Mathieu van der Poel claimed victory in the third stage of the Renewi Tour. The Dutch rider defeated Arnaud De Lie and Belgian champion Tim Wellens in Geraardsbergen after a grueling three-man sprint. Tibor Del Grosso took fourth place.
Stage three on the Renewi Tour itinerary featured an intriguing challenge. After two opportunities for the sprinters, the third day favored the Classics specialists. The stage started in Aalter and finished—after a very challenging finale including ascents of the Muur van Geraardsbergen and the Bosberg—nearly 200 kilometers later in Geraardsbergen.
Van der Poel attacks early
The hilly stage produced a strong composition in the breakaway of the day. A group of eleven riders went clear, including Edoardo Affini (Visma Lease a Bike), Jensen Plowright (Alpecin-Deceuninck), and Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Wanty). The peloton let them get about four minutes ahead.
After around 70 kilometers, the riders faced their first series of hills, including the Berg Ten Houte—a tough climb familiar from the spring classics. Mathieu van der Poel saw it as the first chance to shake things up. The Dutchman launched a fierce attack and took only Maxim Van Gils with him. The two pulled together and soon built a gap of more than half a minute.
Wellens and Van der Poel in action - photo: Cor Vos
Favorites group after the Muur
The peloton realized the stakes were high. Tim Wellens put his teammates on the front to try to keep Van der Poel and Van Gils from escaping too far. At the first passage of the finish line, 66 kilometers from the end, the two were reeled in. Immediately afterward, Wellens unleashed his attack on the flanks of the Muur van Geraardsbergen. Mike Teunissen took over strongly, leading to the formation of a favourites group.
Alongside Wellens and Teunissen, riders like Van der Poel, Thibau Nys, Arnaud De Lie, Tibor Del Grosso, and Matej Mohoric joined the break. The strong leading group stayed together until the second and final (full) climb of the Muur van Geraardsbergen. There Van der Poel went on a scorching attack once more. Only De Lie managed to hold on to the top, with Wellens several seconds behind. Larger gaps opened up behind them.
Van der Poel, De Lie, and Wellens
After the Muur, Wellens quickly dragged himself back up to Van der Poel and De Lie. The trio began the last 30 kilometers together. However, they didn’t stay united for long—on the Bosberg, Van der Poel shook off his breakaway companions. For a moment, it seemed Van der Poel was launching a solo, but he hadn’t counted on Wellens. The Belgian champion sat low and started chasing Van der Poel.
The chase soon proved successful as Wellens closed the gap rapidly. De Lie slotted in behind Wellens, and the breakaway became a trio again. With 20 kilometers to go, they held a small advantage of ten seconds over four pursuers: Del Grosso, Fred Wright, Alberto Bettiol, and Stan Dewulf. The rest were far behind.
Long sprint on the Vesten
Van der Poel, Wellens, and De Lie allowed the chasers to gain a bit of ground, then launched a new acceleration. The chase group soon realized they wouldn’t catch the leaders—the winner was up front. On the day’s last hill, the Denderoordberg, the three contenders stayed together. In other words, they rode side by side into the tough finish on the Vesten in central Geraardsbergen.
Wellens tried once more to surprise De Lie and Van der Poel, but was unsuccessful. Then De Lie made the first move. The young Lotto rider started his sprint very early. Only Van der Poel could follow; Wellens dropped off. In the final few hundred meters, we witnessed a thrilling duel between De Lie and Van der Poel in a prolonged sprint, but ultimately it was Van der Poel who clearly took the win. He pushed himself very hard and had no energy left to celebrate.
Renewi Tour| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 03:50:53 | |
| 2 | " | |
| 3 | + 12 | |
| 4 | + 34 | |
| 5 | " | |
| 6 | " | |
| 7 | + 42 | |
| 8 | " | |
| 9 | " | |
| 10 | " |
