Dutchman Mike Teunissen won the 3rd stage of the Tour du Benelux, a World Tour event, ahead of Belgian Tim Wellens who took the lead in the general classification on Friday at the top of the Mur de Grammont. Frenchman Axel Zingle completed the podium.
On a bumpy course taking some of the difficulties of the Tour of Flanders (Leberg, Bosberg, Mur de Grammont …), the Intermarché rider signed the 8th victory of his career on his 31st birthday.
Under the impetus of Tim Wellens, eight riders took to the front 30 kilometers from the line in the second of three climbs of the Mur de Grammont. Teunissen placed his decisive attack 1.4 kilometers from the line on the cobblestones before the start of the final ascent.
Despite a loss of pressure (front wheel) which handicapped him during the last 25 kilometres, Wellens managed to hold on with the leading men to do the right job in the general classification while the leader of the race at the start of the he stage, Briton Joshua Tarling, quickly had to let go. Saturday, the 4th and penultimate stage, 179.4 km on a completely flat route between Beringen and Peer in Belgium, could be favorable to the sprinter, in particular to Jasper Philipsen, winner on Wednesday.