Benelux Tour Explained

Benelux Tour
Date:August
Region:Benelux
Discipline:Road
Competition:UCI World Tour
Type:Stage-race
Director:Rob Discart
Number:18 (as of 2023)
Mostwins: (3)

The Benelux Tour (previously known as the Eneco Tour and the BinckBank Tour) is a road bicycle racing stage-race that is part of the UCI World Tour. The race was established in 2005 and was originally known as the Eneco Tour, named after the original sponsor. In 2017, the online discount broker BinckBank took over as the title sponsor, with the name of the race changing accordingly.[1] In 2021, with the absence of a title sponsor, the race was known again as the Benelux Tour.[2] The race was not held in 2022 due to conflicts with the racing calendar.[3] In 2023, waste management company Renewi joined as a sponsor and renamed the race once again, this time to the Renewi Tour.[4]

History

The Tour of the Netherlands began on 6 May 1948, but only became an annual event in 1975. From about 2000 it was known as the Eneco Tour. The start of the UCI's ProTour in 2005 saw the faltering tour reorganised and reinvigorated. From 2017 to 2020, the race was known as the BinckBank Tour.

The Benelux Tour is a continuation of the faltering Tour of the Netherlands, which UCI president Hein Verbruggen deemed necessary for marketing reasons.[5] The Dutch Tour organisation got a better sponsor (ENECO Energie). But because the race was not difficult enough, it could not be accepted into the new ProTour. At that point the organisation sought help from the organisation of the Tour of Belgium and the Tour de Luxembourg. They envisaged a Tour of the Benelux that would replace the three. This led to the Tour of Belgium as a co-organiser. The Tours of Belgium and Luxembourg however continued as such. The co-organisation or incorporation of the Tour de Luxembourg did not materialize, and since its inception the Benelux Tour has not crossed into Luxembourgish territory yet.

Jerseys

The jersey colors for the classification leaders have changed several times over the years, mostly to reflect sponsor changes.

Winners

General classification

The winners since 2005 have been:[7] [8]

Points classification

The winners of the points classification were:[8]

Mountains classification

There have only been mountains classifications in 2005, 2007 and 2008. The winners were:[8]

Young rider classification

The young rider classification is open for cyclists under 25. The winners of the young rider classification were:[8]

Combativity classification

The winners of the combativity classification were:

Team classification

Most stage wins

Last updated after the 2023 Renewi Tour:

! Cyclist
  1. Stages
Stages
17 2006

Stages 1 (Hoogeveen, Netherlands), 3 (Westmalle, Belgium) and 5 (Balen, Belgium)
2008: Stages 1 (Roermond, Netherlands) and 4 (Ardooie, Belgium)
2009: Stage 3 (Hasselt, Belgium)
2015: Stage 3 (Ardooie, Belgium)

7 2008

Stage 2 (Nieuwegein, Netherlands)
2010: Stages 2 (Ardooie, Belgium) and 6 (Heers, Belgium)
2011: Stages 1 (Sint Willebrord, Netherlands), 2 (Ardooie, Belgium)
2013: Stage 4 (Vlijmen, Netherlands)
2015: Stage 2 (Breda, Netherlands)

35 2008

Stage 6 (Brussels, Belgium)
2009: Stages 6 (Roermond, Netherlands) and 7 (Amersfoort, Netherlands) (ITT)
2011: Stage 6 (Sittard, Netherlands)
2016: Stage 7 (Geraardsbergen, Belgium)

44 2016

Stages 3 (Ardooie, Belgium) and 4 (Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium)
2017: Stages 1 (Venray, Netherlands) and 3 (Ardooie, Belgium)

4 2014

Stage 6 (Aywaille, Belgium)
2015: Stage 6 (Houffalize, Belgium)
2017: Stage 6 (Houffalize, Belgium)
2019: Stage 4 (Houffalize, Belgium)

63 2009

Stages 1 (Ardooie, Belgium), 2 (Brussels, Belgium) and 4 (Libramont, Belgium)

3 2013

Stages 3 (Brouwersdam, Netherlands) and 7 (Geraardsbergen, Belgium)
2014: Stage 2 (Heusden, Netherlands)

3 2019

Stage 1 (Hulst, Netherlands) and Stage 2 (Ardooie, Belgium) and Stage 3 (Aalter, Belgium)

92 2005

Stage 5 (Verviers, Belgium)
2012: Stage 7 (Geraardsbergen, Belgium)

2 2009

Prologue (Rotterdam, Netherlands) (ITT)
2013: Stage 5 (Sittard-Geleen, Netherlands) (ITT)

2 2006

Stage 7 (Ans, Belgium)
2011: Stage 3 (Andenne, Belgium)

2 2012

Stages 1 (Middelburg, Netherlands) and 4 (Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands)

2 2007

Stage 3 (Putte, Belgium)
2010: Stage 1 (Rhenen, Netherlands)

2 2021

Stages 1 (Dokkum, Netherlands) and 4 (Ardooie, Belgium)

2 2021

Stage 7 (Geraardsbergen, Belgium)
2023: Stage 5 (Bilzen, Belgium)

2 2020

Stage 1 (Ardooie, Belgium)
2023: Stage 1 (Ardooie, Belgium)

2 2006

Stage 3 (Sittard-Geleen, Netherlands)
2015: Stage 7 (Geraardsbergen, Belgium)

2 2010

Prologue (Steenwijk, Netherlands) (ITT)
2012: Stage 6 (Ardooie, Belgium) (ITT)

2 2005

Stages 1 (Mierlo, Netherlands) and 5 (Hasselt, Belgium)

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Binck Bank nieuwe sponsor Eneco Tour. Dutch. Binck Bank is the new sponsor of the Eneco Tour. Wielerflits. 5 April 2017. 15 August 2021.
  2. Web site: Van der Poel, Dumoulin to race Benelux Tour. CyclingNews. 10 August 2021. 15 August 2021.
  3. Web site: Benelux Tour rescheduled to 2023 . renewitour.com . 8 June 2022 . 29 July 2023.
  4. Web site: Benelux Tour becomes Renewi Tour, the most sustainable cycling event on the calendar . renewitour.com . 23 May 2023 . 29 July 2023.
  5. Graat, John (August 3, 2005). Fantastische' Pro Tour zegen voor profronde. Trouw (Dutch newspaper), p. 13.
  6. Web site: Eneco Tour . 2011-08-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121010203421/http://sport.be.msn.com/enecotour/2005/nl/klassement/ . 2012-10-10 . dead .
  7. Web site: Eneco-Tour du Benelux (Bel & Hol) - Cat. Pro-Tour . 2010-10-24 . 2011-08-14 . Memoire du Cyclisme . fr . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110914131734/http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/etapes/eta_eneco_tour.php . 2011-09-14 .
  8. Web site: Benelux Tour. Cycling archives. 2011-08-14.