June 4, 2026
Many will be wanting to put yesterday's crash behind them and focus on the punchy finish of today's 167 km stage from Dison to the German Speaking town of Eupen. The distance between Dison and Eupen is about 20 km down the E40 but the riders must make a loop South then turn North again, Liège-Bastogne-Liège style, before reaching the finish. The first point of interest is the intermediate sprint after 23 km or racing. The riders will continue South until Sankt Vith on rolling roads but the challenges start on their return trip. There are three categorized climbs in the middle of the stage, all within 20 km of each other. The Côte de Ligneuville 3.2 km - 4.2%, Côte de la Ferme Libert 1.2 km - 12.2%, and the Côte de Ster 4.1 km - 3.3% will sap the strength before the finish circuit around Eupen even begins. The final 34 km on the circuit consist of four passages of the finish line after two large laps, one small lap, and the finish itself. The rise to the line is 500 meters at almost 10% but to throw a bit more fuel on the fire, the organizers have placed the last two intermediate sprints at 27 km and 7 km to go. The puncheurs should finally have their day and we could see decent time gaps as a result.
Race Summary
Rain was coming down quite hard at the sign-on and the riders were bundled up in jackets and gloves. A group of eight got away in the driving rain but as live coverage began with 85 km to go, the sun was out and the road looked to be drying. The eight men in the early move were Jonah Killy of Tarteletto-Isorex, Samuel Flórez of Modern Adventure, Pim Ronhaar of Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions, Kristiāns Belohvoščiks and Anton Lennemann of BIKE AID, Théo Demarcin of Color Code-Alu Center, George Wood of Mg.K Vis Costruzioni e Ambiente, and Robin Kull of Storck-MRW Bau. They had 1 minute 45 seconds on the approach to the first categorized climb of the Côte de Ligneuville with Netcompany-Ineos doing the work in the peloton.
The break road tempo up the Côte de Ligneuville which was more of a highway climb and not particularly difficult. The descent brought the race into the town of Malmedy with narrow streets and a beautiful old stone church. A poorly marked roundabout caused confusion in the break and the first few riders through missed the turn out. It split up the group but they all rejoined by the start of the Côte de la Ferme Libert with the exception of Lennemann. Ronhaar and Flórez went clear of the rest on the steep slopes of the Côte de la Ferme Libert and rode forward into the dark, threatening storm.
The two leaders started the Côte de Ster with a 25 second gap to the rest of the break and nearly 3 minutes to the peloton. We didn't get pictures of the KOM sprint but by the top at 56 km remaining, Belohvoščiks had joined Ronhaar and Flórez with 30 seconds on the remnants of the break and 3 minutes 30 seconds on the peloton. Rain started to fall once more as Killy and Wood were able to make their way back to the front of the race about 15 km from the first passage of the finish line.
NSN Cycling and Lotto Intermarché took the bait laid by Netcompany-Ineos and started to ride with 48 km to go as they gap went over 3 minutes 30 seconds. When the break crossed the Vesdre River (Weser in German) and reached Eupen, they climbed slowly up to the finish line at 34 km remaining and the clock was set to get a proper time check back to the peloton. The bunch came through the same point just 50 seconds later. NSN Cycling and Lotto Intermarché had been riding quite hard but perhaps the gaps given earlier were slightly exaggerated because it would have been difficult to close 2 minutes 40 seconds in just 14 km on these rolling roads.
After the line, the road tipped back down into the town of Eupen on pedestrian streets paved with bricks and small paving stones. To say it was slippery wouldn't be telling the whole story. Everyone took the corners extremely cautiously but the riders would have to come back through the same streets one more time later in the stage. At 27 km to go, Belohvoščiks rolled through the second of three intermediate sprints uncontested. The bunch was just 15 seconds behind and charging to position for the next passage of the finish line 7 km further on.
The break was caught at 24.5 km to go as Netcompany-Ineos continued to set their pace. They strung the peloton out on the climb to the line and riders were getting jettisoned out the back. Little gaps formed through Eupen town center on the paving stones but everyone stayed upright and the group was mostly together heading towards the third intermediate sprint. Yorben Lauryssen of Tarteletto-Isorex hit out for the sprint line early at 16 km to go which was a long way to go solo. Netcompany-Ineos was still in control but the speed wasn't rapid and another attack went with 12 km to go from Gerben Kuypers of Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw. Kuypers never made it across to Lauryssen who had built 15 seconds on the bunch with 10 km remaining and looking strong.
Lotto Intermarché and Redbull-Bora Hansgrohe came to the front with numbers at 9 km to go and the gap to Lauryssen disintegrated. The catch was made just 1 km later and the fight was on for the bonus seconds. Coming into a sharp left turn up the 400 meter, 7% rise to the Eupen Stadium, fourth overall, Laurence Pithie of Redbull-Bora Hansgrohe, dropped his chain and had to dismount. Riley Sheehan of NSN Cycling was driving hard up the climb which was going to make it very hard for Pithie to reach the front of the race again. Over the top, Sheehan continued piling on the pressure and gaps formed between riders behind. Lotto Intermarché got organized and had men to try and pull the race back for Arnaud De Lie.
With 4 km to go, Sheehan had picked up the intermediate sprint bonus seconds and was more than holding off the bunch which had been reduced to no more than 30 riders. Out of nowhere, Pithie emerged on the final kicker before the finish and the Kiwi attacked the chase group. With 1.6 km to go, Sheehan had 10 seconds on Pithie with the climb to the line still to come. Netcompany-Ineos had gathered race leader Kim Heiduk and were pulling hard but were around 10 seconds behind Pithie under the 1 km to go banner. Sheehan whipped across cobbled bridges and through the painted street corners of Eupen and was sprinting up the last 500 meters. Pithie was closing but so was the peloton. In the last 300 meters, Lotto Intermarché released De Lie and the bull came charging. De Lie swallowed up Pithie at 100 meters and was gasping for air but so was Sheehan. The pair almost came to stand still with 25 meters to go from the sheer intensity of the effort. De Lie's momentum carried him forward to take the win but there was no immediate celebration. The former Belgian Champion collapsed just after the finish line from exhaustion. Medical staff came over to make sure he was alright and after a few minutes, he was able to reach his feet and looked to be fine. In the final result, Sheehan took a heartbreaking second place with Ben Oliver of Modern Adventure taking third, 4 seconds down in Sheehan.
If there was any consolation for Sheehan, it was that the American took over the race lead due to his gap on the line and time bonuses along the way. He now leads both Ben Oliver and Arnaud De Lie by 3 seconds with the hardest stage still to come tomorrow.