PREVIEW & FAVOURITES | Renewi Tour 2025 stage 3 - Will we have a Mathieu van der Poel show on the cobbles of Geraardsbergen?
Cycling
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 3.
The queen stage of the race? Often it is, and certainly this year we can say the same. The race returns to Geraardsbergen and 'De Muur' but this time around on the third day of racing, earlier than usual. The stage begins in Aalter and the start is rather flat, but as soon as the riders enter the Flandrien terrain they will face serious challenges.
The narrow and winding roads are always an aspect to take into consideration, but profile wise it will be a day where the classics specialists can make the difference. The riders will, before the circuit, tackle climbs such as the Taaienberg and Berg ten Houte where the peloton can be split already with a well-planned move, but the riders will climb up the Muur de Geraardsbergen (1.1Km; 7.7%) and Bosberg (0.6Km; 7.7%) combination on two occasions (the Muur ends with 66 and 33 kilometers to go.
However these won't be the only climbs on the day, and notably with only 5.5 kilometers to go the peloton goes through the Donderoodberg which is 600 meters long at 8.5%. The stage ends in Geraardsbergen, halfway through the cobbled climb, where a strong final sprint can always open up a few seconds of gap still.
Profile
Stage 3: Aalter - Geraardsbergen, 181.6 kilometers
Prediction Renewi Tour 2025 stage 3:
*** Mathieu van der Poel, Arnaud de Lie
** Tim Wellens, Florian Vermeersch, Ben Turner
* Mathias Vacek, Paul Magnier, Tibor del Grosso, Jasper Stuyven, Alberto Bettiol, Thibau Nys, Roger Adrià, Fred Wright
** Tim Wellens, Florian Vermeersch, Ben Turner
* Mathias Vacek, Paul Magnier, Tibor del Grosso, Jasper Stuyven, Alberto Bettiol, Thibau Nys, Roger Adrià, Fred Wright
Pick: Arnaud de Lie
How: Small group sprint.
Original: Rúben Silva
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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