![Tour de Wallonie 2026 – Stage 3 [FULL STAGE]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Tour-de-Wallonie-2026-–-Stage-3-FULL-STAGE.png)
Description
June 3, 2026
47th Ethias-Tour de Wallonie 2026 🇧🇪 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 3 – Habay – Vaux-sur-Sûre : 176,9 km
Tour de Wallonie is a UCI ProSeries classification that unfolds across the rolling,
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June 3, 2026
47th Ethias-Tour de Wallonie 2026 🇧🇪 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 3 – Habay – Vaux-sur-Sûre : 176,9 km
Tour de Wallonie is a UCI ProSeries classification that unfolds across the rolling, picturesque landscapes of Wallonia in southern Belgium, where the roads twist through a mix of dense forests, industrial valleys, and quaint villages perched on steep hillsides. The terrain is a relentless succession of short, punchy climbs and longer, gradual ascents, with gradients frequently reaching 8–12% on narrow, winding roads that test both power and precision. The climbs are often irregular, featuring steep ramps, false flats, and exposed sections where the wind can shift suddenly, adding an extra layer of difficulty. The descents are fast and technical, with tight corners and uneven surfaces demanding constant focus, while the flatter sections are rarely straightforward, as crosswinds sweep across the open farmland and industrial plains.
The race dynamics are shaped by these relentless climbs and the tactical battles they inspire, with attacks often launching on the steepest sections or during moments of vulnerability in the peloton. The final kilometers frequently feature a decisive climb or a fast, technical run-in through a Walloon town, where a reduced group of riders contests the line in a sprint or a solo escapee holds off the chasers by a slender margin. The Tour de Wallonie is a race that rewards explosiveness, tactical intelligence, and resilience, capturing the essence of Wallonia’s rugged and unpredictable roads.
Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) made it two stage wins in two days for New Zealand at the Tour de Wallonie, winning from a reduced lead group after a massive crash devastated the peloton 1.5km from the finish line.
The 23-year-old was one of only around a dozen riders to avoid the carnage, surviving along with a trio of Red Bull teammates, three Netcompany Ineos riders, and several others.
Jordi Meeus and Danny van Poppel set up the lead-out for Pithie heading into the uphill finish in Vaux-sur-Sûre, and he duly finished it off after going head-to-head with Kim Heiduk (Netcompany Ineos).
Heiduk had no answer to Pithie’s final acceleration and so took second place. Krists Neilands (NSN) rounded out the podium in third place.
“I’m super happy. The team did a great job. We expected a bit more chaos with the wind, but in the end, it wasn’t strong enough to split it,” Pithie said after the stage.
“But I just avoided the crash in the final. I hope everyone’s OK because it looked pretty nasty. My teammates did a great job, and I can be super happy.
“[The crash] happened right in front of me. Me and Danny were super close to coming down. We just managed to swerve to the left. I think guys were fighting fully – it was a super stressful final with the wind, so guys were just fighting like usual, and there was a crash.
“It’s been great so far. Two wins in three stages is super nice. We were disappointed not to win yesterday, so it’s great we could come back today and show that we’re still here.
“The next two days are super hard. I expect fireworks. A lot of teams will try and make it an aggressive race. We’ll be ready, we have a strong team, and we’ll go for the stage win again tomorrow.”
Italian champion Filippo Conca (Jayco-AlUla) ventured out into the break of the day early on. He was joined by George Wood (Mg.K Vis-Costruzioni e Ambiente), Jarno Bellens (Baloise Verzekerigen-Het Poetsbureau Lions), Jonah Killy (Tartoletto-Isorex), Alvaro Segrado (Storck-MRW Bau), and Senne Thonnon (Flanders-Baloise).
However, with sprint teams, including Netcompany Ineos, Modern Adventure, NSN, and Alpecin-Premier Tech, hoping for a mass sprint finish, their time out front was always numbered.
The breakaway hit the final 30km of the 178km stage with a two-minute gap, but that decreased to 30 seconds over the next 10km. At 11km, it was over for the move, with Conca attacking in one last flourish before the sprint squads took over.
Alpecin, Ineos, and NSN were at the front for the final 3km, but plenty of riders’ dreams came to an abrupt end 1.5km from the finish. Red Bull racer Arne Marit went down near the front of the group following a touch of wheels, and dozens behind him were left with nowhere to go.
A select group of riders up front managed to avoid the massive crash, and the lucky few pushed on to contest the finish among themselves. In the end, Red Bull had the numbers to put on a solid lead-out for Pithie, and he finished off the job to take his third win of 2026.
Heiduk is the new race leader following the stage. The German previously lain in fourth overall, three seconds down on stage 2 winner Ben Oliver (Modern Adventure), but now moves into the orange jersey thanks to six bonus seconds picked up at the finish.
Results :
 ME - Stage 3 </strong> - Habay - Vaux-sur-Sûre : 176,9 km
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Tour de Wallonie is a UCI ProSeries classification that unfolds across the rolling, picturesque landscapes of Wallonia in southern Belgium, where the roads twist through a mix of dense forests, industrial valleys, and quaint villages perched on steep hillsides. The terrain is a relentless succession of short, punchy climbs and longer, gradual ascents, with gradients frequently reaching 8–12% on narrow, winding roads that test both power and precision. The climbs are often irregular, featuring steep ramps, false flats, and exposed sections where the wind can shift suddenly, adding an extra layer of difficulty. The descents are fast and technical, with tight corners and uneven surfaces demanding constant focus, while the flatter sections are rarely straightforward, as crosswinds sweep across the open farmland and industrial plains.
The race dynamics are shaped by these relentless climbs and the tactical battles they inspire, with attacks often launching on the steepest sections or during moments of vulnerability in the peloton. The final kilometers frequently feature a decisive climb or a fast, technical run-in through a Walloon town, where a reduced group of riders contests the line in a sprint or a solo escapee holds off the chasers by a slender margin. The Tour de Wallonie is a race that rewards explosiveness, tactical intelligence, and resilience, capturing the essence of Wallonia’s rugged and unpredictable roads.
Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) made it two stage wins in two days for New Zealand at the Tour de Wallonie, winning from a reduced lead group after a massive crash devastated the peloton 1.5km from the finish line.
The 23-year-old was one of only around a dozen riders to avoid the carnage, surviving along with a trio of Red Bull teammates, three Netcompany Ineos riders, and several others.
Jordi Meeus and Danny van Poppel set up the lead-out for Pithie heading into the uphill finish in Vaux-sur-Sûre, and he duly finished it off after going head-to-head with Kim Heiduk (Netcompany Ineos).
Heiduk had no answer to Pithie's final acceleration and so took second place. Krists Neilands (NSN) rounded out the podium in third place.
"I'm super happy. The team did a great job. We expected a bit more chaos with the wind, but in the end, it wasn't strong enough to split it," Pithie said after the stage.
"But I just avoided the crash in the final. I hope everyone's OK because it looked pretty nasty. My teammates did a great job, and I can be super happy.
"[The crash] happened right in front of me. Me and Danny were super close to coming down. We just managed to swerve to the left. I think guys were fighting fully – it was a super stressful final with the wind, so guys were just fighting like usual, and there was a crash.
"It's been great so far. Two wins in three stages is super nice. We were disappointed not to win yesterday, so it's great we could come back today and show that we're still here.
"The next two days are super hard. I expect fireworks. A lot of teams will try and make it an aggressive race. We'll be ready, we have a strong team, and we'll go for the stage win again tomorrow."
Italian champion Filippo Conca (Jayco-AlUla) ventured out into the break of the day early on. He was joined by George Wood (Mg.K Vis-Costruzioni e Ambiente), Jarno Bellens (Baloise Verzekerigen-Het Poetsbureau Lions), Jonah Killy (Tartoletto-Isorex), Alvaro Segrado (Storck-MRW Bau), and Senne Thonnon (Flanders-Baloise).
However, with sprint teams, including Netcompany Ineos, Modern Adventure, NSN, and Alpecin-Premier Tech, hoping for a mass sprint finish, their time out front was always numbered.
The breakaway hit the final 30km of the 178km stage with a two-minute gap, but that decreased to 30 seconds over the next 10km. At 11km, it was over for the move, with Conca attacking in one last flourish before the sprint squads took over.
Alpecin, Ineos, and NSN were at the front for the final 3km, but plenty of riders' dreams came to an abrupt end 1.5km from the finish. Red Bull racer Arne Marit went down near the front of the group following a touch of wheels, and dozens behind him were left with nowhere to go.
A select group of riders up front managed to avoid the massive crash, and the lucky few pushed on to contest the finish among themselves. In the end, Red Bull had the numbers to put on a solid lead-out for Pithie, and he finished off the job to take his third win of 2026.
Heiduk is the new race leader following the stage. The German previously lain in fourth overall, three seconds down on stage 2 winner Ben Oliver (Modern Adventure), but now moves into the orange jersey thanks to six bonus seconds picked up at the finish.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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