Renewi Tour 2026 Preview Show | De Lie Defends as Pithie Leads the Challenge and Jonathan Milan vs Tim Merlier?

The Renewi Tour returns with another stacked field and plenty of questions to answer. Defending champion Arnaud De Lie starts as the man to beat after his victory twelve months ago, but the Belgian faces a serious challenge from Laurence Pithie, who looks perfectly suited to the race's mix of crosswinds, punchy terrain and technical finishes.While there is no Tim Wellens this year, the race is far from lacking star power. The sprint stages are set to feature some of the fastest riders in the world, including Jonathan Milan, Tim Merlier, Olav Kooij, Jasper Philipsen, Biniam Girmay, Kaden Groves and Sam Welsford, ensuring every flat finish will be fiercely contested.Can De Lie successfully defend his crown? Will Pithie take the next step and claim the biggest stage race victory of his career? Or will one of the sprint superstars use the bonus seconds and chaotic racing to fight for the overall title?In this preview, we break down the route, analyse the key stages, discuss the favourites for both the general classification and stage wins, and give our predictions for who will leave Belgium and the Netherlands wearing the winner's jersey.#Cycling #RenewiTour #ArnaudDeLie #LaurencePithie #JonathanMilan #TimMerlier #OlavKooij #JasperPhilipsen #BiniamGirmay