Less than a day after Bink Bank Tour organizers were forced to cancel three stages due to new COVID-19 restrictions in the Netherlands, the host city in Belgium offered to allow the final three stages to take place.

Due to a surge of coronavirus cases in large Dutch cities, the Dutch government has imposed new restrictions banning public participation in sporting events, which went into effect Tuesday evening. As a result, the Binkbank Tour individual time trial in Vlissingen on Wednesday, the stage start in Philippine on Thursday, and the stage finish in Sittard on Friday were cancelled.

Organizers negotiated at the last minute to allow the race to continue, and the riders were given a rest day instead of heading to the Netherlands for the time trial, which was scheduled for Wednesday.

On Thursday, the course for the third stage was set, with the original finish point, Aalter, being the starting point. Rimst, where the 195.4 km long stage 4 to Sittard will start on Friday, will be replaced by an 8.1 km individual time trial. Although the coronavirus has no borders, the stage will carefully avoid the Netherlands, but will take place as far as the Netherlands can be seen.

"We are very pleased to be working with the Binkbank Tour," said Rheemst Mayor Mark Vos, according to Sporza. 'We've worked together for nine years. Logistics is a feat, but when we succeed, it's even more beautiful. Everyone wins."

The time trial will start at the Albert Canal near Cannae and immediately climb the Slingerberg (600m elevation) with an average gradient of 6%, before crossing the canal, heading northwest and turning southeast at Muizenberg, where the Dutch border is visible, before returning to Cannae.

"This time trial, which traverses our territory completely, will allow us to present our municipality in an even more beautiful and better way than was the case at the original starting point. Cycling enthusiasts will discover, just like us, Cannes, one of the most beautiful villages in the country."

Thursday's stage will start in Aalter, about 40 km south of the starting point in the Philippines, and will finish there as originally planned.

"We are also very grateful to the municipality of Rheemst for making this solution possible, as in Aalter, where the Bink Bank Tour can continue on Thursday with a redesigned ride," said Bink Bank Tour spokesman Gerd Van Goolen.

"The time trial in Limburg will be fantastic. With the help of both Aalter and Riemst, we were able to continue the Bink Bank Tour in just half a day."

The current standings have stage 1 winner Jasper Philippsen (UAE Team Emirates) leading the overall and points standings, with Milan Menten (Sport Vlaanderen Valoise) leading in the sprint class, but Thursday's stage 2 ( Aalter) remains unchanged in the standings heading into Thursday's second stage.

Saturday's final stage, from Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve to Gerardsbergen, is a hilly stage suitable for the classics specialists and even more important for the overall classification.