Results Renewi Tour 2026 Stage 4 - Jasper Philipsen beats Olav Kooij in photo finish to seize back overall lead
Cycling
Jasper Philipsen won Stage 4 of the 2026 Renewi Tour in a dramatic photo finish against Olav Kooij, reclaiming the overall lead after Soren Kragh Andersen was caught inside the final kilometre in Bilzen.
The Alpecin-Premier Tech sprinter and Kooij lunged for the line together after 187.3 kilometres from Riemst, with Philipsen confirmed as the winner following a photo finish. The victory, his second of the race, lifted him above Jenno Berckmoes in the general classification ahead of Sunday’s final stage.
Kragh Andersen caught 600 metres from the finish
Kragh Andersen had attacked following the Green Kilometre and opened a 17-second advantage, forcing Netcompany INEOS to begin the chase. The Lidl-Trek rider was almost caught on the Letenberg but accelerated again and carried a 12-second lead into the final two kilometres. With several sprint teams hesitating behind, the Dane appeared capable of denying the fast finishers their opportunity.
Unibet Rose Rockets eventually brought the peloton back into position for Dylan Groenewegen, closing the final gap with approximately 600 metres remaining.
Biniam Girmay launched the sprint, while Tim Merlier sat on Philipsen’s wheel and Groenewegen also moved into contention. Philipsen and Kooij then emerged together on the rising finish, throwing their bikes towards the line in a sprint too close to call immediately. The photo finish confirmed Philipsen’s victory in 3:58:41, with Kooij taking second on the same time.
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Lotto Intermarché unable to defend Berckmoes’ lead
Berckmoes had started the penultimate stage six seconds ahead of Philipsen and 12 seconds clear of Kooij after winning Friday’s queen stage in Geraardsbergen. Lotto Intermarché initially protected its leader effectively, with Lionel Taminiaux winning the opening Green Kilometre sprint from the breakaway. Axel Huens and Toms Skujins gained only two seconds apiece, while Aivaras Mikutis won the final intermediate sprint.
Those results prevented Philipsen and Kooij from collecting bonus seconds before the finish, but Lotto Intermarché’s attempt to distance the sprinters on the Letenberg proved unsuccessful.
Arnaud De Lie sacrificed his own chances by accelerating on the climb for Berckmoes, with Florian Vermeersch increasing the pace further. The bunch briefly split, but Philipsen and Kooij returned, while De Lie was distanced after his effort.
Once Kragh Andersen was caught, the stage-winning bonus seconds became decisive. Philipsen’s victory moved him back into the blue-green leader’s jersey before the concluding 184-kilometre stage in Leuven.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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