Renewi Tour - 20-24 August 2025

[Dazed and Confused]

Location:

Stage1:

A ball moves upward on Bola del Mundo by itself or a bunch sprint.

Stage 2:

Ditto

Stage 3:

Go Bettiol or Magnier.

Stage 4:

Your call.

Stage 5:

Wellens from that team.

Startlist on PCS:
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/renewi-tour/2025/startlist

Edit: This race will end on August 24 when stage 5 is done.

 

[RedheadDane]

Poll confusing. Instructions unclear.

Anyway; I'll ask the same question as I asked about Hamburg (the race, not the city):
Can this race just decide on a name, and stick to it?
Okay, I guess they have been recycling the name for a few years now.

 

[AmRacer]

recycling

🙃

 

[Berniece]

Poll confusing. Instructions unclear.

Anyway; I'll ask the same question as I asked about Hamburg (the race, not the city):
Can this race just decide on a name, and stick to it?
Okay, I guess they have been recycling the name for a few years now.

Isn't the name connected to a sponsor? So it changes whenever a sponsor pays more.

 

[Samamba]

If only there was a bit more wind today. Stage made for echelons, but wind speed might be a problem.

 

[Berflamand]

If only there was a bit more wind today. Stage made for echelons, but wind speed might be a problem.

20km/h+ should be enough if the terrain is exposed and teams are willing to split it no?

I think the constant changes of direction might be a bigger problem as there will be many parts (cross-)headwind.

Anyway, it's probably going to be very nervous all day.

 

[Rob5091]

roadbook at https://renewitour.com/nl/wedstrijdinformatie-ploegenpresentatie/

 

[Samamba]

20km/h+ should be enough if the terrain is exposed and teams are willing to split it no?

People always say that but 20 is barely ever enough. 22-23km/u is what riders most of the time say is enough. BUT it is like you said very open and some models definitely give a chance at higher wind speed.

And yes direction is borderline. the local circuit in the end could be too much head or tailwind.

 

[Rob5091]

So we have the Green KM with 3,2 and 1 bonus seconds, and a "Super8 Flandrian Combativity Award" with a system of points that seems to rely on position across the check point(1st to 5th rider) and the difference in time to the peloton ... expect mass confusion and cries of "fixed", "rigged"!

 

[Cycling111]

OMG This race has a higher level of sprinters and riders of classics than the 2025 Vuelta.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Poll confusing. Instructions unclear.

Anyway; I'll ask the same question as I asked about Hamburg (the race, not the city):
Can this race just decide on a name, and stick to it?
Okay, I guess they have been recycling the name for a few years now.

It used to be the Benelux Tour, but Luxemburg was never in it, so they renewed the name. Breskens is in the Netherlands, so unlike last year the Netherlands are in it.

The final stage has the local lap of what used to be the GP Jef Scherens, aka the GP Pouske Scherens, aka the Tour of Leuven. That former one-day race has now become a part of the former BinckBank Tour, which has been renamed as discussed above.

To avoid confusion they should rename it the Six Days of Belgium and Occasionally the Netherlands.

EDIT: The title is wrong. It only lasts from 20 to 24 August.

 

[YavorD]

OMG This race has a higher level of sprinters and riders of classics than the 2025 Vuelta.

I mean, that's perfectly normal and it happens pretty much every year in the last few years.
What would the classic riders do in all these ____/ stages in the Vuelta?

 

[Samamba]

A crash before the race even started. Toon Aerts, Jenno Berckmoes, Ward Vanhoof, Tom Portsmouth and Silvan Dillier. Aerts (3rd crash in 3 races...) and Portsmouth already out.

EDIT: Aerts is still in the race, Berckmoes was hit pretty hard too (but for now still in the race).

 

[Devil's Elbow]

To avoid confusion they should rename it the Six Days of Belgium and Occasionally the Netherlands.

The Five Days of Flanders and Occasionally Somewhere Else, Wallonia gets shafted by this race too. Considering that Flanders already has 3792 pro races and that the Tour of Holland is back in addition to the already-extant Tours of Belgium, Wallonia and Luxembourg, this race has IMO outlived its usefulness. In a better world, you would put it out of its misery, turn Poland into a more classics-oriented race (there are endless cobbles over there, the race just doesn't use them) and give the freed-up WT slot to an underused area (a proper Tour of Germany would be nice, speaking of areas with unused cobbles).

 

[Rob5091]

A crash before the race even started. Toon Aerts, Jenno Berckmoes, Ward Vanhoof, Tom Portsmouth and Silvan Dillier. Aerts (3rd crash in 3 races...) and Portsmouth already out.

EDIT: Aerts is still in the race, Berckmoes was hit pretty hard too (but for now still in the race).

Poor Tom Portsmouth, did n't even make km 0 ...

 

[Samamba]

There's enough wind, first splits are happening.

 

[Samamba]

The Five Days of Flanders and Occasionally Somewhere Else, Wallonia gets shafted by this race too. Considering that Flanders already has 3792 pro races and that the Tour of Holland is back in addition to the already-extant Tours of Belgium, Wallonia and Luxembourg, this race has IMO outlived its usefulness. In a better world, you would put it out of its misery, turn Poland into a more classics-oriented race (there are endless cobbles over there, the race just doesn't use them) and give the freed-up WT slot to an underused area (a proper Tour of Germany would be nice, speaking of areas with unused cobbles).

Same discussion every year ignoring that it's all the UCI's fault for demanding them to go back to only 5 days while the organization has long term contracts with city's so there's simply no place for an Ardennes race. It's not like they don't want to, it's that they need to wait till some contracts run out and/or some Walloon city wants to host a stage.

Nothing useless about this race, great race for classic riders that have nothing else to do at this point in a country where people actually watch. I get the criticism that it's more just a Flanders stage race, but I don't see the problem. It's always somewhat entertaining.

 

[tobydawq]

Same discussion every year ignoring that it's all the UCI's fault for demanding them to go back to only 5 days while the organization has long term contracts with city's so there's simply no place for an Ardennes race. It's not like they don't want to, it's that they need to wait till some contracts run out and/or some Walloon city wants to host a stage.

Nothing useless about this race, great race for classic riders that have nothing else to do at this point in a country where people actually watch. I get the criticism that it's more just a Flanders stage race, but I don't see the problem. It's always somewhat entertaining.

I somewhat agree, yet I always have the feeling that they're definitely not designing this race optimally. But what you say about contracts with certain cities could of course explain that, I don't know anything about such contracts myself. I did suspect, though, that it was likely not a lack of will to have the race enter Wallonia, but it's still just sad that it doesn't go there this year.

 

[Samamba]

I somewhat agree, yet I always have the feeling that they're definitely not designing this race optimally. But what you say about contracts with certain cities could of course explain that, I don't know anything about such contracts myself. I did suspect, though, that it was likely not a lack of will to have the race enter Wallonia, but it's still just sad that it doesn't go there this year.

The organization explained it last year, I think they have contracts till 2026 with some city's like Ardooie and Bilzen (which was 2 years ago actually pretty selective and entertaining but all riders found the parcours too dangerous so now it's just a sprint). There's the contracts and then the fact that not a lot of Walloon citys are interested, it's not that the organization doesn't want it, same with the Netherlands where it's mostly the governments fault.

Imo a Walloon stage isn't even necessary, or it should be a pretty weak one. Cycling really doesn't need another races that just caters to the better climbers, a WT stage race for classic riders is great, imo there can be one more (like Tour of Denmark WT would be nice for example). I think the problem they should adress tho is making the parcours not selective enough when they have the opportunities with the finish locations they have now. For example the Geraardsbergen stage is easier again (was way harder last year), the Leuven circuit is slightly easier than it was for GP Leuven last few years, ... I do like they put in a full echelon stage (even if they might be unlucky with the wind), it's part of classics racing. Honestly if the Bilzen stage was a bit better designed or they put it somewhere else in the region with more hills it would be a pretty good parours: an potiential echelon stage, one clear bunsh sprint, cobbles stage and 2 stages with short hills.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

After the echelon action there is a new group up the road with about 30s :

1	12	DEL GROSSO Tibor		ADC
2	17	VERMEERSCH Gianni		ADC
3	24	MAGNIER Paul		SOQ
4	55	STUYVEN Jasper		LTK
5	66	STANNARD Robert		TBV
6	82	ASGREEN Kasper		EFE
7	94	MULLEN Ryan		RBH
8	116	VAN DEN BROEK Frank		TPP
9	153	KRIJNSEN Jelte		JAY
10	167	TEUNISSEN Mike		XAT
11	185	DRIZNERS Jarrad		LOT
12	205	VAN ROOY Kenneth		WB2
13	217	PLUIMERS Rick		TUD
14	222	HUENS Axel		RKT

Pace is just above 48 km/h avg.

 

[Samamba]

Well that's a dangerous group to give a minute.

 

[Potomac]

I'm in for Asgreen. Does he have a ghost of chance?

 

[RedheadDane]

I'm in for Asgreen. Does he have a ghost of chance?

I'd say the real question is; does he have a living chance.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Front group works well together, still about 40s.
Avg. pace increased to 49 km/h.
50 km to go.

 

[Didinho]

Alpecin already 2 riders down? And Dillier also crashed but still hanging on. Not the start you want as a team.