Danny van Poppel stayed ahead of his fellow escapees and took the stage win. Just behind him, Olav Kooij sprinted to sixth place. Laporte reached the finish line unscathed and secured the overall victory. “It was a difficult day to control, but the team did a great job. In the final, we wanted to go for the stage win with Olav, but we couldn’t catch the leaders”, Laporte said.
Sports director Arthur van Dongen looks back on a successful week. “An overall victory in a stage race is always nice, especially for Christophe, who has had a difficult time. The men worked very hard to secure the victory. I am proud of that. In addition to the overall victory, we also had the goal of winning a stage, but we just didn’t quite make it. Nevertheless, I can look back on a good week.”
As far as Van Dongen is concerned, the Tour of Holland is here to stay. “As a Dutchman, it’s great to race in my own country. I think it can grow into a great event on the calendar, as there is a lot of demand for it. It feels really good to end it this way.”