Demi Vollering and Mathieu van der Poel named Dutch cyclists of the year

◆4 sources

Demi Vollering and Mathieu van der Poel were named the best Dutch cyclists of 2026 at the cycling gala in Utrecht. Vollering received the Keetie van Oosten-Hage Trophy, while Van der Poel received the Gerrit Schulte Trophy but was not present at the gala.

Vollering’s award followed victories including the Tour de France Femmes and the world championships. Van der Poel won two Tour de France stages and the world championships. One report said he was chosen ahead of track cyclist Harrie Lavreysen, despite Lavreysen’s three world titles in China.

More on this story

Sports

Tour de France 2027 route announcement

5 sources

The 2027 Tour de France route was unveiled in Paris. The race is set to start in Edinburgh on 2 July, with hilly stages in Britain and Normandy before the first major climbing on the ninth day. It then heads through the Alps and towards the Pyrenees, where the final week includes a time trial in Toulouse and two demanding mountain stages. The route includes 71 kilometres of time trials, giving Remco Evenepoel opportunities, according to the reports. Mathieu van der Poel also has potential chances on the short climbs early in the race and on the final stage. The Tour is scheduled to finish in Paris on 25 July with a route over Montmartre rather than a return to a Champs-Élysées sprint.

Sports

Lucinda Brand and Thibau Nys win the Koppenbergcross

2 sources

Lucinda Brand won the women’s Koppenbergcross in Oudenaarde for the second time, her fourth victory in six cyclocross races this season. Sara Casasola, making her cyclocross return, held out longest among Brand’s challengers before Brand pulled clear. Denise Betsema and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado finished sixth and seventh, while Fem van Empel was eighth in her third race since returning after nearly a year away from cycling. Thibau Nys won the men’s race on his return to cyclocross despite two crashes. He caught Michael Vanthourenhout on the penultimate climb and was strongest on the final ascent of the Koppenberg. Pim Ronhaar finished fourth, his best result of the season.

Sports

Paula Blasi signs a three-year contract with Movistar

1 source

Paula Blasi, the 23-year-old winner of this year’s Amstel Gold Race and Vuelta, has moved from UAE Team L'IMAD to Movistar on a three-year contract. Her transfer had been reported since late June, despite her ongoing contract with UAE, and was later confirmed. Blasi said she needed a different path and a team that would support her ambitions. Blasi’s season included major victories in the spring, but she finished fifth in the Tour de France after being used in a supporting role by her team and did not contend for the top places at the World Championships after an early crash and illness. Kasia Niewiadoma, another leading rival of Demi Volling, is also changing teams, moving from Canyon-SRAM to Lidl-Trek.

Sports

Dutch medals at the Short Track World Tour in Montreal

7 sources

At the World Tour event in Montreal, Jens van 't Wout collided with Dutch teammate Teun Boer while attempting to overtake him in the final turn of the 500 metres. Both skaters missed out on medals and Van 't Wout received a penalty; Canada’s Félix Roussel won. Van 't Wout later won the 1,500 metres. Xandra Velzeboer was eliminated in the 1,000-metre semi-finals, but won the 500 metres ahead of Canadians Danaé Blais and Courtney Sarault.