PREVIEW & FAVOURITES | Renewi Tour 2025 stage 1 - Tim Merlier and Olav Kooij eye opening bunch sprint

From the 20th to the 24th of August the World Tour peloton returns to the Benelux, but not for one-day races this time around, but instead some high-octane stage-racing. The Renewi Tour often provides opportunities for the classics specialists, sprinters and time-trialists to all battle for quality results. We preview stage 1.

The race begins in the Netherlands and the first day of racing is the only one that takes place fully within Dutch roads. This will also be a day for the sprinters, beginning in Terneuzen and finishing in the city of Breskens.

This is a day that on paper presents no difficulties in terms of terrain, however it will end in an area that has the potential to be extremely windy and so splits can absolutely occur. This will not only be an important day for the sprinters, but potentially also for all of those who look to contest the overall classification.

The wind will be blowing hard from the north and this will make for a very treacherous stage. A bunch sprint seems inevitable because at these speeds it's unrealistic to see anyone get away, but there will certainly be echelons attempts in the many crosswinds sections of the stage. The final kilometers however will have a headwind, and a sprint would have a crosswind coming from the left side.

Tim Merlier - Soudal - Quick-Step have in Paul Magnier a strong developing sprinter and classics star and this Renewi Tour will be an interesting opportunity to see how effective he can also be as a leadout man. Stage 1 is an ideal opportunity for Tim Merlier and the Frenchman should be on leadout duty. Merlier, a strong pure sprinter and frequent winner of the opening stages in stage-races, should be the man to beat - even if in bunch sprints you rarely have one.  

Olav Kooj - Visma have a strong weapon to fight against Quick-Step here however, with Olav Kooij coming in as a strong contender for the bunch sprint and having alongside him a very talented group of leadout men. Dan McLay brings in the experience, Edoardo Affini brings in the pure power before the final kilometer and depending on his form, Christophe Laporte could also provide perfect support to the Dutchman.

But this is indeed a race with a lot of depth and quality sprinters everywhere you look. Tudor have their A-game to leadout Arvid de Kleijn; Biniam Girmay is coming in and looking to prove himself after a disappointing Tour de France; Arnaud de Lie is in peak form and although this isn't an ideal sprint for him he will want bonus seconds to get ahead in the fight for the overall classification; Dylan Groenewegen comes in with a very strong leadout; The likes of Pavel Bittner, Juan Sebastián Molano, Milan Fretin and Sam Welsford also as proven winners...

It's a very strong field, but it doesn't actually end there. Alpecin-Deceuninck have Mathieu van der Poel as a wildcard here, but I would argue it's more likely that the team will back up Simon Dehairs for this bunch sprint. Fred Wright, Tim Torn Teutenberg, Ben Turner, Marijn van den Berg, Cees Bol, Paul Penhoët, Fernando Gaviria, Amaury Capiot and Davide Bomboi are also men to watch.

*** Tim Merlier, Olav Kooij
** Arvid de Kleijn, Biniam Girmay, Arnaud de Lie
* Tim Torn Teutenberg, Simon Dehairs, Mathieu van der Poel, Dylan Groenewegen, Ben Turner, Sam Welsford, Marijn van den Berg, Pavel Bittner, Juan Sebastián Molano, Milan Fretin

Pick: Tim Merlier

How: Regular bunch sprint.