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Benelux Tour facts for kids

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Benelux Tour
Renewi tour-logo-2023.svg
Race details
Date August
Region Benelux
Discipline Road
Competition UCI World Tour
Type Stage-race
Race director Rob Discart
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 a super exciting bike race that happens in the Benelux countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and sometimes Luxembourg. It's a "stage-race," which means it's not just one long ride, but several shorter races (stages) over a few days. Think of it like a mini-series of bike races!

This tour is part of the UCI World Tour, which is like the top league for professional cycling around the world. Only the best teams and riders compete here. The race started in 2005 and has had a few different names over the years, usually because of its main sponsor. It was first called the Eneco Tour, then the BinckBank Tour, and now it's known as the Renewi Tour. In 2022, the race took a break, but it was back in 2023!

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, but it didn't happen every year until 1975. Around the year 2000, it became known as the Eneco Tour.

In 2005, the world of cycling changed with the start of the UCI's ProTour (the top level of racing). The old Tour of the Netherlands needed to become more exciting and challenging to join this new big league. So, the organizers teamed up with the people who ran the Tour of Belgium. They wanted to create a bigger, tougher race that would cover more ground in the Benelux region.

Even though they hoped to include Luxembourg, the Benelux Tour hasn't actually gone into Luxembourg yet. But it's still a fantastic race that brings together the best cyclists from around the globe!

What are the Jerseys?

In bike races, leaders wear special colored jerseys. These jerseys show who is leading in different parts of the competition. The colors of these jerseys have changed over the years, often when a new sponsor came along.

Here's a look at the different jerseys used in the Benelux Tour:

Year(s) General Points Mountains Young Combativity
2005 Jersey red.svg Jersey blue.svg Jersey white.svg Jersey yellow.svg No classification
2006 Jersey white.svg No classification
2007 No jersey No classification
2008 Jersey white.svg Jersey red.svg
2009 No classification
2010–2011 Jersey green.svg
2012–2014 No classification Jersey black.svg
2015–2016 Jersey green.svg
2017 Jersey green.svg Jersey blue.svg Jersey black.svg
2018 Jersey red.svg
2019–2020 Jersey white.svg
2021 Jersey blue.svg Jersey cyan.svg
2023 Jersey red.svg

Race Winners

Many amazing 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 stage race in the shortest total time. This is the main prize!

Points Classification Winners

The Points Classification rewards the most consistent sprinters and riders who finish well in stages. Riders earn points for high finishes.

Mountains Classification Winners

This classification is for the best climbers. Riders get points for being first to the top of certain hills or mountains. This classification was only part of the race in a few early years.

Young Rider Classification Winners

The Young Rider Classification is for cyclists under 25 years old. It highlights the rising stars of the sport!

Combativity Classification Winners

The Combativity Classification is given to the rider who shows the most fighting spirit and attacks during the race, even if they don't win.

  • 2012 :  Laurens De Vreese (BEL)
  • 2013 :  Laurens De Vreese (BEL)
  • 2014 :  Kenneth Vanbilsen (BEL)
  • 2015 :  Gijs Van Hoecke (BEL)
  • 2016 :  Bert Van Lerberghe (BEL)
  • 2017 :  Piet Allegaert (BEL)
  • 2018 :  Elmar Reinders (NED)
  • 2019 :  Baptiste Planckaert (BEL)
  • 2020 :  Kenneth Van Rooy (BEL)
  • 2021 :  Arjen Livyns (BEL)
  • 2023 :  Aaron Van Poucke (BEL)

Team Classification Winners

The Team Classification is for the best overall team in the race. It's about teamwork and how well the riders support each other.

  • 2005 : Liberty Seguros–Würth
  • 2006 : Liquigas
  • 2007 : Quick-Step–Innergetic
  • 2008 : Team Columbia
  • 2009 : Rabobank
  • 2010 : Rabobank
  • 2011 : Team RadioShack
  • 2012 : Omega Pharma–Quick-Step
  • 2013 : Omega Pharma–Quick-Step
  • 2014 : Garmin–Sharp
  • [[2015 Eneco Tour|2015}} : Lotto–Soudal
  • [[2016 Eneco Tour|2016}} : Etixx–Quick-Step
  • [[2017 BinckBank Tour|2017}} : Trek–Segafredo
  • [[2018 BinckBank Tour|2018}} : Quick-Step Floors
  • [[2019 BinckBank Tour|2019}} : Team Sunweb
  • [[2020 BinckBank Tour|2020}} : Alpecin–Fenix
  • [[2021 Benelux Tour|2021}} : Team Bahrain Victorious
  • [[2023 Renewi Tour|2023}} : UAE Team Emirates

Most Stage Wins

Some cyclists are really good at winning individual stages of the race. Here are the riders with the most stage wins in the Benelux Tour: Last updated after the 2023 Renewi Tour:

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
9  Alessandro Ballan (ITA) 2
 Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) 2
 Philippe Gilbert (BEL) 2
 Marcel Kittel (GER) 2
 Robbie McEwen (AUS) 2
 Tim Merlier (BEL) 2
 Matej Mohorič (SLO) 2
 Jasper Philipsen (BEL) 2
 Manuel Quinziato (ITA) 2
 Svein Tuft (CAN) 2
 Max van Heeswijk (NED) 2
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