The big news of this year’s Belgium Tour is that it won’t feature an individual time trial. The stage which has been so many times decisive in recent years is absent at this 95th edition, which gets underway on Wednesday from Scherpenheuvel-Zichem and concludes in Hoeilaart, five days later and after more than 900 kilometers.
Once again, there will be two clear chances for the sprinters, but the general classification will be an affair between the puncheurs and Classics specialists, who’ll battle over this demanding course comprising cobbled sectors and more than 70 ranked climbs, most of which are short but feature steep gradients. On top of that, the race once again features the famous Golden Kilometer, whose bonus seconds could be crucial in the way the general classification will look on Sunday.
