And that's four! Wellens wins Renewi Tour again, De Lie triumphs in Geraardsbergen

Tim Wellens has won the Renewi Tour for the fourth time. The Belgian rider from UAE Team Emirates was beaten by Belgian champion Arnaud De Lie in the final stage, but he gained time on all his competitors for the overall classification.

After Saturday's flat stage, which was won by Jasper Philipsen, it was time for the queen stage. And it was one to relish: the fifth stage covered over two hundred kilometers through the famous Flemish roads. It was a course filled with famous climbs: the Oude Kruisberg, Berg Ten Houte, and, of course, the Wall of Geraardsbergen.

The talk of the day was the absence of Mathieu van der Poel. The Alpecin-Deceuninck team leader did not start in the last stage due to knee pain after an injury in the time trial. The world champion nearly crashed but managed to recover. During the save, he hit his knee, and the pain did not subside. Therefore, he and his team did not want to take any risks.

Large group ahead, favorites keep control

A lot of riders were eager to make a move in the fifth stage of the Renewi Tour. A group of 21 riders broke away early, featuring some strong names like Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling), Edward Teuns (Lidl-Trek), Dries De Bondt (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale), Per Strand-Hagenes (Visma | Lease a Bike), and Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates). However, the peloton never let them gain much time, as the general classification contenders were keen to control the race and compete for the stage and overall victory. As the pace increased and the course took its toll, the breakaway group began to thin out.

With about fifty kilometers to go, Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious) attacked on the Bosberg, bringing along GC leader Alec Segaert (Lotto Dstny) and Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek). It was a chaotic phase with little control as the teams were scattered across the field due to the rapid succession of climbs. At the front, the breakaway split apart on the Muur, leaving De Bondt, Marco Haller (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-EasyPost), and Tomás Kopecký (TDT-Unibet Cycling Team) in the lead.

Later, Strand-Hagenes, Trentin, and Brent van Moer (Lotto Dstny) managed to bridge back, creating a group of seven leaders. They rode together to the final full ascent of the Muur, where the breakaway was caught by the peloton, led by Arnaud De Lie. On the steepest part, Wellens launched his anticipated attack. Only De Lie and the strong Strand-Hagenes could initially keep up. Behind them, Segaert was forced to lead the chase group by himself. Without support, this allowed more attacks to happen. Wellens pushed on and increased his lead, solidifying his victory.

Continue reading below the Tweet

Six breakaway riders fail to cooperate amid chaos behind

Three riders managed to break away from the chasing group. Mohoric, Stan Dewulf (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale), and Dutchman Rick Pluimers (Tudor Pro Cycling) successfully bridged the gap. Later, Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) also joined them. This gave us seven leaders at the front, but there was a lack of cooperation among them. The riders kept bickering constantly, with one attacking and then another taking a turn. Meanwhile, it was the same story behind them, resulting in the Wellens group starting the final ten kilometers with about a thirty-second lead. Segaert, without any support, found himself in a tough spot and seemed likely to lose his leader's jersey.

On the penultimate climb, the Denderoordberg, Wellens pushed the pace again. De Lie was able to keep up, while Mohoric, Pluimers, and Strand-Hagenes struggled. Dewulf and Madouas tried to reconnect, but Wellens, focused solely on the general classification, powered through relentlessly. Gradually, the two Belgians disappeared from the chasers' view. The peloton was defeated: it was clear that Wellens and De Lie would battle for the stage win. On the final uphill stretch in Geraardsbergen, De Lie overtook Wellens to claim victory. Wellens crossed the line in second, celebrating, knowing he had done enough to secure the overall win. Behind them, Madouas finished third, ahead of Pluimers.

Results powered by FirstCycling.com