Nils Eekhoff (Team DSM) powered to victory in the prologue of the ZLM Tour in Heinkenszand, defeating teammate Alex Edmondson last year's overall champion Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) by fractions of a second.
Eekhoff covered the 6.6 kilometre course with a time of 7:27.79, with Edmondson 0.36 seconds slower and Kooij just 0.05 seconds further behind in third.
"I'm really happy to take my first win here," Eekhoff said. "I went pretty deep and am super happy to win. Going out was a tailwind and superfast. Toward the finish, the headwind made it pretty tough but it worked out pretty well."
Among the starters in the ProSeries five-day stage race is Mark Cavendish (Astana), who is back in action with lead-out man Cees Bol, who finished sixth on the stage.
-
Unibet Rose Rockets' 2026 Grand Tour hopes on hold as RCS Sport delay naming Giro d'Italia wildcard teams
Fan-favourite team invited to Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo but Caja Rural secure final Tirreno-Adriatico wildcard -
To quit or not to quit? Are eight World Championship titles enough? Speculation rises regarding Mathieu van der Poel's future in cyclo-cross
No word (yet) from Dutch star on future in discipline after achieving record-breaking total of rainbow jerseys -
Wout van Aert 'hurt' by suggestions Visma-Lease a Bike to blame for retirements of teammates Simon Yates and Fem van Empel
'I think it's a shame that the situation is being generalised when it's completely unfair' -
'Be feared, loved or respected in the peloton, but don't be anything in-between' - Alex Dowsett explains how a rider's reputation can be more valuable than any marginal gain
In his latest Cyclingnews column, the Grand Tour stage winner emphasises the value of making yourself known in the bunch, regardless of whether it's in a positive or negative light
