21st Renewi Tour to Feature Defending Champion De Lie, Record Chaser Wellens and the Four Fastest Sprinters of 2026

12 August 2026

The line-up for the Renewi Tour (UCI WorldTour) is gradually taking shape. Arnaud De Lie will start with race number 1 as last year’s overall winner. One of his biggest challengers is expected to be Tim Wellens, who is aiming for a fifth overall victory. In the sprint stages, fans can look forward to battles between Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier, Olav Kooij and Jonathan Milan. The Renewi Tour gets underway on Wednesday 19 August in Diest and finishes on Sunday 23 August in Leuven.

The stage from Celles to Geraardsbergen on Friday 21 August is likely to be decisive for the overall classification of the Renewi Tour, although the tricky opening stage in Diest and the final stage in Leuven could also create time gaps.

Defending champion Arnaud De Lie returns to the race hoping to start the second half of his season with a clean slate. Tim Wellens, who finished third overall last year and holds the record for the most overall victories, will be chasing a fifth title. He will be supported by teammate Florian Vermeersch as co-leader. Vermeersch already finished runner-up in the general classification in 2023, behind Wellens. Two other Belgians high on the list of contenders are Alec Segaert, who also finished second overall two years ago, and Tiesj Benoot.

The Renewi Tour also offers opportunities for the sprinters. The stage to Ardooie on Thursday and the stage to Bilzen-Hoeselt on Saturday are expected to suit the fast men. For the first time this cycling season, the four fastest sprinters in the peloton will line up together: Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier, Olav Kooij and Jonathan Milan. The Italian has already claimed 11 victories this season. Merlier has nine wins to his name, Philipsen six and Kooij four.

Fans eager to see the riders before the race begins do not need to wait until 19 August. On Tuesday 18 August, all teams and riders will be presented on Diest’s Grote Markt between 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm. All five stages of the 21st edition of the Renewi Tour will be broadcast live on Sporza, RTBF, Eurosport, HBO Max and FloSports.

RENEWI TOUR 2026 STAGE SCHEDULE