Preview

Holland Ladies Tour takes a step back up in 2011. The race which sadly, for a national tour, relied on multiple laps of small circuits for several of its stages in 2009 and 2010 provides riders with the challenge of 'proper' road stages in 2011. Although there are some laps included in the parcours of some stages, these are large laps, covered once or twice in the stage.

Located in the southern regions of the Netherlands, Holland Ladies Tour 2011 will be the final real test for the sprinters prior to the World Championships in Copenhagen later in the month. There are new stages early in the week and some familiar stage towns in the latter part. The sprinters will be likely to rule this race until the final stage, when there are many climbs included of the tough slopes around Maastricht and Valkenburg (the narrow, steep climbs like those used by the men's spring classic, the Amstel Gold Race).

Neerrijnen - Ophemert, the first stage, is flat but could be affected by wind, although nothing of any significance is forecast, but with so many sprinters wishing to test their legs, the finish is likely to be frenetic.

Stage 2 at Gemert is an individual time trial, on a 20.5km flat circuit. There are some technical corners and some wide-open sections. If the wind does arrive, there will be an additional challenge....

The third stage, around Breda is another flat stage. The highlight here, theoretically, is the inclusion of three cobble classification points within the 115.2km stage. There are three laps of the same course on this stage, so the same section of cobbles is covered three times. At a distance of 15km from the finish, its unlikely to do too much to affect the finale, depending upon its severity....

Stage 4, around Papendrecht, is five laps of a circuit which includes several kilometres each lap of tight, twisting town streets. There will undoubtedly be a bottleneck at the entrance to this point on each lap, which could split the field if the weather has not done so already. A sprint from a small breakaway may be the recipe on this stage.

The penultimate stage is based around Nuenen and Gerwen, which the 2010 tour visited also. Again, a flat stage, this one takes in one large lap around the area, which is just north of Eindhoven. The three finishing circuit laps will be fast and technical, a breakaway could possibly stay away if it enters the circuits with a good enough advantage.

The Stage 6 finale takes place in the Valkenburg area and although this stage goes tantalisingly close to the famed Cauberg, it does not actually ever enter Valkenburg and climb it. However, the climbers will not be disappointed, the laps ensure that the geographical ridge (which the Cauberg is part of) is visited several times and the stage finish is on the climb at Berge en Terblijt (there is a hint in the name...) a town which is familiar to those with memories of this race in the several years to 2009. (2010 omitted the area completely). The race is unlikely to become a test of will and final stage intermediate sprints like in 2010, when Marianne Vos stole the race from Kirsten Wild on the final sprint, thanks to bonus seconds.

Expect some stage wins for Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, who has the greatest number of stage wins ever (12), even winning one stage in 2010 before leaving the race with illness. The next best non-retired rider is Kirsten Wild with 4 wins. Marianne Vos has won the race twice overall, but only holds three stage wins. 

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Stages

Stage 1, Neerrijnen - Ophemert, 114.3km

Stage 2, Gemert, ITT, 20.5km

Stage 3, Breda, 115.2km

Stage 4, Papendrecht, 127.5km

Stage 5, Nuenen - Gerwen, 113.7km

Stage 6, Bunde - Berge en Terblijt, 113.8km

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Start List  - invited teams

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Previous Winners

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