From Antwerp to Rotterdam and back the next day – this two-day race between the Netherlands and Belgium was held for the first time in 2012 and is set to find a permanent place on the racing calendar. The concept behind the race is that riders get bonus points for winning on the first day, which they can build upon the next day to claim the title. The course of the World Ports Classic has been customised for the best sprinters and classics riders in the peloton. Riders can expect a flat profile, lots of wind and a few cobblestone sections.

“In this race we can continue to fine tune our lead-out train so that we can be up front for the mass sprints in the Tour of Britain.” During the Hamburg Cyclassics Michael Schwarzmann proved that he is in top form and I am certain that we can use this to our advantage to get good results,” Sport Director Christian Pömer said.

The first stage on the 30^th of August will cover 165 kilometres from Antwerp to Rotterdam via Breda. The next day the riders will return to Antwerp via a 191-kilometer route along the southern coast of the Netherlands. The riders will cross numerous bay and offshoots of the Rhine River, which are connected by national roads. Riders will cross the Belgian border via Hoogerheide as they make the final stretch to Antwerp, where, like the day before, victory will most likely be decided in a mass sprint.

Website: http://www.letour.fr/indexWPC_nl.html

Line-up: Blaž Jarc, Ralf Matzka, Jonathan McEvoy, Erick Rowsell, Markus Eichler, Michael Schwarzmann, Scott Thwaites, Alexander Wetterhall

Sport Director: Christian Pömer