Van der Poel reappears at the Renewi Tour
The Renewi Tour, the recent name of the Benelux Tour due to sponsorship reasons, is the race chosen by Mathieu van der Poel (800) for his return after his stellar Tour de France. However, although he starts as the big favorite, winning at home will not be easy for the Dutch star, since the provisional start list includes riders such as Tim Wellens (400), Mathias Vacek (600), Thibau Nys (600), Biniam Girmay (1000), or Matej Mohorič (600).
Route
The race consists of five stages, from Wednesday to Sunday. The first two days are clearly for sprinters, while the general classification will be contested in the last three. On Friday, the queen stage has a cobblestone classic profile with three climbs to the legendary Muur van Geraardsbergen (1.1 km at 7.7%), expected to be decisive for the overall classification. The weekend offers two other hilly days that also give opportunities for classics riders.
Favorites
Mathieu van der Poel (800) is the main favorite for the GC, although his goals in the race are not clear. Other contenders include Biniam Girmay (1000), Mathias Vacek (600), Thibau Nys (600), Arnaud de Lie (800), Antonio Morgado (200), Matej Mohorič (600), Jasper Stuyven (400), Lukas Kubis (200), and Tim Wellens (400).
For sprints, Olav Kooij (1000) and Tim Merlier (1000) stand out, but riders like Biniam Girmay (1000), Arnaud de Lie (800), Paul Magnier (400), Milan Fretin (400), or even Mathieu van der Poel (800) could also be involved.
In any case, attention must be paid to the start list, as many teams still need to confirm their lineups.
Photo: © Renewi Tour