August 21, 2026
With the start of Stage 3 in Celles, the riders begin in the French speaking part of Belgium and will straddle the language border for the majority of the day as they travel East towards the cycling-mad town of Geraardsbergen. The 182 km route is riddled with climbs that we become well acquainted with in March and April. In the first 105 km, the riders will pass over the Côte du Trieu/Knokteberg, Paterberg, Hotond, Oude Kruisberg, and Berg Ten Houte but the main feature of the day is a circuit around Geraardsbergen. Starting with 75 km to go, the riders enter the circuit for two full laps of 34 km each with four climbs on each lap including the Denderoodberg, Kapelmuur, Bosberg, and the Onkerzele Berg. The Green Kilometer is on the Bosberg itself on the second passage with 28 km to go which should ignite the aggression if it hasn't already. The bunch will take on a third, final passage of the Denderoodberg before the finish line on the Vesten at the bottom of the Muur. There are two more difficult days to come but the selective course should go a long way in deciding the final GC on Sunday evening.
Race Summary
High cloud slightly dimmed the daylight but there were sparks when the race got under way. A few moves got space but the attack that stuck was from just three men, Michiel Lambrecht of Flanders Baloise, Julius Johansen of UAE-XRG, and Frederik Frison of Pinarello Q36.5. Their maximum gap was 3 minutes 40 seconds over the peloton and with 63 km to go, they had retained 2 minutes of their advantage and were just starting the Bosberg for the first of two times. Chasing just 20 seconds ahead of the main field were Louis Vervaeke of Soudal Quickstep and Menno Huising of Visma-Lease a Bike but their momentum was taking them backwards. Attacks went flying over the top of the Bosberg and no one had control of the race.
Vervaeke and Huising were caught by an advancing group but gaps were sewn up and the majority of the peloton reconnected through Grimminge. A new group formed with Lorenzo Milesi of Movistar, Niklas Behrens of Visma-Lease a Bike, and Martin Svrček of Soudal Quickstep who crested the Onkerzele Berg with 52 km to go around 55 seconds down on the break and 30 seconds ahead of the peloton who were regathering themselves for the difficulties to come.
Three became six at the front with 41 km to go when Milesi, Behrens, and Svrček joined Lambrecht, Johansen, and Frison. Netcompany-Ineos and XDS-Astana were keen to put in a strong chase and had the gap down to 35 seconds by the bottom of the Denderoodberg with 39 km to go. The speed was scary fast in the peloton over the top and down the Guilleminlaan into Geraardsbergen. They crossed the Dender river like it was a lead out to the finish line and riders went tumbling onto the pavement moments later. Around ten riders had fallen which slowed those near the back and strung the field into one long line. The race continued however as the leaders powered through the market square and onto the Vesten.
Behrens led the six leaders across the cobbles and through the finish line to take the bell for one lap to go. A group of seven split off the front of the peloton and were only a handful of seconds behind with the rest of the bunch chasing at 15 seconds. The six leaders were caught as they began climbing the Muur and the entire bunch was single file as they twisted around the Kapel at the top and down the other side. Riders were spread everywhere on the run to the Bosberg and Alec Segaert of Bahrain Victorious found himself off the front with Jenno Berckmoes of Lotto Intermarché. They were being chased by a group of five, then another 25 riders, then even more small groups further back.
It was Berckmoes who took 8 of the maximum 9 possible seconds through the Green Kilometer on the Bosberg as he shared the spoils with Segaert who gathered 7 seconds. By the top of the Bosberg, they had built 20 seconds on a chase group which had consolidated into around 35 riders, albeit stretched by the steep slope and cobbles of the climb. There were very few leaders in the chase group who had teammates to commit to tracking down Berckmoes and Segaert who were out to 25 seconds ahead with 22 km to go on the run to the Onkerzele Berg.
Laurence Pithie of Redbull-Bora Hansgrohe snuck away over the top of the Onkerzele Berg and was making good progress on the two leaders. With 16 km to go, the Kiwi was just 15 seconds behind and had a buffer of 25 seconds on the languishing main field that included race leader Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Premier Tech who was still sitting tight within. Other riders with Philipsen were Arnaud De Lie of Lotto Intermarché, Olav Kooij of Decathlon CMA CGM, and Søren Wærenskjold of Uno-X Mobility. Pinarello Q36.5 picked up the chase for Quinten Hermans along with a rider from UAE-XRG and the race began to close back in. As the peloton turned out of the tiny village of Zarlardinge and back towards Geraardsbergern, they were 28 seconds down on the two leaders with Pithie stuck almost exactly in the middle.
As Berckmoes and Segaert hit the cobbles of the Denderoodberg with 6 km to go, they were still working seamlessly together and holding 30 seconds on the bunch. Pithie was caught by the charging peloton who were sprinting up the Denderoodberg. Only 10 seconds separated the two groups with 5 km to go as Tomáš Kopecký of Unibet Rose Rockets tried to go clear and make the bridge. Kopecký ran out of gas and was reabsorbed and the chasers immediately started to look around at each other.
Pinarello Q36.5 went back to the front down the Guilleminlaan and across the Dender to get the leaders within touching distance for the final rise to the line. Decathlon CMA CGM, Groupama-FDJ United, EF-Education EasyPost, and Tudor Pro Cycling were all fighting to get their men into position coming into Geraardsbergen which looked just as nerve wracking as it did on the last time around. 7 seconds was the difference as they Segaert led Berckmoes under 1 km to go and it was looking like they might get caught within sight of the line. Berckmoes launched his attack as he entered the market square, passed Sint-Bartholomeuskerk, and onto the cobbles of the Vesten. Berckmoes was looking great but his teammate, De Lie, was charging from behind. De Lie passed Segaert with Philipsen and Kooij in the wheel but it was too late to catch Berckmoes who hit the line and looked as much surprised as he was happy for the win. De Lie faded in the last few meters and second was taken by Philipsen, then Kooij in third and De Lie on the same time, all 3 seconds down on Berckmoes.
Along with the stage win, Berckmoes was awarded the leader's jersey as he picked up a net of 15 seconds on Philipsen between the stage win, time on the line, and Green Kilometer bonuses. Philipsen now sits 6 seconds behind in second with Kooij in third at 12 seconds and De Lie in fourth at 19 seconds.