Benelux Tour facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Benelux Tour

Renewi tour-logo-2023.svg
Race details
Date	August
Region	Benelux
Discipline	Road
Competition	UCI World Tour
Type	Stage-race
Race director	Jan Nys, Golazo
History
First edition	2005 (2005)
Editions	18 (as of 2023)
First winner	Bobby Julich (USA)
Most wins	Tim Wellens (BEL) (3)
Most recent	Tim Wellens (BEL)

The Benelux Tour is an exciting road bicycle racing event. It's a "stage-race," which means cyclists compete over several days in different stages. This race is part of the UCI World Tour, which is like the top league for professional cycling races around the world.

The race started in 2005. It has had a few different names over the years because of its sponsors. It was first called the Eneco Tour. Then, in 2017, it became the BinckBank Tour. In 2021, it was simply known as the Benelux Tour. The race didn't happen in 2022. In 2023, a new sponsor, Renewi, joined, and the race was renamed the Renewi Tour.

History of the Race

The Benelux Tour actually grew out of an older race called the Tour of the Netherlands. That race began way back in 1948. It became an annual event in 1975. Around the year 2000, it was known as the Eneco Tour.

In 2005, the UCI, which is the world governing body for cycling, started a new series of top races called the ProTour. To be part of this new series, the Tour of the Netherlands needed to be bigger and better. So, it teamed up with organizers from Belgium.

The idea was to create a new race that would cover the Benelux countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. While Belgium and the Netherlands are always part of the race, it hasn't yet gone into Luxembourg.

What are the Jerseys?

In cycling, leaders of different parts of the race wear special colored jerseys. These colors often change over time, usually when new sponsors come on board. Here's what the jerseys have looked like:

Year(s)	General	Points	Mountains	Young	Combativity
2005					No classification
2006			No classification
2007			No jersey	No classification
2008
2009			No classification
2010–2011
2012–2014				No classification
2015–2016
2017
2018
2019–2020
2021
2023–2024

Race Winners

Many talented cyclists have won the Benelux Tour and its different classifications. Here are some of the champions:

General Classification Winners

The general classification winner is the cyclist who finishes the entire race in the shortest total time.

Points Classification Winners

The points classification usually rewards sprinters who win stages or finish high up in many stages.

Mountains Classification Winners

This classification rewards the best climbers who earn points by being first over designated hills or mountains.

• 2005 :  Christian Vande Velde (USA)
• 2007 :  Martin Pedersen (DEN)
• 2008 :  Floris Goesinnen (NED)

Young Rider Classification Winners

This award goes to the best young cyclist in the race, usually under 25 years old.

• 2005 :  Thomas Dekker (NED)
• 2006 :  Stefan Schumacher (GER)
• 2010 :  Tony Martin (GER)
• 2011 :  Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR)
• 2023 :  Arnaud De Lie (BEL)
• 2024 :  Alec Segaert (BEL)

Combativity Classification Winners

The combativity award is given to the rider who shows the most fighting spirit and attacks during the race.

Team Classification Winners

This award goes to the team whose riders perform best overall in the race.

Most Stage Wins

Some cyclists have won many individual stages in the Benelux Tour. Here are the top riders with the most stage wins:

	Cyclist	# Stages
1	Tom Boonen (BEL)	7
	André Greipel (GER)	7
3	Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR)	5
4	Peter Sagan (SVK)	4
	Tim Wellens (BEL)	4
6	Tyler Farrar (USA)	3
	Zdeněk Štybar (CZE)	3
	Sam Bennett (IRL)	3
	Jasper Philipsen (BEL)	3
10	Alessandro Ballan (ITA)	2
	Sylvain Chavanel (FRA)	2
	Philippe Gilbert (BEL)	2
	Marcel Kittel (GER)	2
	Robbie McEwen (AUS)	2
	Tim Merlier (BEL)	2
	Jonathan Milan (ITA)	2
	Matej Mohorič (SLO)	2
	Manuel Quinziato (ITA)	2
	Svein Tuft (CAN)	2
	Max van Heeswijk (NED)	2

See also

In Spanish: Renewi Tour para niños