The sprint party is back
After two years without being contested as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the ZLM Tour returns in 2022. Held in the Netherlands since 1997, due to the country's orography, the ZLM Tour is the flattest stage race in the season, and offers one of the few opportunities for sprinters to challenge for a general classification.
Route
Of the five stages that make up the race, 4 are completely flat, and the hardest one only adds 1200 meters of positive slope, so it is most likely that we will see 5 bunch sprints. On paper, the only thing that can prevent 5 full-peloton bunch sprints is the wind, especially in the first two stages, which take place close to the Atlantic coast.
Favorites
As we said, this is a perfect race for the sprinters to shine, so all the teams bring sprinters in their ranks. Mike Teunissen (400) and Olav Kooij (400) are the two fast men for Jumbo - Visma, which as a Dutch team, is racing at home and want to get good results. Elia Viviani (600), Sam Welsford (200), John Degenkolb (400), Nils Eekhoff (400), Arvid De Klein (400), Jakub Mareczko (200), Timothy Dupont (200), Arne Marit (200) and Bram Welten (200) are also fast men who should contest the sprints.