A stage race for sprinters
The ZLM Tour is the only Dutch event that is part of the men’s UCI ProSeries, and as the Amstel Gold Race is the only race of the UCI WorldTour category, this is the second most important men's race in the Netherlands. Furthermore, the ZLM Tour is a celebration of the country's flat topography: all stages are completely flat, which serves as an attraction to draw some of the world's best sprinters, who don't want to miss the opportunity to compete for a general classification.
Route
The race starts with a 6.6 km ITT, where sprinters can take advantage of their power to perform well and not lose too much time to the time trial specialists. From there, the remaining 4 stages are flat and should provide 4 bunch sprints, unless the wind splits the peloton in some exposed areas.
Favorites
Last year's winner Olav Kooij (1000) will wear the number 1 bib and will aim for a second consecutive victory. Mark Cavendish (800), Arvid De Klein (400), Sam Welsford (400), Tobias Andersen (200), and Jakub Mareczko (200) are other notable names present on the start list.
Photo: © ZLM Tour / Peter van Rooij