Defending champion Tim Wellens, Matej Mohoric and Edvald Boasson Hagen, three former overall winners, will be at the start of the 2024 Renewi Tour on Wednesday 28 August. Biniam Girmay, the green jersey winner of this year’s Tour de France, will also attend. The course of the Renewi Tour, the only WorldTour stage race on Belgian and Dutch soil, is traditionally designed for classic riders. The Renewi Tour has its denouement on the Vesten in Geraardsbergen on Sunday 1 September.
The Renewi Tour starts on Wednesday 28 August with a tough ride from Riemst to Bilzen. On the way, taking in the roads of Limburg and Liège, the riders will have to climb the Côte de Hallembaye, Côte Sur les Coteaux and Slingerberg several times. The following day features a 15km individual time trial in Tessenderlo.
The third stage, on Friday 30 August, takes place in West Flanders and goes from Blankenberge to Ardooie. The sprinters are in charge in this stage, with Biniam Girmay in the lead. The Eritrean was the sprint king of the past Tour de France with three stage wins and overall victory in the points classification. The arrival of green jersey winner Girmay will literally colour the Renewi Tour even greener, which aims for maximum sustainability making it the greenest race of the year. Girmay will compete in the Renewi Tour against top sprinters such as Dylan Groenewegen, Fabio Jakobsen, Arnaud De Lie, Jonathan Milan, Phil Bauhaus, Sam Bennett, and Arnaud Démare.
Stage four will see the peloton travel on flat roads from Oostburg in the Netherlands to Aalter in East Flanders, giving the fast riders another chance to show off. But on the final day, Sunday 1 September, the classic riders will have the last word. After the start in Menen, the riders head for the Flemish Ardennes with climbs including the Kluisberg, Oude Kruisberg and Berg ten Houte. The Denderoodberg, Muur, Bosberg and Onkerzele Berg await the riders on the local circuit in Geraardsbergen. The finish is traditionally on the Vesten.
Tim Wellens, triple overall winner of the Renewi Tour, will have a shot at a fourth overall victory in Geraardsbergen. Matej Mohoric and Edvald Boasson Hagen, two other former overall winners will join him at the start. They will have to compete with fast and strong men like Girmay, Milan, or De Lie for another overall victory, but certainly also with Jasper Stuyven, Maxim Van Gils, Victor Campenaerts, Ben Healy, Stefan Kung or Valentin Madouas, the Olympic silver medal winner in Paris. Moreover, not all teams have yet announced their selections, so this already impressive list will only grow …
Sustainability
Along with the sporting nature of the race, the Renewi Tour stays true to the sustainability principle and the motto ‘Together we strive for the cleanest & most sustainable cycling event’. Last year already included the introduction of waste zones for the teams’ waste in the riders’ village, the maximum use of local suppliers and existing buildings and optimal use of digital communication. Renewi also ensured that as much waste as possible, in and around the race, was given a second lease of life. Numerous new initiatives will be launched this year, more on this soon.
PRACTICAL INFO RENEWI TOUR 2024:
Stage schedule:
- Tuesday 27 August: Team presentation Riemst
- Wednesday 28 August: Riemst – Bilzen
- Thursday, August 29: Tessenderlo (time trial)
- Friday 30 August: Blankenberge – Ardooie
- Saturday 31 August: Oostburg (NL) – Aalter
- Sunday 1 September: Menen – Geraardsbergen
Live on TV:
The Renewi Tour 2024 can be followed live on Sporza, Tipik and Eurosport.
