Mark Cavendish wins final stage, Remco Evenepoel final winner Baloise Belgium Tour
Sunday 13 June 2021 at 13:43
Mark Cavendish has won the final stage in the Baloise Belgium Tour. His first success in this stage race. He won in the streets of Beringen in a bunch sprint of Tim Merlier and Pascal Ackermann. The overall victory of Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) was never in danger on the billiard-level circuit.
No less than 49 kilometers were covered in the first race hour. It took a while before the flight of the day was formed. Piotr Havik and Jordy Bouts (Beat-Cycling), cyclocross rider Ryan Kamp (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), Cyril Lemoine (B&B Hotels p/b KTM) and Corné Van Kessel (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) never really got on the billiard-level course. a lot of freedom. The maximum lead was two and a half minutes.
In the peloton Lotto Soudal (for Ewan), Alpecin-Fenix (for Merlier), BORA hansgrohe (for Ackerman) and Deceuninck-Quick-Step (for Cavendish) put in a man to limit the lead. Later, Jumbo-Visma also did the same. In the last of the three local rounds in and around Beringen the five were taken back, after which the peloton prepared for the third bunch sprint of this Baloise Belgium Tour.
???? Bunch sprint in Beringen. Cavendish beats Merlier and Ackermann!#BaloiseBelgiumTour pic.twitter.com/HPOmUtelcR
— Baloise Belgium Tour (@belgium_tour) June 13, 2021
Naturally, all eyes were on Caleb Ewan, but he was slightly hindered in the chaotic final kilometre. This made it a duel between Mark Cavendish on the left and Tim Merlier, who sprinted all the way to the other side of the road. Cav made it with more than half a bike. Pascal Ackermann was third. For Cav it was his fifth of the season, by far his best.
The second overall victory in a row by Remco Evenepoel was logically no longer in danger. Evenepoel laid the foundation for his overall victory in the opening stage and then successfully defended his leader’s jersey. His teammate Yves Lampaert finishes second at just over three quarters of a minute, while Gianni Marchand is third on the podium. A great success for the continental Tarteletto-Isorex.
Final phase stage 5:
