Van Poppel triumphs in Arnhem, Laporte wins general classification

Laporte wins after a strong week

For Christophe Laporte, the overall victory was proof of his return to top form after a period of injury. The Frenchman of Visma | Lease a Bike held off his competitors with a strong performance throughout the week and once again proved himself a top-class rider.

"When you've been out of training and competition for so long, you sometimes wonder if you'll ever return," said Laporte. "I didn't think I'd reach this level at the end of the season. Yesterday, after the stage in Drenthe, I started to believe in it, but today was really difficult. There were a lot of attacks by strong riders. It was honestly more stressful than expected. That's why I'm extra happy I was able to finish it off here. It feels incredibly good to win here."

Afterwards, the stage winner Danny Van Poppel spoke to De Leiderstrui about the NIBC Tour of Holland:

"It was time to organize something, and they did a fantastic job. I've been a pro for a long time, but you don't see a race like this very often. It was dangerous in Limburg, but they agreed with the peloton there too. They're taking a lot of things with them into next year, and it's only going to get better — we've truly got a cycling spectacle."

The fact that he was able to ride this race in his national champion's jersey made it extra special:

"I've never experienced it like this, racing in the Netherlands. There's a lot of attention for this jersey, which is great. But this is especially important for Dutch cycling, including for young people. Organizing races isn't easy, so we have to appreciate that someone does it. Hopefully, this will set something in motion for the future."

Reflections from the organizers

The organizers look back on six days full of racing, collaboration, and enthusiasm—from riders, teams, municipalities, and thousands of fans along the route. Not everything went smoothly; in Limburg, the race was temporarily halted for safety reasons. But it was precisely in these situations that the willingness of teams and officials to work together to find solutions proved to be there.

Niels Markensteijn, initiator on behalf of TIG Sports & Events, said he looked back on a fantastic week. "This is TIG Sports' first time organizing in cycling. We've been working towards this for a year, pulling out all the stops to give the Netherlands a multi-day, international road race with the most beautiful images in the country. With a strong field of riders, supportive commercial partners, enthusiastic governments, and plenty of media attention. Honestly, we look back on a fantastic first edition."

Markensteijn on the challenge of organizing a road race: "We also tried to throw a stone in the pond. We're ambitious and want to do new things. And when you do that, there are always people who embrace it and things that work out well—but also moments where you learn and can do better. That's what you face, especially in the first year. That's part of all our events."

The organizers have had extensive contact with the teams. This demonstrated their belief in the concept. Many teams have indicated they would like to return next year. The ambition for 2026 is clear: another five stages and a prologue, and the desire to integrate a women's race. This is already being discussed with the relevant authorities.