As the biggest Dutch team, Belkin is a perennial favourite for the Ronde Van Zeeland Seaports but for some reason the Dutch team has failed to win the race since 2005. This year the team hope to buck the trend as they line up a roster led by sprinter and recent World Ports Classic winner Theo Bos.

Several Belkin Pro Cycling TEAM riders were close to a victory in the Ronde van Zeeland Seaports in the past. Robert Wagner, Jos van Emden, Graeme Brown, Lars Boom and Theo Bos all finished on the podium once or twice. They didn’t win, however. Sports Director Michiel Elijzen hopes to see one of his green and black riders on the highest step on Saturday, June 7. 

“That’s what we are aiming for,” said Elijzen. “We have a few men who just rode the Giro d’Italia. After three weeks of racing, they have a tremendous capacity. The first hundred kilometres will hurt, but after that they will be able to keep riding and riding.

“We will have to be more attentive than last year, when we were overtaken by events. With Theo Bos, we hope for a sprint victory, although I wouldn’t mind seeing another one of our riders causing a surprise.” 

Maarten Tjallingii is one of the men who could surprise. The robust Belkin Pro Cycling TEAM cyclist rode a good Giro and even wore the mountains jersey a few days. Moreover, he knows how to shock the peloton. Last year, he upset the bunch with a solo effort in the World Ports Classic, which is similar to the Ronde van Zeeland Seaports. 

“I hope to keep the flow of the Giro going. I think we’ve had a fantastic Giro. We achieved the maximum as a team. Wilco [Kelderman] did what he could and did very well by finishing seventh. We also wore the blue jersey for six days.

“A stage victory would have topped things off, but we were close a couple of times even though we didn’t pull it off. That mountains jersey was a true morale booster. There was no better way to start the race. Personally, it was very funny that I, one of the heavyweight riders in the peloton, was riding around in that jersey.” 

Tjallingii believes in the team’s chances in the Ronde van Zeeland Seaports.

“With Theo, we have a top sprinter, and we also have a team fit to lead him out. Theo is Plan A, Plan B is a surprise. It would be nice if I could pull off the same kind of stunt as last year in the World Ports Classic.” 
 

TEAM line-up:

Jetse Bol, Theo Bos, Graeme Brown, Rick Flens, Marc Goos, Maarten Tjallingii, Robert Wagner and Dennis van Winden.