Victor Campenaerts surged into the orange leader’s jersey at the Eneco Tour on Friday, October 16, 2026, after a frantic 110.5-kilometer third stage from Sittard to Watersley in the Netherlands where stage winner Mick van Dijke claimed his first professional victory.
A ferocious pace averaging 45.5 km/h shredded the peloton on the winding, narrow circuits around Sittard, leaving riders scattered across the Dutch hills as attacks shattered the race in a relentless elimination format. Defending champion Christophe Laporte found himself trapped behind the decisive split, while overnight leader Jakob Söderqvist of Lidl-Trek completely exploded in the finale as the general classification was completely upended.
The Decisive Breakaway and the Finish at Watersley
The race blew wide open roughly 30 to 40 kilometers from the finish line on the rolling terrain featuring the climbs of Windraak (measuring 470 meters at an average gradient of 5.5 percent) and Schatsberg (measuring 670 meters at 3.6 percent) alongside the ascent to Watersley, putting Tim Merlier’s Soudal Quick-Step teammates under intense pressure as they tried to set up another victory. Mick van Dijke of Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe launched an offensive with 23 kilometers remaining, drawing an immediate reaction from Victor Campenaerts four kilometers later during a chaotic phase of the stage.
First pro win! 👏Mick van Dijke takes his first professional victory on Stage 3 of the Eneco Tour, with Victor Campenaerts taking the GC lead! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fjVh8yUnxG
Once united, the leading duo worked together to fend off chasing groups that included riders from Unibet Rose Rockets and French rider Pierre Thierry, who had animated the early breakaway for TotalEnergies before fading inside the final twenty kilometers. Campenaerts shouldered the bulk of the workload at the front to hold off the pursuers, eventually leading to a tacit understanding between the two leaders before the sprint.
Campenaerts Claims the Orange Jersey While Van Dijke Takes the Stage
In the uphill finish at Watersley, Van Dijke proved strongest in the sprint to secure his first professional victory at age 26, while Campenaerts crossed in second place just one second back. Behind them, Jonas Rutsch of Lotto-Intermarché finished third at nine seconds, followed by Pierre Thierry in fourth and Wessel Mouris of Unibet Rose Rockets in fifth, while Milan Lanhove for Flanders-Baloise took seventh at 33 seconds and Steffen De Schuyteneer for Lotto-Intermarché placed tenth at 35 seconds to round out the day’s top ten.
Victor Campenaerts said, Taking the lead in the standings is something very prestigious. We are going to defend this position.
For Campenaerts, the result marks a career milestone. Despite years at the professional level, the 34-year-old Belgian had never before worn a leader’s jersey in a professional stage race. Reflecting on the tactical alliance in the finale, he noted that cooperation was essential to prevent the Unibet riders from organizing a successful chase and spoiling both men’s chances.
We told ourselves that we had to work together until the finish line. Otherwise, it was possible that neither of us would take the victory. Victor
General Classification Standings Ahead of the Weekend Stages
The time bonuses and breakaway success propelled Campenaerts up six places into the overall lead at the top of the general classification for the category 2.1 event. He heads into the final weekend holding a 15-second advantage over Wessel Mouris and a 30-second gap over New Zealander Finn Fischer-Black of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe.
The race continues on Saturday with a 144.8-kilometer fourth stage connecting Hoogeveen to the demanding Col du VAM, which the peloton must scale four times.