Twenty years after Erik Dekker was the last winner of the Tour of the Netherlands, the multi-day cycling race may be making a comeback. Hard work is being done to get the race on the schedule for October 2025, NOS reports
TIG Sports is taking the initiative to bring back the Tour of the Netherlands under the provisional name Tour of Holland
“The Netherlands is still a great cycling country
We are all on our bikes; our cyclists deliver top performances
and we notice that in the conversations we have
There is definitely a need and interest,” TIG managing partner Niels Markensteijn said to the broadcaster
TIG first planted the seed with Visma-Lease a Bike and DSM-Firmenich-PostNL
and with the support of the major Dutch cycling teams
The KNWU requested that the race be put on the calendar for next October
The international cycling association UCI will announce the calendar for next season at the end of this month in Zurich
it seems a formality that the Tour of Holland will be on there
The race will consist of a prologue and five states at various locations in the Netherlands
All stages will be ridden in the form of a circuit
that puts less pressure on governments and authorities
permits are needed to be able to close off the course
referring to things like motorcycle cops accompanying the cyclists
“By not riding in ribbon stages from A to B
We also think it is more attractive to the public
It is more fun if you see the riders pass by more than once.”
The Tour of Holland will return at a 2.1 status
the third level of multi-day competitions in which professional teams participate
“We hope to grow into a World Tour competition in the years thereafter
Once the Tour of Holland is officially on the calendar
the organizers will start looking for sponsors and talking to local governments about the intended locations for the stages
Retail
the Autorité de la concurrence cleared the acquisition of Leader Price by Aldi
Aldi notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plans to acquire assets owned by the Casino Group
These assets include 54 Leader Price stores (of nearly 640 stores under the brand in mainland France) and 2 Casino stores
Aldi and Leader Price are both hard discount food retail chains
Given that the share of the French market owned by Aldi and Leader Price combined is relatively small
the Autorité considered that the transaction was unlikely to significantly increase Aldi's purchasing power with respect to suppliers
after consulting with Aldi and Leader Price's suppliers (as part of a market test)
the Autorité found that the transaction does not place these suppliers in a situation of economic dependency on the new entity
a risk to competition in the catchment areas of the Leader Price stores in Argentière-la-Bessée (05)
the transaction was likely to have a negative effect on competition
and could lead to price increases or reduce the diversity of products available to the consumer
given the parties' combined market share (more than 40%)
or to the establishment of a duopoly in the area
Aldi has committed to sell nine Aldi or Leader Price stores in these areas to one or more of its competitors
This will ensure that adequate competition is maintained and to protect consumers’ interests in the markets in question.The potential buyers will have to be approved by the Autorité
which will satisfy itself that they are in a position to provide a credible alternative offer in the food retail market in each of the areas in question
The divestiture of the stores concerned by the commitments allow to maintain a sufficient dynamism of local competitive pressure
The aim is to enable the stores and their business to be taken over by a competitor chain
in order to maintain competition in the catchment areas in question and thus ensure that consumers continue to have access to a diversified offer in terms of prices and products
The concerned divestiture must ensure that the stores are taken over in good viability conditions in order to be approved by the Autorité
Rotterdam will host the grand depart of the third Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in August next year - the first time the cycling race kicks off outside France. The first three of the race’s eight stages will be in the Netherlands, with stages one and two ending in The Hague and Dordrecht, the organizers announced
“We are proud to organize the first foreign Grand Depart of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift together with The Hague and Dordrecht,” Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said
This unforgettable event will encourage our citizens to get on their bikes and expand their world.”
Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten won the first Tour de France Femmes last year
The race's second edition starts in Clermont-Ferrand later this month
“The world hub for women’s cycling was a natural choice to host the biggest bicycle race on Earth,” said Marion Rousse
“The last few seasons have been a tale of Dutch ascendancy
Starting from the home of these champions will kindle a great popular celebration
Expect their supporters to turn out in force.”
The 2024 Tour de France Femmes will happen from 12 to 18 August
That’s eight stages in seven days because there will be a double stage on August 13 with an afternoon time trial through the streets of Rotterdam
The rest of the route will be unveiled in October