Preview ZLM Tour 2023 | Jumbo-Visma leader Olav Kooij aims for second consecutive overall victory!

The 2022 edition could be described as 'the great Olav Kooij show'. The Dutch Jumbo-Visma sprinter claimed victory in no less than three out of five stages. In the two stages he didn't win, he finished second. Logically 'the Cheetah of Numansdorp' added the general classification, the youth classification and the points classification to his list of achievements. As the icing on the cake, Jumbo-Visma also won the team classification, culminating in a remarkable celebration for the successful squad.

2022 Olav Kooij
2021 Not raced due to covid-19
2020 Not raced due to covid-19
2019 Mike Teunissen
2018 Not raced
2017 José Goncalves
2016 Sep Vanmarcke
2015 André Greipel
2014 Philippe Gilbert
2013 Lars Boom

This year's ZLM Tour will open with a prologue. This 6.6 kilometer individual race against the clock's starting and ending point are in Heinekenszand. It is characterized by a course that resembles a billiard table. Time trial specialists and power riders will enjoy this route, but so will the sprinters!

Climbs
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Favorites
Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor)
Tim van Dijke (Jumbo-Visma)
Lars Boven (Jumbo-Visma)

Times
Start: 6:30 p.m.
Finish: approximately 9 p.m.

The day after the prologue, the first real opportunity for the sprinters awaits. This stage takes place entirely in Zeeland, with Westkapelle as the starting point and 's Heerenhoek as the finish location. It would be highly unlikely for this 203-kilometer stage not to end in a bunch sprint.

Climbs
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Favorites
Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma)
Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team)
Sam Welsford (Team DSM)

Times
Start: noon
Finish: approximately 4:15 p.m.

Friday's course is also right up the alley for the fast riders. From the village of Schijndel in the province of Noord-Brabant, the peloton heads south in the direction of Buchten in Limburg. Anyone hoping for a spectacle in the hills of southern Limburg will probably be disappointed, as this stage will not include any climbs.

Climbs
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Favorites
Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma)
Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team)
Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor)

Times
Start: 12:30 p.m.
Finish: approximately 4:30 p.m.

Relocations abound in the ZLM Tour, as the penultimate stage, which is just under 200 kilometers long, will be completed in West-Brabant. This time, the setting for both the start and finish is Roosendaal. This stage without climbs seems to be heading towards a bunch sprint as well.

Climbs
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Favorites
Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma)
Sam Welsford (Team DSM)
Jakub Mareckzo (Alpecin-Deceuninck)

Times
Start: 1 p.m.
Finish: approximately 5 p.m.

For the start of the final stage in the Dutch stage race, just this once, the drivers on duty won't have to travel far. Oosterhout, which is a stone's throw from Roosendaal, is where the starting gun for stage four will be fired at around 1 p.m. The ZLM Tour will come to an end around 4:15 p.m. - most likely with a bunch sprint.

Climbs
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Favorites
Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma)
Sam Welsford (Team DSM)
Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team)

Times
Start: 1 p.m.
Finish: approximately 4:15 p.m.

Four out of the in total five stages in the ZLM Tour can be classified as sprinters' stages. Only the opening stage is of a different nature, but even in that 6.6-kilometer long prologue, the sprinters have a good chance. The battle for the overall victory in the ZLM Tour could therefore turn into a so-called 'game of bonus seconds.' Along the route, but also at the finish, there are plenty of bonus seconds to be earned, which is why it is wise to consider the sprinters as favorites for the general classification.

So, which sprinters are likely to come to the fore? Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) stands out head and shoulders above the rest. 'The Cheetah of Numansdorp' won three stages in the 2022 ZLM Tour. He also finished second twice. In 2023, he has already demonstrated his good form on multiple occasions. The 21-year-old top sprinter has raised his arms in victory several times. He also won his last race before the ZLM Tour, the Heistse Pijl.

The list of outsiders is long, especially because it is uncertain which sprinter will go all out in the time trial. Putting that doubt aside, Sam Welsford (Team DSM), Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team) and Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor) are men to be reckoned with. Welsford had a strong start to the calendar year, with two stage victories in the Vuelta a San Juan. After that, the Aussie mainly strung together places of honor, often coming close to victory. Cavendish is in his final year as a professional. 'The Manx Missile' celebrated victory in the final stage of the Giro d'Italia and will travel to the ZLM Tour with great confidence. As for De Kleijn, he is having an exceptional season. The 29-year-old pocket sprinter won the race in a strong field in Milan-Turin, and the final stage in the Boucles de la Mayenne was also right up his alley. If he doesn't lose too much time in the prologue, De Kleijn is a prime candidate!

There are still a number of sprinters who are expected to be capable of great things. We're talking about guys like Jakub Mareckzo (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Cees Bol (Astana Qazaqstan Team), John Degenkolb (Team DSM) and Coen Vermeltfoort (VolkerWessels). On the other hand, it is unlikely that they will compete for the leader's jersey, although of course you never know. If one or more of the stages do not end in a bunch sprint, there are a number of hard riders and attackers who might seize the opportunity to win. That category includes guys like Nils Eekhoff (Team DSM), Lionel Taminiaux (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Tim van Dijke (Jumbo-Visma) and Alessandro Fedeli (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team). 

Top favorite: Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma)
Outsiders: Sam Welsford (Team DSM), Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team), Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor)
Longshots: Jakub Mareczko, Lionel Taminiaux (both Alpecin-Deceuninck), John Degenkolb, Nils Eekhoff (both Team DSM), Cees Bol (Astana Qazaqstan Team), Tim van Dijke (Jumbo-Visma), Alessandro Fedeli (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Coen Vermeltfoort (VolkerWessels)

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The prologue of the ZLM Tour can be watched on Eurosport 2 (from 8:15 p.m.) and on the international sports channel's digital channels (from 7:45 p.m.). Subsequent stages will be available exclusively on the online Eurosport channels. Those broadcasts normally start around 3 p.m.