Renewi Tour 2026 start list | Merlier, Philipsen and Groenewegen set to do battle again in Belgium

After the Tour de France, things were quiet for a while in terms of major men’s races, but by mid-August, the action was back in full swing. In addition to the Vuelta a España, the Tour du Limousin, and the Lidl Deutschland Tour, it’s also time for the Renewi Tour: the biggest multi-day race in the Benelux, although in 2026 it will be held primarily in Belgium.

So the Renewi Tour has to compete with other races, which means it also has to make choices when it comes to the route. They do this by including a few stages for sprinters, which gets the fastest men on earth ready for the race.

Among others, Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step), Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets), Biniam Girmay (NSN), and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) are among those listed on the provisional start list for the stage race, which will take place from Wednesday through Sunday.

While Mathieu van der Poel seems to prefer mountain biking, defending champion Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché) will be there. The same goes for Florian Vermeersch (UAE Emirates-XRG), Tiesj Benoot (Decathlon CMA CGM), Alberto Bettiol (XDS-Astana), and Matej Mohorič of Bahrain Victorious. Visma | Lease a Bike is counting on Per Strand Hagenes and Louis Barré.