The Renewi Tour returns from 19 to 23 August 2026 with a route built for Classics riders rather than conventional stage-race climbers, and without a time trial there should be very little room for mistakes across the five days.
Defending champion Arnaud De Lie returns with number one after his dramatic victory in Leuven last year, while four-time winner Tim Wellens has the opportunity to extend his record with a fifth overall title. Florian Vermeersch, Alec Segaert and Tiesj Benoot add further Belgian strength to a GC field where positioning, bonus seconds and the ability to survive repeated short climbs should matter more than sustained climbing ability.
The Renewi Tour 2026 route makes Stage 3 from Celles to Geraardsbergen the obvious GC reference point, with the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg before the finish on the Vesten. However, the opening stage around Diest and the final day in Leuven are both difficult enough to create additional gaps.
There is also an exceptional sprint field. Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier, Jonathan Milan and Olav Kooij all start, giving the 2026 Renewi Tour several of the fastest riders in the world on the same start line.
The full Renewi Tour 2026 start list shows the depth of the field, while our team-by-team guide looks more closely at how each squad is likely to approach the five stages.
That combination should create two races running alongside each other: an elite sprint contest on the flatter days and an increasingly tactical fight for seconds among the Classics specialists.
What will decide the 2026 Renewi Tour?
There is no individual time trial in this year’s five-stage route.
That fundamentally changes the GC battle.
Renewi Tour editions containing a substantial time trial have often rewarded riders capable of building an advantage against the clock and then defending it on the Flemish climbs. In 2026, the race instead revolves much more heavily around short climbs, difficult circuits and bonus seconds.
That is one of the main reasons this edition could stay close until the final afternoon. The beginner’s guide to the Renewi Tour 2026 explains in more detail why riders with sprint speed can remain serious overall contenders in a race that also contains cobbles and steep climbs.
The race opens with a challenging circuit around Diest and the Hageland on Wednesday. Stage 2 between Blankenberge and Ardooie provides the clearest early opportunity for the pure sprinters before the GC fight becomes serious on Friday.
Stage 3 from Celles to Geraardsbergen is the obvious queen stage.
The Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg provide familiar Flemish Classics terrain and offer the strongest riders a chance to create genuine separation.
Stage 4 between Riemst and Bilzen-Hoeselt then returns to the rolling roads of Limburg and should offer the sprinters another opportunity, although the terrain gives attackers some room to complicate matters.
Finally, Leuven provides the decisive fifth stage.
That was where De Lie overturned Mathieu van der Poel’s advantage in 2025, winning both the stage and the overall classification. The same roads provide enough short climbs and technical racing to ensure that even a narrow GC lead after Geraardsbergen will not necessarily be safe.
Arnaud De Lie
Arnaud De Lie starts as defending champion and remains one of the most obvious riders around whom to build the 2026 race.
His victory last year showed almost exactly why the Renewi Tour suits him.
De Lie is not a conventional stage racer. He does not need long climbs or a time trial to create an advantage. Instead, he can survive hard Classics terrain and then take time through stage finishes and bonus seconds.
That became decisive in Leuven in 2025.
Mathieu van der Poel went into the finale apparently positioned to win the race, only for De Lie to beat him on the final stage and take the overall victory.
The absence of a time trial arguably helps him again.
De Lie can potentially lose a handful of seconds to Wellens, Segaert or Benoot on the hardest climbs and still recover them through bonuses on stages where those riders cannot match his finishing speed.
The opening stage and Leuven finale therefore matter almost as much to him as Geraardsbergen.
There is also an unusual backdrop to his title defence. Lotto Intermarché confirmed on Monday that Arnaud De Lie will leave the team at the end of 2026, bringing his six-year association with the organisation to an end.
That makes Renewi one of the final major opportunities for De Lie to add another significant victory in Lotto colours.
Verdict: The defending champion has the fastest finish among the serious GC contenders and a route that allows him to use it.
Tim Wellens
Few races have suited Tim Wellens as consistently as the Renewi Tour.
The Belgian has won the overall classification four times, taking victories in 2014, 2015, 2023 and 2024.
No rider has been more successful in the modern history of the race, something covered in more detail in our brief history of the Renewi Tour.
He finished third in 2025 and returns in search of an unprecedented fifth title.
The route makes that entirely realistic.
Wellens has spent much of his career excelling on exactly this sort of terrain: repeated short climbs, difficult positioning, changes of pace and tactical racing rather than sustained mountain ascents.
Geraardsbergen is the obvious opportunity.
Unlike De Lie, Wellens cannot rely on winning a larger sprint to recover lost seconds. He therefore needs the race to become selective enough on Stage 3 that his climbing strength produces a tangible advantage.
His situation is strengthened by UAE Team Emirates-XRG bringing Florian Vermeersch as another GC option.
That gives UAE the freedom to attack rather than simply trying to control the race around one leader.
Wellens can follow the obvious favourites while Vermeersch goes early, or the roles can be reversed if the race develops unexpectedly.
That may become especially valuable in Leuven, where tactical strength can matter almost as much as outright form.
Verdict: The most successful Renewi Tour rider in history and arguably the strongest favourite if Geraardsbergen creates meaningful gaps.
Photo Credit: GettyFlorian Vermeersch
Florian Vermeersch should not simply be viewed as support for Wellens.
He already has a strong Renewi Tour record of his own, having finished second overall in 2023, behind Wellens.
His strengths are particularly useful on this route.
Vermeersch is powerful on cobbles, difficult to distance over short climbs and capable of making long attacks stick on terrain where hesitation behind can quickly turn a small gap into something significant.
Geraardsbergen offers opportunities, but the opening day around Diest and the Leuven finale may suit him just as well.
The absence of a time trial is perhaps the only slight drawback. Vermeersch’s power against the clock could have given him another route to gaining time.
Instead, he will need to create those seconds through aggressive racing.
UAE’s biggest tactical advantage is that rivals cannot easily cover both him and Wellens.
If De Lie, Benoot or Segaert hesitate because they are watching Wellens, Vermeersch has the strength to exploit it.
Verdict: A genuine co-leader and one of the riders most likely to benefit if the favourites mark each other too closely.
Alec Segaert
Alec Segaert is another rider whose previous record makes him impossible to leave out.
He finished second overall in 2024, demonstrating that his power and ability against the clock translate extremely well to short stage races in Belgium.
The obvious issue is that there is no time trial this year.
That removes one of Segaert’s clearest advantages.
Instead of taking substantial time against the clock and then defending it, he needs to create separation on the road.
Fortunately, Bahrain Victorious have a team capable of helping him do that.
Matej Mohorič brings another dangerous Classics option, while the wider squad gives Bahrain enough depth to race aggressively rather than simply waiting for the final climb.
Segaert’s chance could come from attacking before the steepest sections rather than attempting to beat riders such as Wellens punch-for-punch on the Muur.
If he arrives in Leuven within a few seconds of the lead, he is strong enough to make the final day extremely difficult.
Verdict: The missing time trial makes winning harder than in previous editions, but his second place in 2024 proves the overall is well within his range.
Tiesj Benoot
Tiesj Benoot is almost a prototype Renewi Tour contender.
He climbs too well to be easily removed on short hills, has enormous experience on Flemish roads and does not need a conventional uphill finish to create separation.
The challenge is turning those strengths into enough time.
Benoot does not have De Lie’s sprint and is unlikely to win large numbers of bonus seconds. That means he needs one of the harder stages to become genuinely selective.
Stage 3 is the obvious target.
The Muur and Bosberg give him the opportunity to apply sustained pressure rather than relying on one explosive acceleration. If the stage becomes a Classics race rather than a controlled GC contest, Benoot becomes increasingly dangerous.
Decathlon CMA CGM also bring Olav Kooij, so the team have no need to chase every move on the flatter stages.
Their objectives divide naturally: Kooij for the sprints, Benoot for the overall.
That should allow Benoot to save his strongest efforts for the stages where the GC can actually be changed.
Verdict: One of the best pure Classics riders in the GC field, but he needs to take time rather than simply stay with De Lie.
Photo Credit: GettyMatej Mohorič
Matej Mohorič is one of the most interesting outsiders.
The Bahrain Victorious rider won the race overall in 2018, so there is already proof that the characteristics required by the Renewi Tour fit him.
His chances probably depend on how controlled the GC battle becomes.
If everyone waits for the steepest part of the Muur, Mohorič may struggle to distance the strongest riders.
If the race becomes chaotic much earlier, his chances improve dramatically.
Descending, positioning and attacking over rolling terrain remain central parts of his skill set. Renewi Tour stages frequently reward riders prepared to anticipate rather than simply follow the strongest wheel.
Bahrain also have Segaert, which gives Mohorič more tactical freedom.
He does not necessarily need to start as the protected leader. He can attack, force rivals to chase and potentially become the team’s GC card if a move gains enough time.
Verdict: Not the safest favourite, but one of the riders most capable of winning the race through tactics rather than raw climbing strength.
Alberto Bettiol
Alberto Bettiol gives XDS Astana a potentially dangerous Classics specialist.
The Italian is well suited to the harder stages, particularly when the race becomes selective through repeated climbs rather than one decisive ascent.
His biggest problem is similar to Benoot’s.
Bettiol needs to create time.
He is unlikely to consistently beat De Lie in bonus-second sprints, so simply reaching Leuven alongside the defending champion is not enough.
An attack around Geraardsbergen is therefore the obvious route.
XDS Astana also have enough strength around him to make the race aggressive rather than simply waiting for the final kilometres.
Verdict: A credible top-five outsider with the right profile for Geraardsbergen and Leuven.
Photo Credit: GettyMagnus Sheffield
Magnus Sheffield is an interesting option for Netcompany-Ineos, particularly because the race has no obvious dominant GC team.
Sheffield has the power for exposed roads and repeated short climbs and has become increasingly capable in long, Classics-style races.
The route should suit him better than a conventional mountainous stage race.
However, there is again the issue of bonus seconds.
If Sheffield wants to challenge riders such as De Lie, he probably needs to attack rather than wait for reduced sprints.
The American could be particularly dangerous on the opening stage, where teams may still be reluctant to commit fully to controlling the race.
Verdict: A strong outsider whose best route to victory probably involves taking time before everyone begins treating the GC battle conventionally.
Jenno Berckmoes
Jenno Berckmoes gives Lotto Intermarché another interesting option behind De Lie.
His presence matters because defending the overall title does not necessarily mean Lotto need to ride exclusively for one rider from kilometre zero.
Berckmoes is well suited to hilly Belgian races and has enough finishing speed to remain useful when smaller groups contest stages.
If rival teams focus entirely on De Lie, Lotto can use Berckmoes more aggressively.
He is less likely to win the overall outright than his team leader, but his presence gives Lotto another rider capable of forcing tactical decisions from UAE, Bahrain and the other GC teams.
Verdict: More dangerous as a second tactical card than as a leading favourite, but capable of a high GC finish.
Renewi Tour 2026 sprint contenders
The pure sprint field is exceptional.
Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier, Jonathan Milan and Olav Kooij all line up, giving the race several of the best sprinters in the world.
Stage 2 from Blankenberge to Ardooie is the clearest conventional sprint opportunity. Stage 4 between Riemst and Bilzen-Hoeselt should offer another chance if the attackers cannot disrupt the race.
Milan brings Lidl-Trek’s powerful lead-out.
Merlier has the experience and positioning strength to win even when the final kilometres become disorganised.
Philipsen remains one of the most difficult riders to beat when a fast Belgian race reaches a conventional sprint, while Kooij already knows how to win at the Renewi Tour.
The Renewi Tour 2026 team-by-team guide goes into more detail on the sprint trains and how the leading teams are likely to organise around those riders.
For the overall classification, however, the pure sprinters should eventually run into their limit. Geraardsbergen provides enough climbing and Classics-style terrain to shift the race back towards the stronger all-rounders.
Arnaud De Lie’s unusual position before the race
There is an extra layer around the defending champion this week.
Lotto Intermarché confirmed on Monday that De Lie will leave the team at the end of the 2026 season, bringing a six-year association to an end.
The team made clear that both sides still want to finish their time together with further victories.
The Renewi Tour gives them an immediate opportunity.
De Lie is not simply riding out the final months of his contract. He starts one of Belgium’s biggest late-summer races as defending champion and with a realistic opportunity to retain the overall title.
Whatever comes in 2027, Lotto still have a WorldTour stage race to defend with him first.
Which stages will decide the Renewi Tour 2026 GC?
Three stages stand above the rest.
Stage 1: Diest to Diest is harder than a normal opening day and runs through the Hageland. A rider who loses contact or gets caught behind a split could see the overall disappear immediately.
Stage 3: Celles to Geraardsbergen is the queen stage and the clearest opportunity to create meaningful gaps. The Muur and Bosberg provide terrain where Wellens, Benoot, Vermeersch, Segaert and Mohorič can try to distance De Lie.
Then comes Stage 5 around Leuven.
Last year demonstrated exactly why it cannot be treated as a ceremonial finale. De Lie used the final stage to overturn Van der Poel and win the race, and the 2026 contenders will remember that.
Anyone leaving Geraardsbergen with a lead of only a handful of seconds should expect to race for every metre until the finish on Sunday.
The full five-stage Renewi Tour route guide has a detailed breakdown of each stage and the sections most likely to shape the overall classification.
How to watch the Renewi Tour 2026 in the UK
UK viewers can follow the race live across all five stages.
Our guide to watching the Renewi Tour 2026 in the UK has the latest TNT Sports and HBO Max viewing details, along with the stage schedule and expected start times.
Stage 3 into Geraardsbergen and the final stage around Leuven are the two most important days for anyone primarily interested in the overall classification, although the strength of the sprint field makes the flatter stages unusually compelling as well.
Who will win the Renewi Tour 2026?
The absence of a time trial narrows the race towards riders who combine Classics strength with finishing speed.
That makes Arnaud De Lie and Tim Wellens the two clearest favourites, but for completely different reasons.
Wellens has the superior historical record and probably the better opportunity to take time on the hardest terrain.
De Lie has the finishing speed.
If Wellens wants to win a fifth Renewi Tour, he probably needs to put meaningful seconds into De Lie on the road to Geraardsbergen. A tiny advantage may not survive the bonuses and tactical racing of Leuven.
Behind them, Florian Vermeersch gives UAE a second genuine chance, while Alec Segaert and Tiesj Benoot have the strength to turn Stage 3 into something much more selective.
Mohorič is the tactical wildcard.
The simplest race suits De Lie. He stays close on the Muur, follows the strongest wheels through Geraardsbergen and then uses his speed whenever bonus seconds become available.
The harder and less predictable the race becomes, the more riders such as Wellens, Vermeersch, Benoot and Mohorič enter the equation.
That is why Geraardsbergen will matter so much.
The question is not merely who is strongest on the Muur. It is whether anyone can take enough time there to stop Arnaud De Lie doing what he did twelve months ago: surviving the hardest racing and then turning the Renewi Tour into a sprint for the overall victory.
