Renewi Tour 2023 (August 23-27)

[Devil's Elbow]

I'd rather win a stage at the Vuelta, instead of aa minor place at the Renewi Tour. De Lie could even win a harder finish at the Vuelta. Maybe DeLie does a super ITT which keeps him in touch for stage three.

There are no harder finishes at the Vuelta. The Montjuïc stage would almost certainly be too hard for him and aside from that, only stage 4 has some vaguely relevant elevation gain either during the stage or at the finish (of the non-GC/breakaway days).

 

[Red Rick]

Youre telling me all the best sprinters are riding this race instead of getting 3 GT wins for free in the first week of La Vuelta? Some DS are not smarter than goldfish it seems. If you're that afraid of climbing, just abandon after stage 7 and call it. Thats the smart thing to do anyways instead of contesting much less valuable sprint stages against much greater competition.

Time limits are a *** joke anyway

 

[Valv.Piti]

Time limits are a *** joke anyway

Of course, but even if you don't like the mountains, you can just abandon a week in. Surely that will still be a net positive for a team such as Lotto with De Lie and what have you. But no, lets go along with the sprint elite to Renewi Tour that not a single human being cares about and doesn't make any difference on your palmares. GT stages ALWAYS does, even cheap ones, because guess what, in two years time everyone has forgot you beat Ryan Gibbons and Jacobo Guarneri and what not.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

FDJ with Demare

Hmm, about that…

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yeah, I edited it, but surely you get the point. Its so incredibly cheap to come here and sweep the flat stages with no real competition.

Heck, I think even Mads Pedersen should have gone and called it before the Pyrenees.

 

[roundabout]

Youre telling me all the best sprinters are riding this race instead of getting 3 GT wins for free in the first week of La Vuelta? Some DS are not smarter than goldfish it seems. If you're that afraid of climbing, just abandon after stage 7 and call it. Thats the smart thing to do anyways instead of contesting much less valuable sprint stages against much greater competition.

Merlier and Kooij have GC favorites for the Vuelta, Philipsen has his Vuelta wins and Groves is probably good enough to win a stage or two himself

 

[Valv.Piti]

I honestly don't think there's such thing as having enough Vuelta stages (or GT stages in general). I thought this was supposed to be the biggest goal for sprinters outside of the hardmen sprinters who can do well in classics and Worlds and so on?

I'd jump at the opportunity with Philipsen for sure. There's no such thing as completely free stage wins in GTs, but this is the closest we are going to get to that.

 

[Netserk]

Merlier and Kooij have GC favorites for the Vuelta, Philipsen has his Vuelta wins and Groves is probably good enough to win a stage or two himself

Groenewegen could probably use some high-profile victories.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

Of course, all of the best sprinters are here. The Renewi Tour has always been the Unofficial World Championships for Sprinters.

 

[skippo12]

Of course, all of the best sprinters are here. The Renewi Tour has always been the Unofficial World Championships for Sprinters.

That´s the Scheldeprijs.

 

[Samamba]

Wind changes (direction and speed) and chance of rain tomorrow. Could be a weird TT.

 

[Landeirovic]

That´s the Scheldeprijs.

no, classic Brugge- De Panne

 

[RedheadDane]

no, classic Brugge- De Panne

I thought it was the Champs stage in the Tour...

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I thought it was the Champs stage in the Tour...

The Hamburg Cyclassics had a good sprinter‘s lineup as well.

 

[Samamba]

Looking at the weather in more detail. Tunderstorms expected in Sluis in the afternoon. Looks like luck will be a major factor tomorrow.

 

[skippo12]

no, classic Brugge- De Panne

Driedaagse used to be a fun race. Would have been better to find another date instead of just turning it into another one day race.

 

[Lequack]

 

[tobydawq]

Yeah, I edited it, but surely you get the point. Its so incredibly cheap to come here and sweep the flat stages with no real competition.

Heck, I think even Mads Pedersen should have gone and called it before the Pyrenees.

Pedersen is not the type of rider to line up for a race he doesn't intend to finish.

 

[tobydawq]

Of course, all of the best sprinters are here. The Renewi Tour has always been the Unofficial World Championships for Sprinters.

I actually think that's the UAE Tour.

 

[Samamba]

These joke organizers can't even do live timing in a TT.
Seriously so many organizers put a TT in their race but then can't do good livetiming or production. Horrible viewing experience.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

How on earth is live timing in TTs not required by the UCI for WT races?

 

[Samamba]

Wellens and Tarling basically same time at T1.

Wellens very strong time at the finish. He said he was training more again on the TT bike and it pays off.

 

[Didinho]

Ok Joshua!

 

[Samamba]

So Tarling as expected destroyed everyone. Good luck to others getting him out of that leader jersey after today.

 

[KZD]

Tarling with a monster time, taking 14 seconds on Wellens already excellent time.

Curious to see how he will handle the cobbled climbs tomorrow.