Renewi Tour 2026: Jasper Philipsen Wins Stage Two in Ardooie and Takes the Leader's Jersey

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) won the second stage of the Renewi Tour 2026, triumphing at the Ardooie finish line in a time of 3:11:27. The Belgian sprinter also claimed the leader's jersey in the general classification, taking it from Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), who endured a difficult day.The RaceThe stage was marked by a large-scale crash on the final circuit in Ardooie, with approximately 70 kilometers to the finish. Contact between Alpecin-Premier Tech riders triggered a chain reaction that swept up a large portion of the peloton. Jonathan Milan, race leader after his victory in the opening stage, remained on the ground for several minutes, in pain in his right arm, before managing to get back on his bike.The time lost by the Italian rider proved insurmountable: together with his teammate Simone Consonni, Milan continued at a reduced pace, eventually being caught and passed by the peloton on the final circuit. The commissaires asked the Lidl-Trek duo to temporarily stop at the roadside to let the bunch pass through, before allowing them to complete the remaining lap. Milan nonetheless finished the stage within the time limit.Amaury Capiot (Jayco AlUla) and Nico Denz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) did not finish the race, forced to abandon after the crash.Stage ResultJasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) — 3:11:27Joshua Giddings (Lotto Intermarché) — s.t.Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) — s.t.Matteo Milan (Groupama-FDJ United) — s.t.Arvid De Kleijn (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) — s.t.General ClassificationWith his stage victory, Jasper Philipsen now leads the general classification with a time of 7:15:35, ahead of Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) by 4 seconds and Dries De Bondt (Team Jayco AlUla) by 4 seconds. Jonathan Milan, the leader at the start, slipped back after his difficult day.The race continues tomorrow with a new stage.