Biniam Girmay puts his signature on the opening stage of the 95th Baloise Belgium Tour, held with start and finish in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem over a distance of 188.3 km. The Eritrean from NSN Cycling Team won a nail-biting sprint, beating Tim Merlier at the photo finish. The finish was uncertain also because the peloton managed to catch Rune Herregodts from UAE XRG less than 300 meters from the line. Completing the podium, Max Kanter from XDS Astana.

THE RACE. Plenty of attacks and sustained pace on the circuit that featured several passages across the finish line. The most interesting move came 63 kilometers from the finish, launched by Wies Nuyens (Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw Cycling Team), Jarno Bellens and Robbe Mellaerts (Baloise Verzekeringen - Het Poetsbureau Lions) and Bart Kortleve (Metec - SOLARWATT p/b Mantel). After about twenty kilometers, Bellens, who had worked for his teammate Mellaerts, was the first to give up, but shortly after the peloton definitively neutralized the attempt.

20 km from the finish, Rune Herregodts from UAE XRG attacked with a slim advantage, but it forced the sprinters' teams to line up single file and pull hard to neutralize the move.

Worth noting is the withdrawal of Juan Sebastian Molano from UAE XRG who, after being accompanied for a long time by the race doctor's vehicle, decided to abandon.

FINISHING ORDER

1. Girmay Biniam (NSN Cycling Team) in 04:05:50
2. Merlier Tim (Soudal Quick-Step)
3. Kanter Max (XDS Astana Team)
4. De Schuyteneer Steffen (Lotto-Intermarché)
5. Wærenskjold Søren (Uno-X Mobility)
6. de Kleijn Arvid (Tudor Pro Cycling Team)
7. Giddings Joshua (Lotto-Intermarché)
8. Jeannière Emilien (Team TotalEnergies)
9. Teunissen Mike (XDS Astana Team)
10. Oliveira Rui (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)