Laporte and Kooij open Tour of Holland with top ten spots in prologue

# Laporte and Kooij Shine in Prologue of Resurrected Tour of Holland

The much-anticipated return of the Tour of Holland has kicked off, bringing excitement back to the cycling calendar after a long hiatus. The stage race, spanning six days in the Netherlands, commenced with a thrilling four-kilometer prologue in The Hague, illuminated by artificial lights for an electrifying atmosphere.

Frans Maassen, the sports director, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “We can be satisfied with this prologue. We were close to the stage win but just fell short. In any case, it’s a very promising start to the race for our team. We’re in a good position for the upcoming stages. Tomorrow will likely bring an opportunity for a sprint with Olav. We’re looking forward to that.”

In the prologue results, Ethan Hayter from Soudal Quick-Step claimed first place, finishing with a time of 4:26. Close on his heels was Cameron Rogers of Lidl – Trek, followed by teammate Jakob Söderqvist. Notably, Christophe Laporte and Olav Kooij of Team Visma | Lease a Bike secured fourth and seventh places, respectively, highlighting the team’s strong start.

### Stage 0 Results:

1. **Ethan Hayter** (Soudal Quick-Step) – 00:04:26
2. **Cameron Rogers** (Lidl – Trek) – +00:00:00
3. **Jakob Söderqvist** (Lidl – Trek) – +00:00:01
4. **Christophe Laporte** (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:00:03
7. **Olav Kooij** (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:00:06

The early performance from Team Visma | Lease a Bike positions them favorably as they look to capitalize on the upcoming stages in this rejuvenated spectacle of cycling. Fans are eager to see how the race unfolds as the competition continues.