A LEADOUT

Velogames Fantasy Renewi Tour 2023 preview provides you the minimum information that you would need to polish your velogames stage race championship position. With 5 days of relatively flat terrain, it is a sprinter heaven. Lots of bonus seconds are on offer on all stages throughout the Green Km. 2 flat nailed-on sprints, 2 very punchy stages and 13.5 km time-trial are on offer

A very straight forward stage with 3 Green KM set for the bonus seconds which will be in play for the leaders jersey.

A flat 13.5 km time trial through the road of the Netherlands

Proper classic days with plenty of cobbled climbs all day through and a finish uphill!

A day for the pure sprinters

The race ends with a proper Flanders like stage. 186.9 km which will be pleased the cobbles specialised.

• Matej Mohorič (Bahrain – Victorious)  24:  past winner in 2018 and second last year, his performance in Poland makes him the outright favourite. He can handle the short TT and will be in the mix for the sprints on the crunchier days. Goes very well on cobbles.
• Kasper Asgreen (Soudal – Quick Step)  20 : He will be working for Merlier on the first before seeing where his personal ambitions lies after the TT.
• Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 18 ; unbeatable in the Tour, he will find worthy challengers for pure sprints here in Merlier and Kooij
• Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny)   18:  He can handle bumps and  cobbles.  He is the favourite to win on those punchy days there are no teams really capable of making it too hard for him,
• Yves Lampaert (Soudal – Quick Step)  18:  Slightly ahead of Asgreen in terms of team’s GC ambition. His last surge in the Bemer Classics show that form is her
• Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) 16:  He is the leader of the team here but TT us not really his forte. Yes he can also manage climb on his own but it might get a little too explosive for him
• Tim Merlier (Soudal – Quick Step)  16 : He is here to sprint 2 times and hopefully take 2 home wins.
• Fred Wright (Bahrain – Victorious)  14 :He will handle the mantle of the team GC with Mohoric. A cheaper alternative considering Jonathan Milan should be the A man for the flat sprints
• Axel Zingle (Cofidis) 14 : We can relly on him to be competitive on stage 3 and 5. He could also be sharing sprints Piet Allegaert
• Valentin Madouas  (Groupama – FDJ)  14 : This is a race that really suits him with all the cobbles.  The TT might be an isssue for him though for the overall aspiration
• Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers)     14  :  The grand favourite for the TT win.
• Dylan Groenewegen   (Team Jayco AlUla)  14 : Right up there with the best pure sprinters in the world
• Søren Kragh Andersen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 12 : He will bring that MVDP flavour to the race by attacking at the front end, allowing his team to rest for sprints rather than chasing
• Michał Kwiatkowski    (INEOS Grenadiers)     12  : Decent time-trialist, good TDF, he could definitely top 10 here. Matej Mohoric has shown his superority to him when it comes to sprints
• Luke Plapp (INEOS Grenadiers) 12 : Would rather see him at the Vuelta that here. The route does not really suit him
• Tobias Foss      (Jumbo-Visma)  12: Also, another one who have prefered to be at the Vuelta. But leadership is not granted at Jumbo Visma. He has it here and the TT might be the only way for him to gain time on others
• Jasper Stuyven (Lidl – Trek)  12:  The hottest team of the moment will be relying on the local to make an impression. Jasper Stuyven might not possess the speed to match the best sprinters but he can make for what he lacks by punching for these bonus seconds, holding on the short climbs and even time-trial decently.
• Mikkel Bjerg    (UAE Team Emirates)  12: Will be among the most watched in the TT after his Dauphine exploits
• Marc Hirschi    (UAE Team Emirates)  12 : He will sharing sprinting duties for the team with Trentin. He is here just to fine tune his form prior to the autumn classics
• Greg Van Avermaet     (AG2R Citroën Team)  10 :  One of the last race days for a legend rider who made his career with legenday cobbles rides
• Jordi Meeus    (BORA – hansgrohe)    10  ; Won at the Champs Elysees, at 10 he is a real bargain for a pure sprinter
• Jake Stewart    (Groupama – FDJ)        10 : will be the second option sprinter after Laurence Pithie
• Giacomo Nizzolo         (Israel – Premier Tech) 10: Designated sprinter for the team
• Thibau Nys      (Lidl – Trek)      10 : Stage 3 suits him very well. He will be locking in with the likes of De Lie and Zingle.
• Victor Campenaerts    (Lotto Dstny)   10 : Took him first after a year last week. Is he hungry for more? Yes, his form is EXCELLENT
• Brent Van Moer          (Lotto Dstny)   10 :  It was been a quite a while we have not seen him to a proper breakaway
• Florian Vermeersch     (Lotto Dstny)   10  ; Not sure about his form. He will probably be guiding Arnaud De Lie
• Arnaud Démare          (Team Arkéa Samsic)   10 ; He sure looks very motivated since his transfer. He might need some fine tuning before securing a win against the best sprinter in the world.
• Matteo Trentin            (UAE Team Emirates)  10 ; I really like the option of him being his team;s best sprinter in this race and he cost just 10 credits.
• Tim Wellens    (UAE Team Emirates)  10  ;  It might be a little too late in the season for him
• Cees Bol          (Astana Qazaqstan Team)       8 ; He will most likely be the main sprinter instead of Gleb Syritsa. He can 4th in the TT in Dunkerque and and 9th in Baloise Belgium. Also he loves an uphill drag finish
• Alexey Lutsenko          (Astana Qazaqstan Team)       8  ; Not really sure what is expected of him but he enjoys hard days on the bike
• Gleb Syritsa     (Astana Qazaqstan Team)       8 ; Cees Bol’s recent form suggest Syritsa will be working for him. But it might happen that they alternate.
• Jonathan Milan           (Bahrain – Victorious)  8  ; His absence in the finale of  the Bemer classics raises flag as he is usually expected to pass climbs rather well despite his huge physique
• Andrea Pasqualon       (Bahrain – Victorious)  8  ; Should be Milian be dropped, will it be Pasqualon, Wright or Mohoric sprinting?
• Ide Schelling    (BORA – hansgrohe)    8  ; possesses a devasting finish and will surely be challenging for the more compliacted stages
• Laurence Pithie           (Groupama – FDJ)        8 ;  His 4th place at the Bemer Classics places him at the main sprinter of the team infront of Jake Stewart
• Elia Viviani       (INEOS Grenadiers)     8 ;  His 3rd place at the Bemer Classics might be an indication that he has some sharpness back after the world tracks championship
• Arne Marit      (Intermarché – Circus – Wanty)  8: Main sprinter for the underpforming team
• Mike Teunissen           (Intermarché – Circus – Wanty)  8 ;  sprinter back up 
• Itamar Einhorn            (Israel – Premier Tech)  8 With Nizzolo set to leave, it will be interesting to see of the rider from Israel will have his own chances already
• Derek Gee       (Israel – Premier Tech) 8: Well, it is hard to see how he will be a profitable asset at 8 credits given there are so many sprinters at the same price
• Daan Hoole     (Lidl – Trek)      8 :  A top10 in the time-trial is certain . Otherwise he will be part of the sprint train.
• Emīls Liepiņš   (Lidl – Trek)      8 : Lidl-trek is really complicating things with their potential sprinters and no definite hierarchy
• Jasper De Buyst           (Lotto Dstny)   8  :  lead out man for De Lie
• Max Kanter     (Movistar Team)          8 : No Gaviria means he will be the main sprinter and a really good option at 8 credits
• Jenthe Biermans         (Team Arkéa Samsic)   8 :   He could also sprint but it will most likely be all more Demare
• Matis Louvel   (Team Arkéa Samsic)   8   :   Enjoys unpaved road abd stage 3 and 5 are full of them
• Daniel McLay  (Team Arkéa Samsic)   8 : Yet another sprinter for the Breton team who will only get to feature if Demare is out
• John Degenkolb          (Team DSM)    8 : This season has been his coming back. Would not discard him even if there is Sam Welsford in the team
• Sam Welsford  (Team DSM)    8 ;   Sam is fast and will feature on the 2 flat sprints days. `not sure he handles cobbles that well
• Sjoerd Bax       (UAE Team Emirates)  8 ;  Very good punchuer on his good days
• Pierre Gautherat         (AG2R Citroën Team)  6 ; Will ve AG2R main sprinter
• Johan Price-Pejtersen (Bahrain – Victorious)  6:  good time trialist
• Piet Allegaert  (Cofidis)           6 :   Excellent cobble rider and decent sprinter
• Filippo Baroncini         (Lidl – Trek)      6 :  He could be the team’s main GC man. He is good on a TT bike and resist climbs pretty well and packs a good sprint
• Cedric Beullens           (Lotto Dstny)   6  :   Would have been a really good option if De Lie was not here
• Bert Van Lerberghe     (Soudal – Quick Step)  6 :      Could be sprinting if Merlier is dropped
• Silvan Dillier    (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4  :  plenty of assists options with Philipsen
• Dušan Rajović (Bahrain – Victorious)  4 : He impressed In Saudi tour only to fade down the year
• Ryan Mullen    (BORA – hansgrohe)    4:  Could be worth it in a time-trial
• Jens Reynders (Israel – Premier Tech) 4:   Always a good breakaway option
• Marc Brustenga(Lidl – Trek)      4:   Will he get the chance to sprint? Very likey no.

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