The Eneco Tour of Benelux begins tomorrow, and as the race continues to grow as a bridge between the Tour de France and late season races, VeloNation takes a look at significant stages, teams, and riders.
A reincarnation of the Tour of the Netherlands, ENECO Energy came on several years ago as a primary sponsor. Recently, the course has most suited a handy all-rounder who can ride a good time trial. Former Spanish time trial champion Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Movistar) won consecutive titles in 2007 and 2008. Edvald Boassen Hagen took the title in 2009 racing for Team Columbia-Highroad, and Tony Martin won for the same team last year. Martin will not be racing this year, missing out on the defence of his title.
Battled out on Dutch and Belgian roads, the 2011 edition of the Eneco Tour features two time trials. A prologue of 5.7 kilometers is followed by a 14.7-kilometer race against the clock on stage four. Between these tests, stages 1 and 2 are flat, and should see the sprinters take charge. Stage three gets a bit lumpy, and riders will tackle the vaunted Mur de Huy 89 kilometers into the 191-kilometer stage.
On stage 5, another undulating route flattens out toward the finish, but a final rise in the last kilometer could disable a pure sprinter. The race concludes with its longest stage, a 201-kilometer run that starts and finishes in Sittard-Geleen, Holland. Though it should end in a sprint, the stage covers multiple bergs, including two ascents of the Cauberg.
Most agree that Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) is the rider to beat, particularly as he’s having the best season of his career. The Belgian team boasts a strong squad, including Tour de France revelation Jelle Vanendert, to support Gilbert. But a host of other teams will bring strong, classics-type riders to try and thwart him.
BMC Racing Team
The American team is sending Taylor Phinney, as well as Tour de Wallonie champ Greg Van Avermaet. “There's one day similar to the Tour of Flanders, one similar to the Ardennes and one like Amstel Gold,” assistant director Rick Verbrugghe stated. Phinney indicated that the team could share leadership duties. “I know if I put in the work for someone else, some day when I have good legs they'll put in the work for me,” he added. “That's really how you build a team. Everyone working for the guy who is going to give us the best results.”
Start list: Greg Van Avermaet, Johann Tschopp, Yannick Eijssen, Karsten Kroon, Taylor Phinney, Michael Schär, Simon Zahner, Steve Morabito
Garmin-Cervelo
Tyler Farrar, a three-time stage winner at Eneco, gets the leader’s bib number. But it could be Belgian Johan Van Summeren with the biggest smile, should he be able to win a stage. Jasmine Vangrieken, Van Summeren’s girlfriend who accepted his marriage proposal after his Paris-Roubaix win, is this year’s Miss Eneco. “I told Johan that he had to race really hard, otherwise I will be kissing too many other men,” she laughed at an Eneco Tour press conference.
Start list: Tyler Farrar, Maurilo Fischer, Roger Hammond, Andreas Klier, Brett Lancaster, David Millar, Johan Van Summeren, Matthew Wilson
Quick Step
The Belgian team brings a strong squad to the Eneco start. The team will rely on Gerald Ciolek in the flat finishes. Dries Devenyns and Zdenek Stybar could factor into the overall, according to team boss Wilifried Peeters: “In the more challenging stages, Devenyns will get his chance to shine, as will Stybar, who just finished up a high altitude training camp.” Italian under-23 champion Matteo Trentin makes his professional debut.
Start list: Marco Bandiera, Gerald Ciolek, Dries Devenyns, Nikolas Maes, Andreas Stauff, Zdenek Stybar, Matteo Trentin, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck
Radioshack
Radioshack is starting a handful of hardened classics riders, including Gregory Rast and Robbie Hunter. Team director Dirk Demol is hoping for a good result from team leader Robbie McEwen, especially in the early part of the race. “With Robbie McEwen we have a highly motivated sprinter in our ranks,” Demol explained. “During the Tour de France, Robbie trained hard and he is so keen on winning a stage. He is shooting to become a member of the Australian team for the Worlds. Last year he was not selected, and he does not want to live through that again.”
Start list: Robbie McEwen, Fumiyuki Beppu, Manuel Cardoso, Ben Hermans, Robert Hunter, Gregory Rast, Jesse Sergent, Sam Bewley
Skil-Shimano
Fresh off their fourth win from Marcel Kittel in the Tour of Poland, Skil-Shimano will be looking for stage wins in the Eneco Tour with their other sprinter, Kenny Van Hummel. Van Hummel is transferring to Vancansoleil-DCM at the end of the season, but the likeable Dutchman still has his teammates on his side. Koen de Kort will look for his own chances, but will also work for Van Hummel. “After the prologue, there are a few stages that might end in a bunch sprint. In those stages, I would like to lead out my teammate Kenny Van Hummel to a stage win,” De Kort stated. “In the more strenuous stages, I hope I can last as long as possible and try for something for myself.”
Start list: Kenny Van Hummel, Roy Curvers, Bert De Backer, Koen De Kort, Mitchell Docker, Han Feng, Ronan Van Zandbeek, Tom Veelers
Verandas Willems-Accent
Bill Olivier’s Belgian team gets one of the wildcard invitations to the race. The professional continental team brings a strong squad that will try to animate breakaways and set up leader Staf Scheirlinckx. Scheirlinckx brought the team some attention in April, when he finished 8th in the Tour of Flanders. Jurgen Van Goolen and Stefan Van Dijk both won stages of the Route du Sud – two of the team’s five wins in 2011.
Start list: Staf Scheirlinckx, Steven Caethoven, Wim De Vocht, Jean Pierre Drucker, Rob Goris, Stefan Van Dijk, Jurgen Van Goolen, James Vanlandschoot
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Eneco Tour 2011:
Monday 8 Aug: Amersfoort (NL) to Amersfoort (NL): Prologue, 5.7 km
Tuesday 9 Aug: Oosterhout (NL) to Sint Willebrord (NL): Stage 1, 192,1 km
Wednesday 10/08: Aalter (B) to Ardooie (B): Stage 2, 173.7 km
Thursday 11/08: Heers (B) to Andenne (B): Stage 3, 191.2 km
Friday 12/08: Roermond (NL) to Roermond (NL): Time trial, 14,7 km
Saturday 13/08: Genk (B) to Genk (B): Stage 5, 189.2 km
Sunday 14/08: Sittard-Geleen (NL) to Sittard-Geleen (NL): Stage 6, 201,2 km
(NL) = Netherlands
(B) = Belgium