The BinckBank Tour, formerly the Eneco Tour, has been part of the WorldTour since it succeeded the old Tour of the Netherlands in 2005. It has typically been positioned in the late August cycling calendar. The 2020 the Dutch-Belgian World Tour race was rescheduled September 29 to October 3 with five stages instead of the original seven, and after stage 1 was completed re-organised for a total of four stages over five days due to COVID-19 coronavirus restrictions in the Netherlands.
The 2020 BinckBank Tour starts in Blankenberge, Belgium with flat roads in West Flanders to Ardooie, a total of 132.1km. Rather than continue with a planned 11km individual time trial in Vlissingen in the Netherlands along the North Sea, organisers were forced to have a rest day on Wednesday instead. The start of Thursday's stage in Philippine and the stage finish in Sittard on Friday also impacted the race, which made new plans to keep the entire event in Belgium, as the Dutch government imposed new limits prohibiting public attendance at sporting events in its borders.
Stage 2 was revised for Thursday as a 157km stage, originally 166.7km, with the start and finish in Aalter in East Flanders. Aalter is located about 40km south of the original start in Philippine, and was planned to host the finish of this route. A new course will provide seven local circuits instead of the original three.
Stage 3 now provide an 8.1km individual time trial in Riemst, which was originally set to host of the start of a 195.4km stage to Sittard on Friday. The time trial will head from the Albert Canal near Kanne and immediately climb the Slingerberg, a 600m climb with an average six per cent grade, head north-west before crossing the canal and turning back south-east on the Muizenberg within sight of the Dutch border back to Kanne.
The final stage on Saturday from Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve to Geraardsbergen remains unchanged, covering 185km. It will include four circuits in Geraardsbergen with the traditional finish on the Vesten. Signature climbs include Denderoordstraat, Bosberg and the Wall of Geraardsbergen.
Laurens De Plus (Jumbo-Visma) snatched overall victory at the 2019 BinckBank Tour from Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) after going on the attack in the final circuit of the Muur of Geraardsbergen. De Plus started the stage just 12 seconds down on Wellens and then gave his all in the final, hectic pursuit match to the finish, gaining enough time to win the WorldTour stage race.
