Renewi Tour 2023 (August 23-27)

[Devil's Elbow]

The so-called Tour of the Benelux, now 90% in Flanders and a stone’s throw away from it for the remaining 10%. Also, the route is terrible. Was there any point in bringing this one back if this was the best they could do? The sprinters definitely think so…

Startlist

The route
Stage 1: Blankenberge - Ardooie, 182.9k
The sprint finish that refuses to die.

Also, note that the golden kilometre has been rechristened the green kilometre for sponsor reasons. Yes, really. Get used to it, because on a route this soft it’s going to be very important and I can definitely see a world where we get a repeat of the shambles that was the final stage of the 2022 Belgium Tour (Lampaert and Wellens are even here to reprise their roles!).

Stage 2: Sluis - Sluis, 13.6k (ITT)
The only Dutch stage takes place in the only part of the country that has Flanders in its name. This is probably the most important GC day, because God forbid we get some proper hills.

Stage 3: Aalter - Geraardsbergen, 171.2k
The weakest the Geraardsbergen stage has ever been, with only two ascents of the Muur.

Spoiler: Climb profiles

Edelareberg

Leberg

Berendries

Tenbosse

And then the final circuit, in order of final appearance:
Bosberg

Onkerzeleberg

Denderoordberg

Muur (finish on the Vesten after 0.6k, done in full twice before that)

Stage 4: Beringen - Peer, 179.4k
Sprint number two.

Stage 5: Riemst - Bilzen, 187.3k
The ‘hilly’ stage that could very well just be a sprint of 50+ riders.

Spoiler: Climb profiles (in order of final appearance)

Hallembaye

Houtain-Saint-Siméon

Wonck

(Keiberg - done once more after that)

Maastrichterallee (uncredited cobble section)

Keistraat (at the start of the green kilometre)

(Long flat section on wide straight roads that totally isn’t going to kill any attacks)

Muizenberg

Slingerberg

Keiberg

Final drag up to the line (first 1.4k only)

 

[OlavEH]

Finally! The most underwhelming route for any race on the calendar. Could have been one of the 2-3 most interesting one week races and one of the real hightligts of the last third of the season, but instead we as usual get a boring and underwhelming route. And only five stages this time!

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Not for the first time, one of the maps/profiles inserted from the same site and with the same image size is the only one that refuses to load. The forum software is so awful when it comes to images…

 

[KZD]

The lack of a real Ardennes stage is disappointing.

Interested to see if De Lie or Nys can get their first World Tour win. Tarling should be a favourite for the time trial.

 

[Samamba]

I always liked this race, and now they've completely ruined it. I hate it. The only thing that can save this is bad weather on friday but it's looking like a sunny day.

Seriously, an actual Benelux Tour has so much potential...

 

[OlavEH]

The lack of a real Ardennes stage is disappointing.

It's strange how rarely this is the case for this Tour. And there has never been a stage in the very hilly terrain in Luxembourg.

One time I would like to see a stage with a climb like Stockeau or Haussiere with a couple of loops on this and an easier climb and a finish in a nearby town/village.

 

[yaco]

The route is bad enough, but the inclusion of an ITT is bewildering - It's a strong sprinter's field so the end of the stages will be interesting.

 

[search]

with the golden km, it'll also be interesting to see how some sprinters approach this. About de Lie it was specifically said, that he aims for GC, for example. He obviously still wants his first WT (stage) win as well, but today it could make sense to go for the bonus seconds first.

 

[KZD]

It's strange how rarely this is the case for this Tour. And there has never been a stage in the very hilly terrain in Luxembourg.

One time I would like to see a stage with a climb like Stockeau or Haussiere with a couple of loops on this and an easier climb and a finish in a nearby town/village.

The thing is that I don't think this race ever had stages in Luxembourg at least in the last decades. Still they could have done a proper stage in Belgium similar to the one you mention.

One thing that seems to be clear is that this race is losing prestige (besides losing 2 race days). Van Aert was initially scheduled to ride this and he is a Belgium riding for a Dutch team yet he choose to ride the Tour of Britain instead.

 

[Samamba]

Just put this Tour in the grave and make Tour of Belgium WT and a 7 day race honestly. It s obvious that The Netherlands don't care about organizing races if it isn't a GT start.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Just put this Tour in the grave and make Tour of Belgium WT and a 7 day race honestly. It s obvious that The Netherlands don't care about organizing races if it isn't a GT start.

It also has a lot to do with the organisers, tbf. Yes, it's politically easier to run a race in Flanders right now, but both the Netherlands and Wallonia still have a decent amount of pro and semipro races. Don't believe for a single second that there are zero potential stage hosts for a Benelux Tour in either area.

 

[Gigs_98]

This has often been an absolute banger of a race. Doesn't seem likely with this route though. I'm still having really fond memories of Wellens soloing to his two consecutive gc wins. Stage racing on classics style routes can be so great, if only it was allowed to take place more often.

 

[yaco]

Lotto has missed the mark with De Lie - He should be at the Vuelta when you consider the fastest sprinters are Molano and Dainese and there is at least 4 or 5 sprint stages - There is also another one or two stages with punchy finishes in which he could be competitive.

 

[roundabout]

It's strange how rarely this is the case for this Tour. And there has never been a stage in the very hilly terrain in Luxembourg.

One time I would like to see a stage with a climb like Stockeau or Haussiere with a couple of loops on this and an easier climb and a finish in a nearby town/village.

IIRC Luxembourg have always wanted to focus on their tour, so there was zero chance of Luxembourg stage as the lux part of Benelux never wanted to have it.

 

[OlavEH]

One thing that seems to be clear is that this race is losing prestige (besides losing 2 race days). Van Aert was initially scheduled to ride this and he is a Belgium riding for a Dutch team yet he choose to ride the Tour of Britain instead.

Wow, this is just sad. Really. As I mentioned this tour has a fairly large potential. And when the biggest home star choose to do ToB instead, then the organizers have done something completely wrong.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Don't have a problem with the race or the route, should be fun, also nice that the forum critics get wound up a bit. WVA I think chose to do British Tour instead of Binkbank renewi tour because of scheduling, it's extra time for a break after world championships

 

[OlavEH]

Don't have a problem with the race or the route, should be fun, also nice that the forum critics get wound up a bit.

Compared to the potential of this Tour, the route is close to being shite. It's almost like Tour de France doing stages with Super Belles Filles, Alpe d'Huez, Mont Ventoux and Plateau de Beille as monoclimb mountain stages coupled with a 25 km flat ITT. And nothing else of GC stages.

 

[Samamba]

It also has a lot to do with the organisers, tbf. Yes, it's politically easier to run a race in Flanders right now, but both the Netherlands and Wallonia still have a decent amount of pro and semipro races. Don't believe for a single second that there are zero potential stage hosts for a Benelux Tour in either area.

The race didn't even take place last year because of the Netherlands, not because of the organizers. The fact there's only 1 stage (and not coincidentally a TT) has everything to do with the country, not the organizers.

But yes even in Belgium they need to do better. Tour of Belgium literally has a better parcours than this one.

 

[OlavEH]

The race didn't even take place last year because of the Netherlands, not because of the organizers. The fact there's only 1 stage (and not coincidentally a TT) has everything to do with the country, not the organizers.

What exactly is the problem with the Netherlands?

 

[Volderke]

It's seems like a fun GC for sprinters.
The riders make the race and if there is a race where they can prove this, it has to be this one, because it won't be the parcours making the race...!

 

[Devil's Elbow]

The race didn't even take place last year because of the Netherlands, not because of the organizers. The fact there's only 1 stage (and not coincidentally a TT) has everything to do with the country, not the organizers.

But yes even in Belgium they need to do better. Tour of Belgium literally has a better parcours than this one.

Simac Ladies Tour, ZLM Tour and Olympia's Tour all managed to run 5+ stage races covering large parts of the country both this and last year. I've criticised the political/policing situation regarding pro cycling in the Netherlands more than anyone else on here and it is unquestionably a major issue for this race but let's not pretend the organisers can't do better with regards to organising Dutch (and Walloon, for that matter) stages.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

What exactly is the problem with the Netherlands?

Legal requirements regarding the use of police motors in pro races, combined with the police having a long-standing dislike of having to do so (and therefore often looking for excuses to pull out, e.g. forcing the cancellation of Slag om Norg last year at the last minute claiming it wasn't possible due to farmers' protests or annulling the final lap of the queen stage of ZLM Tour in 2019 due to 'safety concerns' when they were already on the penultimate lap), and the situation being aggravated by labour shortages within the relevant police departments. It also doesn't help that Dutch politicians and governments, whether national, regional or local, generally only care about pro cycling when it involves GT starts.

That being said, most races have done a far better job of dealing with the situation than the Renewi Tour. Having a Flemish organiser doesn't help here - partly because the connections with the relevant Dutch actors aren't as close, but mostly because the organiser is very clearly far more committed to the Flemish portion of the route than to the Dutch and Walloon portions. Resulting in the latter two being almost nonexistent this year.

 

[search]

He should be at the Vuelta when you consider the fastest sprinters are Molano and Dainese and there is at least 4 or 5 sprint stages

Alpecin isn't confirmed yet, but I think Groves will be there as well?! He was part of the team which did the TTT training last week, at least.

 

[Samamba]

Lotto has missed the mark with De Lie - He should be at the Vuelta when you consider the fastest sprinters are Molano and Dainese and there is at least 4 or 5 sprint stages - There is also another one or two stages with punchy finishes in which he could be competitive.

No he shouldn't ffs. Have you seen the parcours? Like seriously? Why should he be there? To get some cheap GT/WT win and then ruin his body doing 12 mountain stages? Maybe just ask him what he wants? Riding some chaotic Benelux sprints + some high level classic races are way better for his development than getting some easy sprint wins followed by ruining his body in the Vuelta.

 

[Rob5091]

Just for dumb people like me who wonder how the Green Kilometre works, from the webpage
https://renewitour.com/en/nieuws/renewi-tour-boasts-top-participants-and-green-kilometre/
The Green Kilometre is the successor to the Golden Kilometre. In every consecutive stage, there are three intermediate sprints in the full finale. Within a kilometre, there are three sprints for bonus seconds: the winner gets 3 bonus seconds, the second 2 seconds and the third 1 second. So, in total, a rider can collect 9 bonus seconds within the Green Kilometre just like that. At the finish of each consecutive stage, the riders can also win bonus seconds that go towards the general classification: 10 for the stage winner, 6 for the second and 4 for the third. The name change from Golden to Green Kilometre is a nod to Renewi Tour’s ambition to become the greenest event on the cycling calendar.

Anyone got any idea why Covi's in the break?