Merlier comes out of his summer break in the Renewi Tour; Mohoric wants to repeat his old trick against Van der Poel

On Wednesday, another major cycling race starts during the ongoing Vuelta excitement. Traditionally known as the Eneco Tour, it is now the Renewi Tour. With a substantial number of beautiful stages through Belgium, it promises to be thrilling, with many classic stars and sprint specialists in the race. Matej Mohoric is the biggest name representing Bahrain Victorious, while Soudal Quick-Step will hope that Tim Merlier has recovered well from the summer.

Merlier hasn't sprinted since the Belgian Championship, so it's hoped that he has been able to recharge after a tough spring. "Our main goal for the Renewi Tour is to secure a stage win with Tim. He is one of the most impressive riders of the season, in good form, and has a strong team to help him in the sprints," said team manager Tom Steels, who also hopes that Ilan Van Wilder can perform well in the overall classification.

Bahrain Victorious will have the 2022 Milan-San Remo winner at the start. The Slovenian has also won two stages in this race and took the overall victory in 2018. Team manager Michal Golas said: "I expect the race to be more selective than in previous years, and that the fifth stage to Geraardsbergen will be the most decisive in the general classification. We have a competitive team with Matej and Fred Wright, and they are coming back in great form, as we saw in the Tour of Poland. They will receive excellent support," said the sports director.

At UAE Team Emirates, all eyes are on another rider with a strong record in the Renewi Tour: Tim Wellens. The Belgian was recently strong in Poland and is determined to start a new quest for success. "The Renewi Tour is always a race I look forward to. In the past, I’ve achieved great results there, most recently last year with a victory. Now I think the time trial in Renewi will be very important, along with the stage in Geraardsbergen. Poland was good for my confidence, especially after winning the time trial, and I hope to maintain that form this week," he said on the team’s website.

Many top riders will be at the start on Wednesday, near the Belgian-Dutch border. Expect Olav Kooij, Mathieu van der Poel, as well as Merlier and Mohoric. It promises to be exciting for those looking for something different than the Spanish mountains!

Selection Bahrain Victorious for the Renewi Tour 2024

Matej Mohoric
Fred Wright
Phil Bauhaus
Nikias Arndt
Andrea Pasqualon
Lukasz Wisniowski
Dusan Rajovic

Selection Soudal Quick-Step for the Renewi Tour 2024

Tim Merlier
Bert Van Lerberghe
Warre Vangheluwe
Ilan Van Wilder
Ayco Bastiaens
Josef Cerny
Yves Lampaert

Selection UAE Team Emirates for the 2024 Renewi Tour

Tim Wellens
Rui Oliveira
Sjoerd Bax
Alessandro Covi
Mikkel Bjerg
Nils Politt
Sebastian Molano