Massive crash casts a shadow over Renewi Tour; Milan drops out and Philipsen triumphs amid the chaos
CyclingThursday, 20 August 2026 at 18:02
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Follow us on GoogleJasper Philipsen won the second stage of the Renewi Tour. The Belgian rider from Alpecin-Premier Tech was the fastest in an extremely chaotic final sprint. However, his victory was somewhat overshadowed by a massive and serious crash that left race leader Jonathan Milan and Dylan Groenewegen, among others, on the ground.
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The Renewi Tour always delivers a fantastic short week of cycling. The first stage of this edition was already full of excitement: the seemingly flat route—thanks in part to a strong breakaway group, a few small hills, and the pouring rain—made for a thrilling race. It wasn’t until the final kilometer that a bunch sprint was assured, where Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) proved too strong for Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) after a photo finish.
But by Thursday, we knew for sure that there would be another opportunity for the fast riders. Between Blankenberge and Ardooie, the course featured only 470 meters of elevation gain. That’s why only three riders dared to break away right from the start: Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Niklas Behrens (Visma | Lease a Bike), and Michiel Lambrecht (Flanders - Baloise).
A major setback was the withdrawal of Jonas Abrahamsen and Oliver Naesen. The Norwegian from Uno-X Mobility and the Belgian from Decathlon CMA CGM both crashed during the opening stage and were unable to start on Thursday. The same fate befell Mattia Agostinacchio, the 18-year-old Italian from EF Education-EasyPost.
Read more below the video!
Crash casts a shadow over the Renewi Tour
The breakaway riders were given very little room to work with and were caught with 85 kilometers to go. Then a massive crash occurred. Among those involved were race leader Milan, as well as Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) and about twenty other riders. Milan had to take his time getting back on his bike, and he wasn’t the only one. As a result, the pace slowed down for a moment.
That didn’t help Dries De Bondt at all: he went on the attack immediately after the crash. He was caught again just ten kilometers later. His teammate Amaury Capiot, however, was one of the hardest hit: he had to withdraw from the race and was taken to the hospital, and Corbin Strong (NSN) also left the race. Meanwhile, Groenewegen made it back into the peloton, but Milan didn’t. He was fighting to make the time limit.
Calm returned somewhat, but De Bondt wouldn’t have any of it. When the green kilometer (where bonus points were up for grabs) came into view, he took off again. He wasn’t given any room, so most of the bonus points went to Matteo Trentin (Tudor), Mike Teunissen (XDS Astana), and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché). After those sprints, Alec Segaert chose his moment.
Read more below the photo!
After a chaotic race, a sprint is inevitable
The Belgian rider from Bahrain-Victorious knows the region like the back of his hand and went on the offensive immediately after the bonus sprints. However, he was countered by the energetic De Bondt, who got the peloton moving. After that, it was up to the sprinter teams to set the pace. Merlier did see his lead-out man, Bert Van Lerberghe, drop out at the last minute due to a flat tire.
Van Lerberghe was catching up again, but would he make it in time? That remained to be seen. The other sprinter teams had significantly increased the pace. Decathlon CMA CGM had the best train, but Olav Kooij wasn’t quite on the wheel. No one really had a lead-out, so it turned into pure chaos. Amid that chaos, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) remained the calmest, securing the victory and the leader’s jersey.
Results of Stage 2 of the 2026 Renewi Tour
1. Jasper Philipsen
2. Joshua Giddings
3. Soren Waerenskjold
2. Joshua Giddings
3. Soren Waerenskjold
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
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