Matej Mohoric (Bahrain - Victorious) wins the last stage from Riemst to Bilzen after a strong final! 👏 #RenewiTour
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 the race ahead.
Five days of racing and this will feature the famous Geraardsbergen circuit which features plenty cobbled climbs, a 15-kilometers time-trial which can be decisive for the overall classification and three stages that should end in bunch sprints - bonifications can also be crucial for the outcome here.
Stage 1: Riemst - Grote-Spouwen, 163.1 kilometers
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.
Stage 2 (ITT): Tessenderlo - Tessenderlo, 15.4 kilometers
Perhaps the most important day for the overall classification. The final day is key but here many riders will create significant differences between each other which may not be possible to close later on in the race.
The 15.4-kilometer long time-trial is completely flat and it isn't too technical. There are indeed a few corners that have to be handled carefully, this is sort of a loop course where the riders race around the town of Tessenderlo but ultimately the specialists shouldn't expect many surprises.
Stage 3: Blankerberge - Ardooie, 185.4 kilometers
Stage 3 is a pan-flat stage, classic of the region. It finishes in the city of Ardooie which should host a bunch sprint without any serious technical feature.
The 185-kilometer long stage starts in Blankerberge right by the sea and heads inland, through flat fields and the roads you are familiar with in Belgium. A green kilometer with 23 kilometers to go can shake things up, but the peloton will inevitably be heading towards a bunch sprint.
This one will be tricky. It doesn't look very technical but it has a few sketchy moments such as the entrance in the final kilometer with a slight chicane, and then a winding left and right turn in from 600 to 200 meters to go. It's not easy to gain positions in this section so it will be key to enter in front and have the leadout work to perfection.
Stage 4: Oostburg - Aalter, 178.6 kilometers
The fourth day of racing in profile is virtually the same as the previous day, but on the road it sees the peloton now in the Netherlands. The start of the stage takes place in Oostburg and in a criterium format almost, as the riders race a circuit several times with an intermediate sprint involved before crossing the border back to Belgium.
A perfectly flat and simple day on the menu, with the green kilometer coming with 19 kilometers to go before what is a difficult finale into Aalter.
Fast roads heading into town with some slight bends that make it nervous enough that riders need to be very well positioned the whole time. With 300 meters to go the riders go under a bridge and have a very sharp right-hand corner. The meters leading into this themselves are not straightforward and so there will be an immense fight for positioning up until this point. It will be crucial, because from the final corner to the finish line it will almost be an all-out sprint completely.
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Stage 5: Menen - Geraardsbergen, 202 kilometers
Finally, the riders reach the serious climbing. The final day of the Renewi Tour, as usual, takes place in and around the town of Geraardsbergen. It is over 200 kilometers long and features a final circuit which will see the riders climb the Muur de Geraardsbergen and Bosberg on three occasions.
The first 60 kilometers of the stage, starting in Menen, are completely flat. But then we enter a difficult section with lots of bergs and cobbled sectors... This will include the Kruisberg, the brutal Paterberg and a few ascents that are often used at the Tour of Flanders. The Paterberg will still come with 130 kilometers to go however so attacks are not too likely.
With 83 kilometers to go the riders enter the final circuit. After an initial ascent of the Denderoodberg the riders will then tackle on three occasions four climbs:
Muur de Geraarsdbergen: 1.2Km; 7.3% average gradient; 20% maximum; 76.5, 51 and 25Km to go
Bosberg: 1.4Km; 4.4% average gradient; 12% maximum; 71.5, 46 and 20Km to go
Onkerzeleberg: 1.8Km; 3.6%; 62.5, 37 and 11.5Km to go
Denderoodberg: 700 meters; 7%; 82.5, 56.5, 31 and 5.5Km to go
The third ascent is not cobbled, the other three are. The amount of times the riders will go up it will make it a very difficult stage worthy of a top classic. Besides all of these ascents the final sprint will also be in the town of Geraardsbergen uphill and on the cobbles. Everything is set for an exciting spectacle.
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