Profiles & Route Renewi Tour 2023

Profile. With five stages in length, the Renewi Tour from the 23rd to 27th of August has been shortened but is back in the peloton, the World Tour peloton will tackle the roads of the Benelux where the sprinters, classics specialists and time-trialists will be in the spotlight.

The race features a small individual time-trial which will be key to the overall classification as well as two hilly stages which are well suited to the classics specialists - one with cobbled, the other tarmacked ascents. Stages 1 and 4 should be certain bunch sprints as they lack the difficulties.

The opening stage of the race will be fully within Belgium and is a rather simple day. It is 182 kilometers in length and is pan-flat, a day that will attribute the first leader's jersey. Wind will be a factor in the day as the riders won't be far from the sea and will be riding through vast plains.

The finale will not be technical. The speeds will be very high, there will be a tense moment in a chicane that takes place with 1.3 kilometers to go, from there on a little windy finale but pan-flat and fully clear final 500 meters.

A key day for the overall classification. Stage 2 of the Renewi Tour is only 13.6 kilometers long however it is an individual time-trial, fully pan-flat within Sluis. There is not too much to mention over this day, technically speaking it's not the simplest of time-trials, it features in it's middle a few possibly complicated corners when riders are taking risks to fight for every single second.

A very explosive hilly stage and one which will be very exciting. Stage 3 of the Benelux race will see the riders in pure Flandrien roads and they will be tackling several of the most famous cobbled climbs, race the traditional circuit of the race and end in Geraardsbergen. The first 75 kilometers of the day are mostly flat and with not much to report, but from there on it's an almost constant roller-coaster of a ride.

Then the riders will take a circuit with three climbs in quick succession which will be ridden two times. First the Donderoodstraat (600 meters at 7.5%), then the Mur de Geraardsbergen (1.2Km; 7.3%) and finally the Bosberg (700 meters at 6%). Each have very difficult gradients, the Mur specially goes towards the 20% and is the most difficult of the ascents.

Towards the end the riders will climb the first two once again towards the finish line. The Donderoodstraat finishes with just 5.5 kilometers to go and then the finale will be in the town of Geraardsbergen, in the middle of the ascent, the ramp will be the climb's first 600 meters which average 6.5% in the cobbles.

The fourth day of racing is once again a simple one, pan-flat and with a final circuit finishing in Peer. It is a day for the sprinters, they will be happy with the terrain in display.

The sprint will be in non-urban roads but not overly simple. It's an average finale in terms of difficulty, there will be a fast left-hander with 2.3 kilometers to go, and then the final turn with 800 meters to go into the finish line. There are no gradients to throw in variables.

The final day of racing will be an interesting one. It features no big climbs but the explosive terrain can see attacks. Right from the start there will be plenty small ascents all within the area close to Bilzen where the stage will finish.

Towards the end there will be two hilltops where attacks are expected. There is a 1-kilometer ascent at 5% which ends with 17 kilometers to go, and then a 400-meter climb which ends only 4 kilometers away from the finish and ramps up at 6.5%.

This will one way or another influence the finale, perhaps a little too hard for the pure sprinters, and suited to the late attacks as the run-up to the line is quite technical. All the way into the final 900 meters the riders find a small descent and then technical twisty roads where it will be difficult to once again organize a chase. The final straight is flat and allows for recovery, but it will be difficult to balance things out.