Favorites stage 1 Renewi Tour 2024 | Last year a strike, this year mostly a spectacle?!

The Renewi Tour begins with a 163.6-kilometer stage between Riemst and Bilzen, which includes a total of eight categorized climbs. These climbs are grouped in pairs or threes within a long local circuit of about sixty kilometers.

Last year, the peloton went on strike due to safety concerns during the stage between Riemst and Bilzen, but ultimately the race did continue as normal, with a real battle for the win. Matej Mohoric took the victory that time, while Caleb Ewan won this stage in 2021. In both cases, the sprint was contested by a medium-sized peloton.

This time, the organization will want to avoid such incidents in the stage near the Dutch border. The finish is on a slightly uphill stretch in Bilzen, following the last eight hundred meters, which are on a straight road.

Climbs
6.0 km: Cote de Hallembaye (1.0 km at 4.9%)
17.5 km: Cote sur le Coteaux (1.6 km at 4.2%)
57.0 km: Slingerberg (1 km at 4.9%)
65.5 km: Cote de Hallembaye (1.0 km at 4.9%)
77.0 km: Cote sur le Coteaux (1.6 km at 4.2%)
117.0 km: Slingerberg (1 km at 4.9%)
125.5 km: Cote de Hallembaye (1.0 km at 4.9%)
137.0 km: Cote sur le Coteaux (1.6 km at 4.2%)

Times
Start: 11:35 AM locally / 5:35 AM EST
Finish: 3:30 PM locally / 9:30 AM EST

It's going to be nice and warm in the Netherlands and Belgium this week, which the peloton will also get to experience. On Wednesday, the temperature will be 29 degrees Celsius, and the wind doesn’t seem like it will play a significant role.

It's a tricky course, and in theory, there are opportunities for attackers, but there are so many sprinters in this Renewi Tour that avoiding a sprint finish seems very difficult. Especially considering the fact that many of these sprinters can also handle the tougher terrain, as they have already shown in major classics and three-week stage races.

So, those who want to see Mathieu van der Poel attack might have to wait until Sunday. Jasper Philipsen, who is making his return to the Renewi Tour just like the Dutchman, is likely the chosen man for Alpecin-Deceuninck. The Belgian will have to compete against quite a few other riders, including compatriots Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny), who are major contenders.

Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) recently showed in Poland and Germany that they are in good form. For Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) and Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), the situation is a bit more uncertain as they are also returning to competition. For Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious), Fabio Jakobsen (dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Sam Welsford (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), the question is whether they will survive the climbs.

On a good day, riders like Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers), Max Kanter (Astana), Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R), Matteo Trentin (Tudor), Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) and Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE-Team Emirates) should still be able to handle this stage as riders with a decent sprint. And what about attacking types like last year’s winner, Matej Mohoric or, say, Jasper Stuyven of Lidl-Trek?

Top favorites: Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Outsiders: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) and Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty)
Long shots: Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla), Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers), Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R), Matteo Trentin (Tudor), Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) and Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE-Team Emirates)