ZLM Tour 2026, Mathias Vacek wins the opening time trial stage

Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) claimed victory in the opening stage of the 2026 ZLM Tour, a 21.1-kilometer time trial with start and finish in Kapelle. The Czech rider completed the course in 23'43", at an average speed of over 51 km/h, beating his rivals by a clear margin.Behind him, Niklas Larsen (Unibet Rose Rockets) limited the damage by finishing second, 19 seconds back, while Jakob Söderqvist (Lidl-Trek) completed the podium 24 seconds down. Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Lidl-Trek) took fourth place, 25 seconds behind, with Hector Alvarez Martinez (Lidl-Trek Future Racing) fifth at 26 seconds.The opening race against the clock immediately highlighted the strength of the Lidl-Trek squad, which placed three riders in the top four positions of the day's standings.General classificationThanks to today's success, Vacek is the first race leader with a time of 00:23:43. He is followed by Larsen at 19 seconds and Söderqvist at 24 seconds.The race, which consists of five stages, continues tomorrow with a new stage.