The 2017 Tour of Belgium, known as the 2017 Baloise Belgium Tour for sponsorship purposes, was the 87th edition of the Tour of Belgium cycling stage race. It took place from 24 to 28 May 2017 in Belgium, as part of the 2017 UCI Europe Tour; it was categorised as a 2.HC race. Defending champion Dries Devenyns (Quick-Step Floors) did not take part in the race, as he was taking part in the concurrent Giro d'Italia.[2]
The race was won by Jens Keukeleire, riding for the Belgium national team.[3] Keukeleire trailed overnight leader Rémi Cavagna (Quick-Step Floors) by a second going into the final stage, but bonus seconds gained in the race's "golden kilometre" – where three intermediate sprint positions were held within the space of a kilometre – allowed Keukeleire to move into the lead on the road, and despite crashing in the final three kilometres, he was able to win the race by six seconds from Cavagna.[1] Three-time race winner Tony Martin of Team Katusha–Alpecin completed the podium, five seconds further behind Cavagna.[1]
In the race's other classifications, Jens Debusschere (Lotto–Soudal) won the points classification, the combativity classification was won by Cofidis rider Kenneth Vanbilsen, while the teams classification was taken by Quick-Step Floors, after placing three riders in the top five places overall.[1]
In the 2017 Tour of Belgium, three different jerseys were awarded. The general classification was calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage. Time bonuses were awarded to the first three finishers on all stages: the stage winner won a ten-second bonus, with six and four seconds for the second and third riders respectively. Bonus seconds were also awarded to the first three riders at sprints in the "golden kilometre", where three intermediate sprint positions were held within the space of a kilometre. Three seconds were awarded for the winner of the sprint, two seconds for the rider in second and one second for the rider in third. The leader of the general classification received a red jersey. This classification was considered the most important of the 2017 Tour of Belgium, and the winner of the classification was considered the winner of the race.
Points for the points classification
Position
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Points awarded
30
25
22
19
17
15
13
12
11
10
The second classification was the points classification. Riders were awarded points for finishing in the top ten in a stage. Unlike in the points classification in the Tour de France, the winners of all stages were awarded the same number of points. The leader of the points classification was awarded a blue jersey.
There was also a combativity classification, where riders received points for finishing in the top five at intermediate sprint points during each stage, on a 10–8–6–4–2 scale. Bonus points were awarded if a breakaway had gained a sufficient advantage over the field, up to a maximum of 5 points. There was also a classification for teams, in which the times of the best three cyclists in a team on each stage were added together; the leading team at the end of the race was the team with the lowest cumulative time.
Stage
Winner
General classification (Dutch: Algemeenklassement)
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l"Resultaten en mededelingen organisatie / Résultats et communique de l'organisation 5" [Results and communications from the organisation 5] (PDF). ChronoRace.be (in Dutch and French). ChronoRace - Electronic Timing SPRL. 28 May 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
^"Giro d'Italia: Quick-Step Floors target GC and sprints with Jungels and Gaviria". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017. Quick-Step Floors for the 2017 Giro d'Italia: Eros Capecchi (Ita), Laurens De Plus (Bel), Dries Devenyns (Bel), Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col), Bob Jungels (Lux), Iljo Keisse (Bel), Davide Martinelli (Ita), Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) and Pieter Serry (Bel).
^"Keukeleire eindwinnaar van Baloise Belgium Tour dankzij Gouden Kilometer" [Keukeleire, winner of Baloise Belgium Tour thanks to Golden Kilometer]. Sporza (in Dutch). Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie. 28 May 2017. Archived from the original on 30 May 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
^"Vijf WorldTour-teams in 87e editie Baloise Belgium Tour" [Five WorldTour teams in 87th edition of Baloise Belgium Tour]. Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Mediahuis. Belga. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
^"Lochristi to Knokke-Heist". Tour of Belgium. Sport.be. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
^"Beveren to Beveren". Tour of Belgium. Sport.be. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
^ a b c"Resultaten en mededelingen organisatie / Résultats et communique de l'organisation 3" [Results and communications from the organisation 3] (PDF). ChronoRace.be (in Dutch and French). ChronoRace - Electronic Timing SPRL. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
^"Ans to Ans". Tour of Belgium. Sport.be. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
^ a b c"Resultaten en mededelingen organisatie / Résultats et communique de l'organisation 4" [Results and communications from the organisation 4] (PDF). ChronoRace.be (in Dutch and French). ChronoRace - Electronic Timing SPRL. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
^"Tienen to Tongeren". Tour of Belgium. Sport.be. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
^"Resultaten en mededelingen organisatie / Résultats et communique de l'organisation 1" [Results and communications from the organisation 1] (PDF). ChronoRace.be (in Dutch and French). ChronoRace - Electronic Timing SPRL. 24 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
^"Resultaten en mededelingen organisatie / Résultats et communique de l'organisation 2" [Results and communications from the organisation 2] (PDF). ChronoRace.be (in Dutch and French). ChronoRace - Electronic Timing SPRL. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
Bryan Coquard (FRA)
Mathieu van der Poel (NED)
Matthias Brändle (AUT)
Jens Debusschere (BEL)
Tony Martin (GER)
Ruben Guerreiro (POR)
Lasse Norman Hansen (DEN)