The route between Blankenberge and Ardooie over 185.5 kilometres was actually pretty much everything as in the opening stage, which also ended in a sprint. Once again it was Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who opened the sprint for Milan (Lidl-Trek). Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was first on his rear wheel. To make matters worse, the Belgian then had to ride around the world champion at the start of the sprint 250 metres before the finish line because he had dropped back on the wrong side. Milan was already over the hill by then, the gap too big.
While the 23-year-old celebrated his eleventh win of the season, Max Walscheid (Team Jayco-AlUla) finished third behind Philipsen. It was only the second top 10 result of the season for the 31-year-old. Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step), who clashed with Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco-AlUla) on the first day and crashed after the finish line, did not start. While Groenewegen already had to pull out of the race with a broken collarbone, Merlier was still struggling through the time trial. But now it was also the end for the most successful sprinter of the season with 13 stage wins. After Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) also had to drop out after a crash.
Nothing has changed in the overall standings, at least at the very front. Time trial winner Alec Segaert (Lotto-Dstny) continues to lead the race, followed by Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers). The day's winner Milan has moved up to seventh place and is 23 seconds behind the leader.
Renewi Tour 2024 results - the top 10 of stage 3
- Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) 3:58:30
- Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:00
- Max Walscheid (Team Jayco-AlUla) +0:00
- Arnaud Démare (Arkea-B&B Hotels) +0:00
- Gleb Syritsa (Astana Qazaqstan Team) +0:00
- Jules Hesters (Team Flanders-Baloise) +0:00
- Gerben Thijsse (Intermarché-Wanty) +0:00
- Davide Persico (Bingoal WB) +0:00
- Stefan Bissegger (EF Education EasyPost) +0:00
- Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) +0:00
The current standings in the overall standings
- Alec Segaert (Lotto-Dstny) 7:55:17
- Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) +0:07
- Tobias Foss (Ineos Grenadiers) +0:12
- Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) +0:16
- Ben Turner (Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:22
- Christophe Laporte (Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:23
- Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) +0:23
- Maximilian Schachmann (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:28
- Alberto Bettiol (Astana Qazaqstan Team) +0:28
- Remi Cavagna (Movistar) +0:31
How the 3rd stage of the Renewi Tour 2024 went
The 3rd stage of the Renewi Tour was initially once again an affair for breakaways. Five men set off shortly after the start and had a lead of more than three minutes at one point. Alongside Warre Vangheluwe (Soudal Quick-Step), Aaron Van Poucke, Ward Vanhoof (both Team Flanders Baloise) as well as Jordy Bouts and Axel Huens (both TDT-Unibet), the latter of whom lost contact early on, formed the front.
Apart from Vangheluwe, the other escapees were dropped twelve kilometres before the finish. The 23-year-old Belgian saved himself until the 4-kilometre mark, before the approaching sprint trains of Lotto-Dstny and Alpecin-Deceuninck swallowed him up as well. The teams controlled the final kilometres and there were no further attacks. Under the Devil's Lap, van der Poel once again moved in front of the peloton to increase the pace. But once again Alpecin's plan didn't work out - Milan was in a better position than his big rival Philipsen and took the next stage win.
