Benelux Tour - previously BinckBank Tour - cancelled due to 'overcrowded cycling calendar'

The Benelux Tour, formerly known as the Eneco Tour and BinckBank Tour, has been cancelled for 2022, with officials citing the "overcrowded cycling calendar" as the reason for the race's removal from the calendar. 

Due to take place from Monday August 29 until Sunday September 4 in the Netherlands and Belgium, organisers stated there are logistical difficulties which cannot be solved for the Benelux Tour to go ahead as planned, with a lack of police available to assist throughout the event. 

Limited media resources are available too for the UCI WorldTour stage race, due to the clashing with other events on the cycling calendar. 

A statement made by the Benelux Tour reads: "For the organisation, relocating the event is the only solution to avoid the problems caused by the overcrowded cycling calendar, especially in the logistics and media field. The pressure on that international cycling calendar causes several conflicts for which, despite frantic efforts, there is no other solution than this postponement.

"This year, the Dutch police cannot vouch for the guidance by the National Unit of the journeys in the Netherlands. For the Benelux Tour, which attaches great importance to safety, racing without the necessary police assistance is downright dangerous and not an option."

With the Benelux Tour due to race at the same time as the Vuelta a España, organisers seemed concerned interest in the event would dwindle as a result. In previous years, the stage race has taken place in the weeks prior to the Spanish Grand Tour starting.

Consequently, officials confirmed they will work with the UCI, Belgian Cycling and the Royal Dutch Cycling Union to agree on a date which better suits all parties for the scheduling of the 2023 race. 

"Planning the arrival times and the associated TV broadcasts also creates unsolvable problems. The broadcasting hours of other races at that time would force the organisation to foresee arrival times that would become uninteresting for supporters and guests on the spot and TV viewers and would saddle the teams with impossible starting times or times of movements.

"The organisation is now looking for a better date in 2023, together with the UCI and the two national cycling associations (Belgian Cycling and KNWU). It is a necessary decision and the only solution to avoid problems. All parties involved (teams, partners, cities and municipalities and the cycling federations) can only benefit from working on a better and stronger Benelux Tour for the coming years."

Established in 2005, the Benelux Tour (then known as the Eneco Tour) featured as a UCI ProTour race. In 2009 it then formed part of the UCI World Ranking, before online discount broker BinckBank took over as the title sponsor in 2017. 

In 2021, without a title sponsor, the tour became known as the Benelux Tour, after the politico-economic union of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg, despite the race having never crossed into Luxembourgian territory yet.