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Sprinters once again set to shine on the Elisabethwal?

Sprinters once again set to shine on the Elisabethwal?

On Wednesday, April 15, the peloton heads to Hasselt for a new edition of Ronde van Limburg. Will the sprinters once again battle for victory on the Elisabethwal in Tongeren-Borgloon, or will the classics specialists make the difference on the local circuit, which was renamed the “Limburg loop” during the 2024 UEC Road European Championships?

Kolonel Dusartplein in Hasselt once again hosts the start of the Limburg classic this year. After the traditional team presentation, the starting gun for the 78th Tour of Limburg will sound at 13:00. The riders face a 177 km race featuring 9 climbs and 8 cobbled sectors along the way.

From Hasselt, the peloton climbs the Glinberg and heads towards Bilzen-Hoeselt, which once again serves as the Tour Village. There, the riders complete two local laps, each featuring the cobbles of the Maastrichterallee and the elevation of the Keiberg.

Limburg loop

Next, the route heads to the Limburg loop, familiar from the road races during the 2024 UEC Road European Championships. With 114 km remaining, the peloton begins the first of three 38 km laps, each featuring the climbs of Kolmontberg – Zammelenberg and the cobbled duo Manshoven – Op de Kriezel, before passing the finish on the Elisabethwal in Tongeren-Borgloon.

The cobbles of Op de Kriezel form the final obstacle of the day, 12 km from the finish. Around 17:10, we will find out who succeeds Milan Fretin.

Course

Teams

We welcome 6 UCI WorldTeams at the start in Hasselt. The 3 Belgian teams (Alpecin-Premier Tech, Soudal Quick-Step, and Lotto Intermarché) are joined by Bahrain Victorious, Lidl-Trek, and Team Jayco AlUla.

They are joined by 8 UCI ProTeams: Burgos-BH, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Cofidis, Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, Unibet Rose Rockets, Team Flanders - Baloise, and MBH Bank CSB. In addition, 5 UCI Continental Teams also head to Limburg: Beat CC P/B Saxo, NSN Development Team, Parkhotel Valkenburg, Tarteletto - Isorex, and VolkerWessels Cycling Team.

With riders such as Tibor Del Grosso, Gerben Thijssen, Milan Fretin, Milan Menten, Dylan Groenewegen, and Sam Bennett, many top names are gearing up for Ronde van Limburg on Wednesday, April 15.