etappes renewi tour

Renewi Tour 2023: Het complete parcours

De 1e etappe voert van Blankenberge naar Ardooie. In het West-Vlaamse dorp kijken ze niet op van een massasprint meer of minder. Zo was Merlier er in de laatste editie, 2021, succesvol.

De 2e etappe is een vlakke individuele tijdrit van 13,6 kilometer. De race start en finisht in Sluis, het Zeeuws-Vlaamse vestingstadje op een steenworp afstand van de Belgische grens.

Dat is direct de enige Nederlandse bijdrage aan de Renewi Tour. De dag erop is de 3e etappe een variant op de Ronde van Vlaanderen. De ligt ligt halverwege de Muur van Geraardsbergen, op de Vesten, en dat betekent 400 meter kasseiklimmen tegen ruim 5%.

In de 4e etappe fietsen de coureurs over vlakke wegen van Beringen en Peer, twee plaatsen die op ongeveer 25 kilometer afstand van elkaar liggen, maar toch hebben renners een slordige 180 kilometer voor de wielen.

De slotetappe van de Renewi Tour is een heuvelrit van 187,3 kilometer. Tussen de start in Riemst en de finish in Bilzen gaat het dertien keer heuvelop. De laatste hindernis is de Keiberg, een helling met maxima van 12% en de top op een kleine 5 kilometer van de finish.

Renewi Tour 2023: routes & profielen

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• Vuelta Femenina

Renewi Tour 2023

The sprinters and one-day specialists head to Belgium and the Netherlands for some Classics-style racing in August

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Renewi Tour

• Dates 23 Aug - 27 Aug
• Race Length 734 kms
• Race Category Elite Men

Updated: August 21, 2023

Renewi Tour 2023 overview

The Renewi Tour - formerly known as the Eneco Tour, BinckBank Tour and Benelux Tour - is a stage race that’s made for Classics specialists and sprinters. Taking place around the Netherlands and Belgium from August 23 to 27, the five-day race covers much of the Flemish terrain we’re more used to seeing during the spring than in August.

With most of the stages either fairly flat or punchy, this WorldTour race usually attracts the Classics-type riders and gives them the perfect opportunity for some end-of-summer success, whilst their more climbing-focused counterparts head off to the Vuelta a España .

There are some big names in attendance at this year's race, including Tour de France stage-winning sprinter Jasper Philipsen ( Alpecin-Deceuninck ), former race victor Matej Mohorič ( Bahrain Victorious ), and retiring home hero Greg Van Avermaet ( AG2R Citroën ).

Renewi Tour 2023 key information

All the important details you need to know about this year's Renewi Tour.

Dates: August 23-27, 2023

Country: Belgium and the Netherlands

Category: 2.UWT (WorldTour)

Editions: 17 (as of 2022)

First winner: Bobby Julich

Most recent winner: Sonny Colbrelli

Renewi Tour 2023 route

This year's Renewi Tour is down from seven stages to five, but still features a varied and exciting route. There are flat sprint days, an individual time trial, and a punchy day to the Muur van Geraardsbergen for the Classics specialists.

© Renewi Tour

Renewi Tour 2023 route map

Renewi Tour 2023 contenders

Despite clashing with the Vuelta a España, the start list has attracted some big names from around the peloton, with a mixture of sprinters and Classics specialists ready to battle it out for stages and the overall.

Among the sprinters' contingent, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) will be a big favourite, but there are plenty of names to challenge him. Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) beat Philipsen on the final stage of the Tour de France , whilst Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious) has been showing his strength this season, as have Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) and Arnaud de Lie (Lotto Dstny). More experienced riders Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) and Arnaud Démare (Arkéa Samsic) will also be hoping for a win as they skip the final Grand Tour of the season.

When it comes to the overall, the inclusion of a time trial and the Muur van Geraardsbergen means that doing well in the sprints likely won't be enough to win the general classification. The list of overall contenders is quite open - there isn't one obvious favourite - but the likes of 2018 winner and 2021 runner-up Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious), Kasper Asgreen (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) are all riders who could go for the win here.

Renewi Tour 2023 teams

Eighteen WorldTour teams and four ProTeams will take part in this year's Renewi Tour.

• Alpecin-Deceuninck
• Jumbo-Visma
• Soudal Quick-Step
• Intermarché-Circus-Wanty
• Bahrain Victorious
• AG2R Citroën
• Bora-Hansgrohe
• EF Education-EasyPost
• Ineos Grenadiers
• UAE Team Emirates
• Groupama-FDJ
• Arkéa Samsic
• dsm-firmenich
• Astana Qazaqstan
• Jayco AlUla
• Lotto Dstny
• Israel-Premier Tech
• Flanders-Baloise

What happened in the 2022 Renewi Tour?

The 2022 edition of the Renewi Tour, then called the Benelux Tour, was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts on the men's racing calendar.

The last edition of the race was in 2021, when Sonny Colbrelli won after pulling off a solo move on the penultimate stage, earning enough time to secure the overall victory, despite Matej Mohorič winning the often-decisive Muur van Geraardsbergen stage.

Renewi Tour race history

The Renewi Tour was formerly known as the Eneco Tour up until 2017 and the acquisition of a new sponsor, BinckBank. It carried this fresh moniker up until this year when the title sponsors pulled out and the name was changed to the Benelux Tour, reflecting the region the race takes place in.

While the race has built a reputation for being one of the most exciting stage races on the calendar, it hasn’t always been that way. The race as we know it now has been around since 2005, but existed in a slightly different guise before that.

The original race was born from the dying embers of the Tour of the Netherlands in 2000, a very long-running race that had become so unpopular and predictable that it lost a lot of its sponsorship. In 2005 the new and reinvigorated Eneco Tour emerged with a series of Classics-esque stages all around the Benelux region.

Since then the race has followed a format of between five and seven stages, usually featuring a mid-week time trial, as well as a hilly day featuring the Muur van Geraardsbergen in Flanders. It’s these two stages that typically determine the overall winner of the race, but we have also seen several editions blown apart by the crosswinds that ravage the stages along the coastlines of northern Belgium and the Netherlands.

Over the race’s 17 editions, the overall wins have largely been spread out amongst the big cycling nations, with Spain, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium all taking multiple victories. It’s the Netherlands that leads the way on four wins however, with the likes of Lars Boom (2012), Niki Terpstra (2016), Tom Dumoulin (2017) and Mathieu van der Poel (2020) all taking an overall title for their home nation.

In the last few years, the race has seen a number of different types of rider win, from Grand Tour specialists like Tom Dumoulin (2017) to super-domestiques like Laurens De Plus (2019).

Explore the tabs above to find out more about the route and start list of this year's race, as well as the stage results and standings.

Latest News

1 Watch: Renewi Tour stage 5 highlights

2 Renewi Tour stage 5: Matej Mohorič wins stage, Tim Wellens seals overall

3 Watch: Renewi Tour stage 4 highlights

4 Renewi Tour stage 4: Sam Welsford takes first WorldTour win

5 Watch: Renewi Tour stage 3 highlights

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Renewi Tour 2023: Mohoric wins final stage, Wellens seal GC triumph

Results 5th stage 2023 Renewi Tour

1. Matej Mohoric (slo) 2. Matteo Trentin (ita) s.t. 3. Søren Kragh Andersen (den) s.t. 4. Jasper De Buyst (bel) s.t. 5. Arnaud De Lie (bel) + 0.04 6. Jasper Stuyven (bel) + 0.04 7. Jasper Philipsen (bel) + 0.04 8. Mike Teunissen (nld) + 0.04 9. Axel Zingle (lux) + 0.04 10. Yves Lampaert (bel) + 0.04

Final GC 1. Tim Wellens (bel) 2. Florian Vermeersch (bel) + 0.23 3. Yves Lampaert (bel) s.t. 4. Jasper Stuyven (bel) + 0.30 5. Mike Teunissen (nld) + 0.31 6. Marc Hirschi (swi) s.t. 7. Matej Mohoric (slo) + 0.33 8. Axel Zingle (lux) + 0.34 9. Matteo Trentin (ita) + 0.36 10. Søren Kragh Andersen (den) + 0.40

Race report The riders are 10 kilometres underway when Senne Leysen, Nicolò Buratti, Cameron Wurf, Luke Plapp, Dušan Rajovic, Andrey Amador, Olivier Le Gac, Derek Gee and Karl Patrick Lauk jump off the front. The nine carve out a 4 minutes lead.

The leaders are caught with some 30 kilometres remaining before a group of 16 men head out inside the last 15 kilometres.

Stuyven attacks just before the flamme rouge. Kragh Andersen, Mohoric, Trentin and De Buyst go with him. While the initiator of the decisive move loses speed, it comes down to a sprint of four. Mohoric takes the spoils ahead of Trentin.

Wellens wins the Renewi Tour for the third time in his career, which makes him record holder .

Renewi Tour 2023, stage 5: route & profile

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• Stage 2 (ITT)

Points at finish

Youth day classification, team day classification, race information.

• Date: 24 August 2023
• Start time: 14:02
• Avg. speed winner: 54.099 km/h
• Race category: ME - Men Elite
• Distance: 13.6 km
• Points scale: 2.WT.Stage
• UCI scale: UCI.WR.C2.Stage
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• Vert. meters: 12
• Departure: Sluis
• Arrival: Sluis
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Moscow Free Tour

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Description

Highlights:.

• Hit the Red Square;
• Explore the nooks and crannies of Alexander Garden;
• Get a taste of the ancient Kitay Gorod;
• Learn about the tragic destiny of the Christ the Savior Cathedral;
• Roam through the heart of Moscow.

Walking Tour Itinerary:

Here are our TOP 7 things to help you start your Russian adventure or tick off before you say goodbye to Moscow.

Wander around the vast cobblestone square with rich past, gorgeous architecture, incredible GUM , bright colors of the Kremlin and swirling Saint Basil’s Cathedral .

Kitay Gorod

Walk across the Red Square to see the embankment of old Moscow river and plunge into the atmosphere of ancient Russian village where nobles preferred to settle in XV century.

Varvarka street

Walk up Varvarka street to find the landmark of Kitay Gorod - Palace of the Romanov Boyars, which was built in the XVI century and where lived the first Tsar from the Romanov dynasty.

Old English Court

Look at the Old English Court , which used to be the English Embassy in Moscow and where Ivan the Terrible confined the envoy from England, because Queen Elizabeth I refused to marry him.

Alexander Garden

Watch the solemn ceremony of the Changing of the guards , pay respect to the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier , and the stone Grotto , The huge fountain in the centre adds a sophisticated feel to the almost 200 year old garden.

Christ the Savior Cathedral

Walk to the cathedral which is of a great cultural value to Russians. Its marvelous exterior, enormous golden domes, colossal bronze doors and pristine white walls will touch your feelings.

Patriarch’s Bridge

Pause on the bridge and marvel at the Kremlin, river cruises, monument after Peter the Great and Red October Chocolate Factory , which is now a nightlife hub for youngsters.

About Moscow:

We picked up a list of article that might be useful and helpful to you during your stay in Moscow. These are things to do in Moscow, tips about Moscow, best cafes in Moscow and simply fun facts about Moscow. Enjoy reading!

Before coming to Moscow:

• Our fun guides sharing their observations about their tours and best practices:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-private-guides-on-tours-in-moscow
• What you should know about Moscow:  
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/5-things-to-know-before-you-go-to-moscow

Off the beaten path of Moscow:

• Kitay Gorod:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-must-see-fun-facts-about-kitay-gorod
• Zamoskvorechye:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-must-see-fun-facts-about-zamoskvorechye
• White City:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-off-the-beaten-path-white-city  

The best parks in Moscow:

• Muzeon Statues Park:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-off-the-beaten-path-muzeon-park
• Gorky Park: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-gorky-park
• Tsaritsino Park: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-must-see-37-reasons-to-visit-tsaritsyno
• Kolomenskoe Park:
•   https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/things-to-do-in-moscow-kolomenskoe-museum-reserve

The most historical and beautiful streets of Moscow:

• Arbat  srreet: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/things-to-do-in-moscow-arbat-street
• Tverskaya street: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-things-to-do-tverskaya-street
• Downtown of Moscow: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/things-to-do-moscow-streets

What to do in Moscow:

• How to have a Real Russian Experience:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/real-russian-experience
• Things to do in Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/21-things-to-do-in-moscow
• Architectural masterpieces, hidden gems of Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/things-to-do-in-moscow-off-the-beaten-path
• Top Moscow attractions:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/top-10-moscow-attractions

Budget travel:

• How to have fun in Moscow for less than $4:
• How to save money in Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/7-ways-to-save-money-while-travelling-to-moscow

Cafes & restaurants in Moscow:

• Moscow cafes with Russian breakfast:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-cafes-with-russian-breakfast
• Best Moscow restaurants:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/best-moscow-restaurants
• Best coffee shops in Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-best-coffee-shops

Moscow Metro:

• Facts about Moscow Metro:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/fun-facts-about-moscow-metro
• Myths about Moscow Metro:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/7-myths-about-moscow-metro
• Facts about Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/fun-facts-50-facts-about-moscow
• Fun Facts about Kremlin:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/33-fun-facts-from-our-kremlin-tours
• The best flea markets in Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-best-flea-markets
• Top 5 Russian souvenirs:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/top-5-russian-souvenirs

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

Write your review

• Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best of Moscow by high speed train

By shuguley , February 15, 2014 in Regent Seven Seas Cruises

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Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.

Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?

My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

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If you are considering this on the 2015 June Baltic cruise on Voyager; my suggestion is don't. There is so much to do in St. Petersburg and although a train is one of my favorite ways to travel the time would be far better spent in St. P.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, this would be on the Voyager during the 2015 season but not yet sure exactly which cruise.

We did the Moscow excursion "on a different luxury line", but from your brief description it sounds very much like the same trip, so I will operate on that assumption. It is a VERY long day! We left the ship at 5:30 AM and returned at 12:30 AM. The highspeed train trip is comfortable, and while they call it "Business Class" it does not compare well to the equivalent class on say Rail Europe. When we did it in 2011, we did have highspeed both ways, and the trip back seemed much longer as the adrenaline and excitement had worn off!:D

Moscow itself is not that terribly different from any other big city in the world, but this Cold War kid never thought he would ever stand in Red Square, never mind walk the grounds of The Kremlin, or tour The Kremlin Palace, or see (but not visit) Lenin's Tomb, or visit The Armoury. But he did, and he loved every minute of it! Yes, it is a long day, and you barely scratch a scratch on the surface, but it is worth it. There is a tremendous amount to see in St. Petersburg, but every Baltic cruise goes to St. Petersburg, so you can go back if you choose to. Not every cruiseline offers you the chance to see Moscow.

I have not personally done this tour, but our last time in St Petersburg, the private guide that we hired for a day was leading the regent tour to Moscow on the high speed train the next day. He said it was way better than the previous alternative, which was flying to Moscow and back. He said that you actually got to Moscow faster because you didn't have to deal with airline checkin etc. it did seem like a very long day to me, and there is so much to see and do in st. Petersburg that I didn't consider doing it.

countflorida

We toured to Moscow from St. Petersburg via the hi-speed SAPSAN train last September, from a Baltic cruise on the Oceania Marina. You need to have a two-night, three day port call in St. Petersburg to take this tour because the tour typically leaves the ship around 5:00 - 5:30 AM and doesn't return until after midnight the next day. We didn't take the ship's tour; we made private arrangements with TravelAllRussia for three days of touring, the first and third days in St. Petersburg and the second day the tour to Moscow by train. Our cost for the private tour for three days was about the same as what the ship charged for the excursion to Moscow alone. There are a number of private tour agencies that operate in St. Petersburg and offer the Moscow train tours; we would strongly recommend them over the ship's tours.

All three days had private guides with car and driver. The second day, the driver picked us up at the ship and took us to the train, but we were alone on the train, and met in Moscow by the guide on the station platform. After our tour and dinner, we were brought back to the train and after the return train trip met by the driver and taken back to the ship. Because you are alone on the train you must have your own Russian visas.

If this is your first visit to St. Petersburg, I would agree there is much more to see there. We found Moscow somewhat a disappointment, particularly Red Square. The Kremlin and the cathedral in Red Square were also worth seeing. But the best thing we saw was the Moscow subway! I worked for the Washington Metro system back in the 1980s as it grew from 40 to 80 miles and although I was in the computer area, I learned a lot about the challenges of running a subway system. We used the Moscow system to get across the city from where we had dinner to the train station, and I was amazed at the cleanliness', speed of operation, the short headways maintained, and the courtesy of everyone involved. A very impressive experience!

We had been to St. Petersburg before, and so had the time to take a day and go to Moscow. Also, I really like trains, and the SAPSAN is a German train set running on Russian rails. Seats are like first class domestic air, spacious but not too plush or comfortable, but with enough room. Not too much recline, and almost 8 hours on the train in two shots is a lot for an old man. They come through and sell drinks, candy, etc. but the sellers don't speak English and no one around us helped, so we had just poor coffee once coming, and brought stuff with us for the trip back. Not too much to see from the train either, particularly on the return when it is night the whole way.

If you decide to go, take a private tour and avoid the overly expensive ship's tour. I'm glad we did it, but wouldn't bother to repeat the tour; we've seen Moscow.

Thanks so much to all of you for the thorough and thought insight. Yhe information you have provided is most helpful.

countflorida: Your detailed post is very helpful. We are not quite ready for a Baltic cruise but should do so within a year. Time enough to do our pre travel research, bookings and visa gathering.:) Thank you!

Emperor Norton

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.   Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?   My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

I did this on Seabourn. IMO DONT. Take Aeroflop (er Aeroflot). The train has non folding seats where you are literally knee to knee with your fellow passenger (facing each other). Further they don't believe in air conditioning. It's also the worlds slowed bullet train. I think I would have found more enjoyment wandering around the St. Petersburg and Moscow airports.

Countflorida,

This is a little off topic,, however we had planned a river cruise in Russia but decided we would rather stay on land and have booked about two weeks with Travel-All-Russia using the private guide and driver. I'm curious as to how you found them as a tour company.

The guides they provided were fine. We had a different guide each of the days in St. Petersburg, but both were flexible, pleasant, knowledgeable and spoke English very well, as did the guide in Moscow, incidentally. She was a bit aloof, distant, not too friendly, but otherwise fine. In fact, she was the one who suggested taking the Metro, which unexpectedly became one of the highlights of the Moscow excursion. If I have a complaint with AllTravelRussia, it is with their plan and its execution (more later).

I had requested emphasis on World War II (in Russia, the Great Patriotic War) sites and info. In scheduling us, they weren't careful about dates and a couple of the sites we wanted to see were scheduled on the third day, after we'd been to Moscow. But both sites were closed that day of the week, and that info was readily available, right on web sites describing them. Also, the included meals (lunches in St. Pete, dinner in Moscow) were not what we asked for: light meals with some choices, so we could avoid things we didn't like and choose things we did like. My request was ignored; we were given full Russian meals with a fixed menu, no choice. On the first day, a fish dish was the entre, but I am allergic to fish. Fortunately, I had the e-mail I'd sent with me and showed it to the guide, and she was able to change my entre to chicken, which was very good actually. But we didn't want a 3-4 course lunches or dinner (in Moscow). We had the guide drop the lunch the third day, although we never got any credit or refund. But, particularly in contrast to the ship's tours, the prices were so reasonable we didn't worry too much about it.

The people who were on the ship's tour to Moscow saw us boarding the same train for which they were forced to queue up and wait on the way back, and asked us what we had done. I was candid and open so they were not happy when I explained what we had arranged and particularly what it had cost. Also, when we returned to the ship, we found they had laid on a late supper for those who had gone to Moscow, so up we went and had something. Well, it turns out the late supper was supposed to be just for those on the ship's tour, but we and others on 'independent' tours, there were a dozen or more of us, crashed the party, actually got there first, and they didn't realize it until the larger group arrived and there weren't enough tables/places set. By that time, the 'independents' had all gotten served and were eating; what could they do?

A couple from the larger group sat down with us and asked us about our tour, and they were the ones I told about our arrangement and its cost. They turned to others who’d been with them and announced the details, loudly enough so the whole room heard, which started a lot of bitching and complaining. I gathered they weren't very happy with the ship's tour to begin with, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. We finished up and beat it out of there, but overheard later that one of the excursion staff came to check on something and ran into a real mess. I caught a cold on the trip, which forced me to bed the second day following in Tallinn, so by the time we reappeared we heard about the contretemps' but apparently no one recalled who started it, thankfully.

Because of what happened to us, I would probably not use AllTravelRussia if I were to go again, or if I did, I would be sure to get confirmation of every detail of the tour. They do have good reviews generally, and we were certainly helped by their visa department and liked the guides and drivers. Their weakness, I say now with full 20:20 hindsight, is that once the sales person who plans the tour, sells it to you and collects your money, he (or she) transfers the plan to their Russia office for implementation; there is no follow-up to make sure it gets done right. And that is where our problems arose; we paid for a custom tour but got a standard package with a few destinations switched, and no one checked them out, even to see when they were open the day we were scheduled to go. If you check every detail that’s important to you, it should be OK, but that’s a hell of a way to have to do business, in my opinion.

Thank you for the 20/20 hindsight observation on your Russian tour operator, and better priced than the ship's excursion cost.

Thanks very much for the feedback.

We had the same experience as you so far as price. We originally booked a Viking Cruise but, hearing some things about the river cruises that made us unhappy, looked into other options. T-A-R cost the same or less than a cruise and had us in hotels for 11 days. We opted for the private tour. They have three tour levels, based on hotels. We originally opted for the four star as it did not cost much more than the three star hotels. Finally we decided to throw it all in and upgraded to five star. In Moscow we will be at the newly opened Kempinsky which is two blocks from Red Square. In St. Petersburg it is the Grand Hotel Europe, one of the most vaunted luxury hotels in Russia. Location is important for us as the tours use up only part of the day so being in the center of everything for our independent touring is important. As with many other cities, the less you pay, the farther out of the center of town you are.

We have been working with our salesman in D.C. and he seems to get back to us with the changes we want. He recently returned from Russia so is up on everything. When I asked they said they paid the full TA commission if I wanted so I got my usual TA on board so he is watching our back and giving us that extra level of comfort. He also set up our air, which I know pays him little or nothing, and got us business class for much less than T-A-R wanted for economy, though it took working for a while with a consolidator. He's happy to get his 10 percent on this trip without having booked it. He also took care of the trip insurance. We've been doing a lot of research on the CC sister site Trip Advisor and will write a report there. We will, I guess, become a source of info for CC members after having spent 5 days in Moscow and 6 in SP.

• 4 months later...

scubacruiserx2

Anybody considering a day trip to Moscow from St. Petersburg on the Sapsan may want to look at our travelogue filled with pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1927687

Very informative. Thanks dor sharing. Jeff

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Renewi Tour: Late attack nets Mike Teunissen stage 3 victory

Wellens second, Zingle third in Geraardsbergen

Mike Teunissen (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) won stage 3 of the Renewi Tour with a canny attack from the break just over a kilometre from the finish in Geraardsbergen, while Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) moved into the overall lead after placing second on the stage.

Alex Zingle (Cofidis) took third ahead of Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates), while Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) produced a late effort to seize fifth.

Wellens’ display was all the more remarkable given that he spent much of the final 30km riding with a slow puncture, but the Belgian’s haul of bonus seconds was enough to put him into the race lead, 17 seconds ahead of Yves Lampaert (Soudal-QuickStep).

Wellens ignited the race with his aggression on the finishing circuit, attacking on the last time up the Muur van Geraardsbergen at the end of the penultimate lap. He led alone into the Green Kilometre, picking up eight bonus seconds, though his progress was stalled by that slow puncture, with Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) bridging across on the Bosberg while Lampaert, Hirschi, Zingle, Teunissen, Florian Vermeersch (Lotto-Dstny) and Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck) joined shortly afterwards.

“I felt super good, and after the first passage on the Muur I told a teammate that I had the legs to win. But when I rode away after the Muur, I felt I had a flat tyre,” said Wellens, who was saved by sealant on his tubeless tyre. “I hesitated about getting a change, but I knew that I would not return to the first group. In the end it was the right choice.”

Wellens’ teammate Hirschi attacked fiercely on the climb of Denderoordstraat, splitting the front group in two, with only Wright, Wellens and Zingle able to follow, but the group reformed over the other side with 3km to go.

The final kilometres brought the race through Geraardsbergen, with the finish line on the Vesten, the climb that serves as the anteroom to the Muur proper. Teunissen knew that his prospects of overpowering Wellens et al on the climb were slim, and so he launched a sharp attack with 1200m remaining, immediately opening what proved the winning gap.

Hirschi set off in lone pursuit beneath the flamme rouge, but he couldn’t quite get on terms. As the gradient bit in the final metres, Wellens unleashed his effort, seemingly unconcerned by his soft front tyre, but he had to settle for second place ahead of Zingle, while De Lie surged from the chasing group to take fifth.

The day belonged to Teunissen, however, who marked his 31st birthday by claiming his first WorldTour victory since he won the opening stage of the 2019 Tour de France in Brussels.

The two laps of the 33km circuit around Geraardsbergen were always going to prove decisive, but that didn’t stop Arne Marit (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Jens Reynders (Israel-Premier Tech), Milan Fretin (Flanders-Baloise), Olivier Le Gac (Groupama-FDJ) and Lukasz Wisniowski (EF Education-EasyPost) from forging clear in the opening kilometres and building a maximum lead of three minutes.

Teunissen was among the aggressors who bridged up to the leaders on the first lap of the finishing circuit, though the high speed in the peloton meant the move was destined to peter out. Indeed, the combination of the intensity of the racing and the relentless of the terrain saw the peloton quickly whittled down, with overnight leader Josh Tarling (Ineos) among those distanced with 38km to go, ahead of the final, full ascent of the Muur.

Wellens emerged as the strongman on its slopes, as he attacked with an eye to the bonus seconds in the Green Kilometre that followed, and not even a flat tyre would deny him his bounty. The Belgian has 17 seconds on Lampaert and 19 on Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) and Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck) ahead of the weekend’s grand finale.

“I knew that the time trial yesterday was going to be very important for the general classification, so I really worked hard on that,” Wellens said. “That has paid off. Now we should not underestimate the last stage in this race, there is still danger there.”

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Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation , published by Gill Books.

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First refuelling for Russia’s Akademik Lomonosov floating NPP

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The FNPP includes two KLT-40S reactor units. In such reactors, nuclear fuel is not replaced in the same way as in standard NPPs – partial replacement of fuel once every 12-18 months. Instead, once every few years the entire reactor core is replaced with and a full load of fresh fuel.

The KLT-40S reactor cores have a number of advantages compared with standard NPPs. For the first time, a cassette core was used, which made it possible to increase the fuel cycle to 3-3.5 years before refuelling, and also reduce by one and a half times the fuel component in the cost of the electricity produced. The operating experience of the FNPP provided the basis for the design of the new series of nuclear icebreaker reactors (series 22220). Currently, three such icebreakers have been launched.

The Akademik Lomonosov was connected to the power grid in December 2019, and put into commercial operation in May 2020.

Electricity generation from the FNPP at the end of 2023 amounted to 194 GWh. The population of Pevek is just over 4,000 people. However, the plant can potentially provide electricity to a city with a population of up to 100,000. The FNPP solved two problems. Firstly, it replaced the retiring capacities of the Bilibino Nuclear Power Plant, which has been operating since 1974, as well as the Chaunskaya Thermal Power Plant, which is more than 70 years old. It also supplies power to the main mining enterprises located in western Chukotka. In September, a 490 km 110 kilovolt power transmission line was put into operation connecting Pevek and Bilibino.

Image courtesy of TVEL

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23.08 - Blankenberge – Ardooie

Wednesday 23 August – Official start

The official start of the Renewi Tour is scheduled for Wednesday 23 August! The first stage will go from Blankenberge to Ardooie.

Start : Grote Markt, Blankenberge Finish : Stationstraat, Ardooie

• 11.30: team presentation – Grote Markt
• 12:50: Official start – Grand Place
• 15:22: 1st passage
• 15:44: 2nd passage
• 16:06: 3rd passage
• 16:28: 4th passage
• 16:50: 5th passage
• 17:12: finish
• 17:20: podium ceremony

Are you looking for all the practical info of Renewi Tour? Download the technical guide below.

Here you will find all information about the VIP during stage 1 (Ardooie)

The easiest way to reach us for the opening stage of the Renewi Tour? By bike! You`d do best to park it safely and for free in the guarded bicycle parking area.

The brand-new station is right in the city centre and within walking distance of the beach, shopping streets and marina. There are direct trains to Bruges, Ghent, Brussels and Genk. There are also easy connections to Antwerp.

You can find the time schedules and info about tickets online on www.belgiantrain.be.

From the Station stop, take bus 40 to Bruges. The centrumbus (line 38) takes you out to the more remote city districts and finally, the belbus (line 36) crosses the entire public transport area of Zuienkerke-Blankenberge.

You can find the bus time schedule online on www.delijn.be.

The De Lijn coast tram takes you from Knokke-Heist to De Panne and stops in all the seaside resorts. Blankenberge has five stops: Markt, Station, Pier, Sea Life/Floreal & Duinse Polders. You can switch to De Lijn buses at the Station stop.

In summer, the tram goes every 10 minutes, in winter every 20 minutes.

You can find the time schedules online on www.delijn.be/nl/kusttram or contact De Lijn on their help number 070 220 200 (0.30 Euros/min).

Take the E40 motorway in the direction of Ostend and take exit 8 (Bruges/Zeebrugge). Then, follow the N31 (direction Blankenberge) and N371 to Blankenberge.

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Trans-Siberian Railway Prices

• Trans-Siberian Railway Tickets
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Home » Prices and Trans-Siberian Tickets » Trans-Siberian Railway Prices

Ticket prices for the Trans-Siberian Railway also depend on the current ruble exchange rate.

Is the Trans-Siberian Railway expensive?

Before starting on your Trans-Siberian Railway adventure you naturally want to know what the entire trip will cost. Although this sounds like a simple question, it is pretty difficult to answer. The Trans-Siberian Railway price of travel depends on the following factors:

• Which travel class do I want to use? The price for a first class ticket is about three times the price of a 3rd class ticket
• Am I willing to buy the tickets myself and assume responsibility for the organisation of the trip?
• How many stopovers do I want to make? The more breaks, the higher the total price.
• What sort of accommodation do I want? Will it be a luxury hotel or will a hostel dormitory be sufficient?
• What tours and excursions would I like to go on?
• What is the current exchange rate for rubles?

Basically, everything from a luxury to a budget holiday is available. If you buy yourself a 3rd Class nonstop ticket at the counter, a few hundred Euros will cover the price. All you will experience is a week on the Trans-Siberian train and will see nothing of the cities on the way. There is, however, any amount of room for upward expansion. Everyone makes different choices about which aspects they are willing to spend money on. I personally prefer to save money on accommodation and railcar class, visit as many cities and do as many trips as possible. To enable better classification of your travel expenses I have contrasted two typical traveler types. In the third column you can calculate the total cost of your own journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Please keep in mind that these are only rough estimations and not exact prices.

The all-in costs seem fairly high at first. However, they cover everything and it is quite a long journey taking four weeks. Many people forget to consider that when looking at the list. We should also deduct the running costs for food and leisure at home. I think most visitors to this page will classify themselves somewhere between the two categories, that is around the € 2,000 – € 2,500 range. When comparing these prices with other travel packages, you get the impression that it is hardly worthwhile travelling individually on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Please keep in mind that most packages last no more than 14 days and you are herded like cattle through the most beautiful locations.

If you spend less time on the Trans-Siberian Railway you will, of course, pay less. I chose this particular travel length because I prefer not to do things by halves. If you fulfill your dream of travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway, enjoy it and don’t rush things. But it’s up to you, of course. Try playing around with the form a bit to find the appropriate price for your trip.

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