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Benelux Challenge - Discussion
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| Nemolito |
Posted on 02-03-2026 09:00
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Classics Specialist
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 Benelux Challenge (HC) - Discussion 
Hello everybody and welcome to a quick preview of the Benelux Challenge, taking place in Belgium and the Netherlands. In the past, strong allrounders have won here. Nevertheless, it can be said also less stronger allrounders have won here. Interesting, to say the least. Last year's winner was Sam Harrison, with Pidcock and Küng having won the won previous editions. First things first, here is the parcours.
So, let's have a look at the best riders per profile (in theory), and see how they compare with other skills useful in this race.
First, the prologue!
| Mtn | Hill | TT | Sta | Res | Cob | Spr | Acc | Prologue |  Chavanne | 57 | 63 | 64 | 70 | 75 | 56 | 75 | 75 | 81 |  Schomber | 54 | 58 | 74 | 66 | 76 | 50 | 69 | 69 | 81 |  Van Aert | 63 | 66 | 70 | 72 | 73 | 68 | 64 | 68 | 79 |  Howson | 58 | 64 | 79 | 71 | 72 | 57 | 63 | 66 | 79 |  Pedersen | 61 | 67 | 67 | 73 | 76 | 63 | 77 | 77 | 78 |  Kennett | 58 | 65 | 69 | 73 | 76 | 62 | 79 | 78 | 78 |  Scotson | 56 | 63 | 76 | 73 | 70 | 75 | 66 | 75 | 78 |  Kung | 70 | 73 | 77 | 74 | 72 | 72 | 63 | 71 | 78 |
Chavanne or Schomber for the first yellow jersey I assume, but none of them for the GC win. One interesting name here of course is previous winner Stefan Kung from Ekoi.
Next up, sprints!
| Mtn | Hill | TT | Sta | Res | Cob | Spr | Acc | Prologue | | Perera | 53 | 64 | 58 | 69 | 73 | 64 | 79 | 80 | 74 | | Kennett | 58 | 65 | 69 | 73 | 76 | 62 | 79 | 78 | 78 | | Afewerki | 62 | 63 | 62 | 76 | 69 | 68 | 78 | 79 | 70 | | Sanikwathi | 58 | 66 | 65 | 70 | 67 | 72 | 78 | 78 | 68 |  Nommela | 57 | 67 | 58 | 70 | 70 | 73 | 78 | 78 | 65 |  Stalberg | 53 | 60 | 57 | 65 | 77 | 58 | 78 | 74 | 65 | | Wouters | 66 | 68 | 59 | 73 | 75 | 64 | 77 | 79 | 61 | | Pedersen | 61 | 67 | 67 | 73 | 76 | 63 | 77 | 77 | 78 |  Willems | 57 | 64 | 63 | 72 | 77 | 55 | 77 | 77 | 70 | | Girmay | 64 | 71 | 61 | 76 | 76 | 79 | 77 | 76 | 65 |  Dekker | 63 | 66 | 60 | 81 | 77 | 73 | 77 | 76 | 61 |  Stallaert | 58 | 65 | 56 | 73 | 65 | 79 | 77 | 73 | 56 | | Page | 66 | 68 | 61 | 73 | 70 | 65 | 76 | 78 | 66 |
Ct individual top scorer Perera together with Kennett and Afewerki as the theoretically best sprinters, but maybe also a possibility for allrounder Girmay to score bonus seconds in one or two flat stages.
Next, the hilly stage!
| Mtn | Hill | TT | Sta | Res | Cob | Spr | Acc | Prologue | | Benoot | 75 | 81 | 63 | 75 | 74 | 76 | 69 | 71 | 62 | | Quita | 74 | 77 | 66 | 75 | 75 | 60 | 71 | 74 | 66 | | Van der Poel | 70 | 77 | 69 | 78 | 77 | 72 | 72 | 77 | 73 | | Le Gac | 69 | 77 | 60 | 73 | 74 | 52 | 64 | 69 | 60 | | Meurisse | 73 | 76 | 66 | 72 | 72 | 67 | 70 | 76 | 67 | | Robov | 72 | 76 | 66 | 72 | 73 | 50 | 69 | 71 | 66 | | Honore | 69 | 76 | 68 | 74 | 73 | 67 | 65 | 73 | 68 | | Stedman | 68 | 76 | 63 | 71 | 72 | 61 | 72 | 75 | 67 | | Roman | 77 | 75 | 64 | 71 | 73 | 61 | 63 | 76 | 58 |  Godon | 69 | 75 | 68 | 75 | 77 | 70 | 70 | 73 | 72 |
Benoot could really do some damage in and around Andenne, and with his cobbled skills he might even take home the GC win. Van der Poel and Godon also not the worst cobblers among the best puncheurs here.
So, final necesary skill, cobbles!
| Mtn | Hill | TT | Sta | Res | Cob | Spr | Acc | Prologue | | Zepuntke | 56 | 69 | 65 | 79 | 72 | 82 | 72 | 65 | 65 | | Kasperkiewicz | 66 | 74 | 72 | 75 | 77 | 81 | 59 | 67 | 74 |  Wisniowski | 67 | 69 | 72 | 72 | 73 | 81 | 71 | 73 | 75 | | Girmay | 64 | 71 | 61 | 76 | 76 | 79 | 77 | 76 | 65 | | Stallaert | 58 | 65 | 56 | 73 | 65 | 79 | 77 | 73 | 56 |  Moulingui | 53 | 71 | 52 | 71 | 71 | 78 | 65 | 68 | 52 | | Sulimov | 63 | 69 | 64 | 75 | 69 | 78 | 64 | 69 | 64 | | Daniel | 54 | 67 | 54 | 73 | 73 | 78 | 74 | 69 | 62 | | Polanc | 73 | 72 | 69 | 77 | 72 | 77 | 66 | 74 | 73 | | Moricz | 58 | 68 | 65 | 73 | 71 | 77 | 66 | 64 | 65 | | Nareklishvili | 61 | 66 | 75 | 73 | 73 | 77 | 64 | 71 | 76 | | Kolev | 52 | 62 | 60 | 73 | 71 | 77 | 62 | 67 | 66 | | Benoot | 75 | 81 | 63 | 75 | 74 | 76 | 69 | 71 | 62 | | Louvel | 64 | 72 | 73 | 75 | 78 | 76 | 67 | 67 | 73 | | Debesay | 64 | 71 | 69 | 70 | 74 | 76 | 66 | 73 | 71 | | Centrone | 62 | 71 | 59 | 72 | 67 | 76 | 53 | 58 | 62 | | Tediashvili | 66 | 70 | 65 | 76 | 78 | 76 | 71 | 71 | 65 |
The absolute legendary rider Zepuntke as clearly the best cobbler here, no doubt about that. Who are Kasperkiewicz or Wisniowski even? The fourty bonus seconds because of the two stage wins will probably not be enough for Zepuntke though, as he's just not the best uphill. The other two cobblers however are decent time trialists and can also get up a hill, so theoretically definitely GC contenders. But what does the AI think about this? Polanc also an interesting outsider on this list.
So, only one thing remaining for me now, enjoy the full startlist below, and good luck to all!
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 03-03-2026 22:58
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| Imladrik |
Posted on 02-03-2026 09:27
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Thanks for the preview!
Not sure we can do something here, so be in the break could already be that.
“...the secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to hear again. The ones you can enter anywhere and inhabit comfortably."
A. Roy
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 02-03-2026 09:40
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3974
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Bit mad to be going into a HC race with the top favourite for three stages - let's see how it shakes out in practice.
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| Caspi |
Posted on 02-03-2026 09:59
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 799
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Thanks for the preview 
I'm not sure if we'll ride for Meurisse or Debesay in the GC, but it doesn't matter. What matters is a stage win.
Benelux Challenge is our last goal race of the season (stage win), and we're not going to achieve our other sponsor objectives (8 stage wins & top 15 in the team standings) = last chance to achieve any sponsor objective this season.
For the stage win, we have Schomber for the prologue, Sanikwathi for the sprints, Meurisse for the hilly stage, and Lecourt De Billot for a surprise attack.
I’d guess we have more than 50 % of succeeding. Schomber should have around 50 % chance of winning the prologue. Then I would estimate 10 % for Sanikwathi, 5 % for Meurisse and 1 % for Lecourt De Billot to snatch a stage win throughout the race.
However, with how our season has gone so far, I'm not expecting even a podium for anyone besides Schomber.
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| quadsas |
Posted on 02-03-2026 15:27
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 2775
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no clue how this one's gonna go, but I fancy a decent pprd return from here
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| Jakstar22 |
Posted on 02-03-2026 20:18
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7614
Joined: 11-04-2012
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I really hope Howson can do well in the prologue and Afewerki can perform in the sprints. We do have some guys here that could do well in GC depending on how big the gaps are in the cobbles days. Will be an interesting race!
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| Ulrich Ulriksen |
Posted on 03-03-2026 02:11
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Directeur Sportif
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Hoping for good depth here with Godon, Hecht and Eekhoff all having a good mix of skills, problem might be that none of them are good enough to get us any priority and they all sink. Races like this always a mystery under a new engine.
Thanks to Nemo for stepping in with the preview.
Man Game: McCormick Pro Cycling |
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| Jakstar22 |
Posted on 03-03-2026 08:39
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7614
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Yesss! Very good start for Howson and the team! I don’t expect him to win GC but still a great start. Afewerki can try double down on points in the stages. Great start for us!
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| Caspi |
Posted on 03-03-2026 08:51
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Posts: 799
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 03-03-2026 10:33
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3974
Joined: 29-01-2013
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Mildly disappointing from Chavanne to finish 3rd in a two horse race, but at least Frison picking up some unexpected depth points. Excited to see how the sprints go!
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| whitejersey |
Posted on 03-03-2026 10:39
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3304
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Good prologue for Kaspa!
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