Preview Renewi Tour 2023 | Classic types set to blaze through the Low Countries for five days

The Vuelta may kick off on Saturday, August 26, but that doesn't mean the cycling calendar comes to a halt. Even towards the end of August and the beginning of September, there are plenty of interesting races lined up. One of them is the Renewi Tour in the Low Countries, and IDLProCycling.com is excited to bring you all the details!

After a one-year absence, the old "Benelux, Eneco, BinckBanck, or whatever you like" Tour has returned to the global cycling calendar, now sporting yet another new name: the Renewi Tour, with waste management company Renewi as the title sponsor. The race format remains unchanged, with routes covering both the Netherlands and Belgium this year.

Looking at the list of past winners of this stage race, one can see a parade of classic riders. The likes of Tom Dumoulin, Niki Terpstra, Tim Wellens, Matej Mohoric, and others – all strong one-day riders – have claimed victory in this race. However, the most recent champion, Sonny Colbrelli in 2021, will not be defending his title as he has retired from professional cycling due to heart issues.

Practical information Renewi Tour 2023

• Wednesday, Aug. 23 through Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023
• Participants
  
• Classification: WorldTour

In this article

• Latest winners
• Parcous, weather and times
• Favorites
• TV information

Latest winners Renewi Tour 

2022 Not ridden
2021 Sonny Colbrelli
2020 Mathieu van der Poel
2019 Laurens De Plus
2018 Matej Mohoric
2017 Tom Dumoulin
2016 Niki Terpstra
2015 Tim Wellens
2014 Tim Wellens
2013 Zdenek Stybar

Renewi Tour 2023: Course, climbs, times and daily favorites

Stage 1, Wednesday, Aug. 23: Blankenberge - Ardooie (182, 9km)

The Renewi Tour begins with a classic stage. Starting at the coast in Blankenberge, the route will then lead inland to the finish in Ardooie. This sprint finish is a regular highlight of the (predecessors of the) Renewi Tour, so we can almost predict the scenario: a traditional sprint.

Climbs
No.

Times
Start: 1:22 p.m.
Finish: approximately 5:10 p.m.

Favorites
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma)

Stage 2, Thursday, Aug. 24: Sluis - Sluis (13.6 km, time trial)

On day two, an initial classification shuffle awaits right away. In Sluis, the Netherlands, there's a thirteen-kilometer individual time trial on the agenda, where the time trial specialists can gain an advantage over the more punchy riders.

Climbs
No.

Times
Start: 2:01 pm
Finish: approximately 5:00 pm

Favorites
Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers)
Kasper Asgreen (Soudal Quick-Step)
Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost)

Stage 3, Friday, Aug. 25: Aalter - Geraardsbergen (171.2 km)

Day three is dedicated to the Wall, also known as the Citadel. This finish has been featured in the stage race through the Netherlands and Belgium on several occasions, although it often took place on the final day. In 2023, the third stage will take us over well-known climbs such as the Leberg, Berendries, Tenbosse, the Muur, and the Bosberg.

Climbs
69.1 km: Edelareberg (1.9 km a 3.3%)
78.4 km: Leberg (1.0 km a 4.1%)
82.7 km: Berendries (1.0 km a 7.0%)
88.1 km: Tenbosse (0.5 km a 6.6%)
99.0 km: Denderoordstraat (0.7 km a 7.5%)
104.4 km: Muur (1.2 km a 7.8%)
109.2 km: Bosberg (1.4 km a 5.0%)
117.1 km: Onkerzeleberg (2.9 km a 3.2%)
132.1 km: Denderoordstraat (0.7 km a 7.5%)
137.5 km: Wall (1.2 km a 7.8%)
142.3 km: Bosberg (1.4 km a 5.0%)
150.2 km: Onkerzeleberg (2.9 km a 3.2%)
165.2 km: Denderoordstraat (0.7 km a 7.5%)

Times
Start: 12:50 p.m.
Finish: approximately 5 p.m.

Favorites
Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious)
Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost)
Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek)

Stage 4, Saturday, Aug. 26: Beringen - Peer (179.4 km)

The fourth stage can be considered somewhat of an intermediate course. While there are still plenty of hills on the route on Friday and Sunday, Saturday's stage is completely flat. This indicates that the sprinters will likely have another opportunity to vie for success in this stage.

Climbs
No.

Times
Start: 1 p.m.
Finish: approximately 5:08 p.m.

Favorites
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla)
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)

Stage 5, Sunday, Aug. 27: Riemst - Bilzen (187.3 km)

The race will conclude on Sunday with a 187-kilometer ride from Riemst to Bilzen, encompassing numerous challenges for the riders. Throughout the day, the route will feature a series of ascents and descents in the vicinity of these two locations. As a result, we can anticipate an exciting spectacle for both the stage victory and the overall triumph in this edition of the Renewi Tour.

Climbs
5.7 km: Cote de Hallembaye (1.2 km a 5.2%)
17.5 km: Cote de Wonick (0.6 km a 7.4%)
29.1 km: Keberg (0.5 km a 7.1%)
54.3 km: Slingerberg (1.2 km a 5.6%)
63.0 km: Cote de Hallembaye (1.2 km a 5.2%)
74.8 km: Cote de Wonick (0.6 km a 7.4%)
86.4 km: Keberg (0.5 km a 7.1%)
111.6 km: Slingerberg (1.2 km a 5.6%)
120.3 km:Cote de Hallembaye (1.2 km a 5.2%)
132.1 km: Cote de Wonick (0.6 km a 7.4%)
143.7 km: Keberg (0.5 km a 7.1%)
168.9 km: Slingerberg (1.2 km a 5.6%)
182.2 km: Keberg (0.5 km a 7.1%)

Times
Start: 10:35 a.m.
Finish: about 3 p.m.

Favorites
Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious)
Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek)
Tim Wellens (UAE-Team Emirates)

Favorites final classification Renewi Tour 2023

Please note that the final start list is not yet known. Therefore, adjustments may still follow.

The Renewi Tour traditionally stands out as one of the few multi-day races that favor classic-style riders. In this category, we can expect to see several contenders, with Matej Mohoric of Bahrain Victorious as the clear favorite. The Slovenian made the strategic decision to skip the World Cycling Championship in order to focus on events like the Tour of Poland and this Renewi Tour, which he has previously triumphed in.

Although Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Tadej Pogacar, Mads Pedersen, and Stefan Küng won't be participating in this Renewi Tour, the event will feature Jasper Stuyven, who secured sixth place in the World Championship. Stuyven, representing Lidl-Trek, has been showcasing good form in races like Denmark and Hamburg. Can the Belgian continue this trend? He also has the support of his teammate Thibau Nys to make an impact.

Continuing on the World Championship connection, Alberto Bettiol, one of the notable performers in Glasgow, is also partaking in the race. Given his strong time trial skills, the Italian is poised to perform well in the Renewi Tour. Similarly, the Soudal Quick-Step duo of Yves Lampaert and Kasper Asgreen are expected to complement each other's strengths in this race.

At the multi-million-dollar teams such as INEOS Grenadiers, they're relying on Michal Kwiatkowski and top talent Joshua Tarling, while UAE-Team Emirates is pinning their hopes on Tim Wellens and Matteo Trentin. The prominent Jumbo-Visma squad is forming a partnership between Tobias Foss and Olav Kooij, although we shouldn't anticipate an immediate classification contender from the latter.

Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck also possesses considerable potential, but whether that's sufficient for a general classification (GC) remains to be seen. If we're considering GC contenders, it's worth looking at riders like Ide Schelling of BORA-hansgrohe, along with Arnaud De Lie and Victor Campenaerts of Lotto-Dstny, who have demonstrated their abilities in gradually building up to this race.

Favorites Renewi Tour 2023, according to In the Leader's Jersey

Top favorites:Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) and Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost)
Outsiders:Kasper Asgreen (Soudal Quick-Step), Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek), Michal Kwiatkowski (INEOS Grenadiers) and Tim Wellens (UAE-Team Emirates)
Longshots: Yves Lampaert (Soudal Quick-Step), Matteo Trentin (UAE-Team Emirates), Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek), Tobias Foss (Jumbo-Visma), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers), Ide Schelling (BORA-hansgrohe) and Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny)

TV Renewi Tour 2023

Sporza and Eurosport provide relief when it comes to this year's Renewi Tour. They report daily from 3 p.m. on VRT 1 and Eurosport, but on Sunday you will have to be there a little earlier for the final stage. Then there are expected to be live images from 1:30 p.m., so the Vuelta will not be an obstacle.