premier Tech) in Brussel.
Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) secured the general title on the 2024 Baloise Belgium Tour after main the race since successful the opening time trial in Beringen.
The finale stage 5 on the Baloise Belgium Tour was an 186.2km race in Brussels. The flat route was held throughout 5 laps of a roughly 35km circuit, and three alternatives have been provided on the mid-race Golden Kilometre dash for time bonuses, together with time bonuses provided on the end line.
A breakaway and a chase group emerged in the course of the early kilometres of the race, which ultimately merged to kind a nine-rider group that included Dries De Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team), Ceriel Desal (Bingoal WB), Sébastien Grignard (Lotto Dstny), Olivier Godfroid (Baloise-Trek Lions), Stijn Appel (BEAT Cycling Club),
Thimo Willems (VolkerWessels Cycling), Kay De Bruyckere (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), Mauro Verwilt (Tarteletto-Isorex) and
Under rain-soaked circumstances, the breakaway handed by way of the end line for the primary time with 4 laps to go, and the peloton, led by Uno X Mobility and Lidl-Trek, was solely 40 seconds behind.
The breakaway held onto 30 seconds on the sector over the subsequent 40km, however as they entered the ultimate two circuits, Soudal-QuickStep additionally joined the pace-setting on the entrance of the sector, inflicting the hole to drop additional.
De Bondt did the lion’s share of the work to maintain the now-reduced breakaway going. Desal, Grignard, Godfroid, and Willems appeared over their shoulder to see the sector simply 5 seconds behind, they usually have been caught with 52km remaining.
Michiel Coppens (BEAT Cycling Club) made a late-race assault 16km out and gained 18 seconds, however the transfer was short-lived because the groups with highly effective sprinters surged into their respective lead-outs and reeled him with 5km to go.
Gwen Leclainche (Philippe Wagner/Bazin) counter-attacked in a late-race flyer and gained a slim hole of 9 seconds. But was introduced again into the fold with three kilometres to go because the sprinter groups barrelled into the ultimate bunch dash in Brussels.
Results
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