Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) dominated the final stage of the Renewi Tour to confirm his overall title, covering every move from his rivals in a tricky final 10km, before freestyling in the sprint to win at a canter in Leuven. It was his third stage win of this five-day race, ending on a high note with the overall victory.
The Renewi Tour began under heavy rain throughout stage 1 of the Renewi Tour, sprinters slogged through the 191.3km around Diest for a wild bunch finish, won by Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek). Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) completed the podium.
Stage 2 was a chaotic day, with Philipsen taking both the victory and the race leader's jersey. Joshua Giddings (Lotto-Intermarché) took a surprise second place Soren Waerenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) went third.
Double wins were taken on stage 3, Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto-Intermarché) sprinting to the victory and taking with it the race lead, thanks to 8 bonus seconds on the route and 10 for the win. Philipsen finished second, now three seconds down, and Kooij went third on the stage.
Another photo-finish at the 2026 Renewi Tour saw Philipsenemerge victorious on stage 4, narrowly pipping Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) to the line in Bilzen-Hoeselt after a tight sprint. Philipsen's victory and time bonuses also meant that he retook the overall race lead.
Renewi Tour information
The Renewi Tour returns for a 21st edition in 2026, taking place August 19-23 across the Benelux region that includes Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
The stage race started in 2005 as the Tour of Benelux, and over the following years, was rebranded as the Eneco Tour and then the BinckBank Tour as race sponsors changed. After cancellation in 2022, the stage race returned in 2023 as Renewi Tour.
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The USA's Bobby Julich was the first winner in 2005, while Belgian Tim Wellens has won the overall title the most, going back-to-back in 2014-2015 and then again in 2023-2024.
From 2008 to 2010, the race was lengthened to eight days of racing, while in other years the event was consistently five or seven days. Since 2023, the Renewi Tour has featured five days of challenging courses.
In 2025, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) turned his disappointing season around by snagging the overall victory, also winning the final stage ahead of Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
De Lie needed to win the final stage to secure overall victory after starting the day only one second ahead of Van der Poel and losing two at an intermediate sprint.
The young Belgian kept his cool and unleashed his sprint perfectly to win his first WorldTour stage race.
Renewi Tour 2026 route
Stage 1 profile (Image credit: Renewi Tour)
The opening stage of the 2026 Renewi Tour takes riders around Diest for 188.3 kilometres on two different circuits. The first, a short, flat lap, and a longer circuit punctuated by the two cobbled climbs of Heuvelstraat and Kerstraat. A modified short lap is traversed three times in the finale, with an extra ascent of the Gasbos featured four times before the flat finish.
Stage 2 profile (Image credit: Renewi Tour)
Stage 2 brings riders from the coast at Blankenberge to Ardooie where riders tackle five local circuits. It's another relatively flat stage with the Golden Kilometre bonus coming inside the final 20 kilometres.
Stage 3 profile (Image credit: Renewi Tour)
Stage 3 gets punchier. After a flat start in Aalter, the climbs increase in intensity from the Côte du Trieu after 61 kilometres and culminating in the ascent of the Muur van Geraardsbergen. With 14 climbs and three ascents of the Muur, it's April in August for the Spring Classics specialists.
Stage 4 profile (Image credit: Renewi Tour)
Stage 4 is a bit less intense than the previous stage, but it's still a demanding 187.3-kilometre stage from Riemst to Bilzen-Hoeselt. There are another 14 climbs on tap with an uphill run to the finish.
Stage 5 profile (Image credit: Renewi Tour)
The Renewi Tour concludes with more circuits around Leuven. The stage consists of two trips around the short, local lap each with three climbs, then two longer laps each with four climbs. The race concludes with three short laps and another short uphill finish.
Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).
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