ProTeam Jenno Berckmoes finishes second in Renewi Tour, Lionel Taminiaux wins combativity classification

Lotto-Intermarché looks back on a successful Renewi Tour. Jenno Berckmoes started today’s final stage in Leuven in second place in the general classification and successfully defended that position. After an exciting battle, he finishes the five-day stage race as runner-up to sprinter Jasper Philipsen. “I think we gave everything we had with the resources available to us,” says Berckmoes. “Unfortunately, Taco Van der Hoorn and Huub Artz both had to abandon earlier this week after crashes, each with a fracture in the hand, while Arnaud De Lie was unable to start this morning because of illness. We were a bit depleted as a team, which made it difficult to really make the race hard. I tried everything I could, with one final attempt on the Wijnpers. When you’re only four seconds away from the overall lead, you simply have to try. I squeezed out everything I had, but Jasper Philipsen was strong enough to follow. He’s having an incredibly strong season, and this is already the second time this year that I’ve finished runner-up to him in a general classification.”

Nevertheless, Berckmoes leaves the Renewi Tour with plenty of reasons to be satisfied. His week was highlighted by an impressive victory in Friday’s queen stage in Geraardsbergen. “I broke my collarbone during the Tour de France. Two hours later, I told the sports directors that I wanted to race the Renewi Tour. I was determined to be here. Just 34 days later, I’m able to win a stage and finish second in the general classification. You can’t be anything but happy with that. That victory in Geraardsbergen was the icing on the cake. The fact that I could shape the finale there together with Alec Segaert, my former teammate and a good friend, and then finish it off with the victory made it even more special.”

Lionel Taminiaux also stepped onto the final podium in Leuven. After an attacking week of racing, the Belgian secured the Super 8 combativity classification, giving Lotto-Intermarché another reason to celebrate at the end of a successful Renewi Tour.

Picture: Milan Berckmoes