PREVIEW | Renewi Tour 2024 stage 1 - Battle of the kings! Expected sprint between Jonathan Milan, Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier and Biniam Girmay

From the 28th of August to the 1st of September, the Renewi Tour provides extra World Tour action. In Belgium and The Netherlands the peloton will tackle a five-day stage- race which will feature opportunities for the sprinters, time-trialists and classics specialists. We preview stage 1.

The race starts off with a 163-kilometer long from Riemst to Grote-Spouwen. A day with an intermediate sprint right in it's start, and some hills with a golden kilometer inserted in the middle already inside the final hour of racing. However it's not overly hard and should end in a sprint.

With only 6 kilometers raced there is an interesting point where he could see some moves, but this doesn't mean there will be a very strong breakaway on the day, likely it will settle down. Later on in the day though there is a section with three categorized ascents and another that coincides with the green kilometer.

The green kilometer, i remind you, consists of three sprints in the space of 1 kilometer. This means there should be a fight and it being uphill means the GC riders can really do something. How likely it is, we must see... But it comes with 32 kilometers to go and there is another hilltop shortly after which does provide the opportunity to grow a gap over the peloton. But we've got a flat finale and it's unlikely to be able to prevent a bunch sprint.

The final sprint however will be technical; with sharp turns coming with 2.3, 1.3 and .09 kilometers to go. Definitely not an easy one, and then in the final meters the riders will have a rise to the line with the final 300 meters averaging a 4% gradient.

The Weather

A hot day, 28 degrees in Belgium with some southern wind. Lots of firection changes mean echelons are very unlikely, and we could have a crosswind sprint.

The Favourites

There may be attacks due to the golden kilometer present, some riders will try to start gaining time in the fight for the overall classification, but there is no way that this will not end in a sprint. It's the sprint royale perhaps; the race this year that has the most luxurious startlist of all. I will have below all the main fast men and their leadouts.

Jasper Philipsen - Mathieu van der Poel - Jonas Rickaert

Tim Merlier - Bert van Lerberghe - Yves Lampaert

Jonathan Milan - Simone Consonni - Edward Theuns - Jasper Stuyven

Biniam Girmay - Mike Teunissen - Adrien Petit (Gerben Thijssen may form part of this, but I doubt, it could be a repeat of the Tour de France)

Olav Kooij - Christohe Laporte - Tosh van der Sande - Mick van Dijke

Juan Sebastián Molano - Rui Oliveira - Nils Politt - Mikkel Bjerg

Arnaud Démare - Dan McLay - Florian Sénéchal

Dylan Groenewegen - Max Walscheid - Elmar Reinders

Sam Welsford - Marco Haller - Ryan Mullen

Fabio Jakobsen - Bram Welten - John Degenkolb

We will have other sprinters that can be in contention for a good result but do not have a particularly strong leadout such as Sam Bennett, Phil Bauhaus, Arnaud De Lie, Sasha Weemaes, Elia Viviani, Max Kanter, Paul Penhöet, Fernando Gaviria and Davide Bomboi.

Prediction Renewi Tour 2024 stage 1:

*** Jonathan Milan, Tim Merlier
** Jasper Philipsen, Biniam Girmay, Olav Kooij
* Juan Sebastián Molano, Arnaud Démare, Sam Welsford, Dylan Groenewegen, Sam Bennett, Phil Bauhaus, Arnaud De Lie, Max Kanter, Fernando Gaviria

Pick: Jonathan Milan