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The Eneco Tour is a relatively new race having only been created in 2005, but has grown year to year thanks to the support of energy company Eneco and the enthusiasm of the Dutch and Belgian cycling fans. It now has a UCI ProTour race licence until 2012.

Most stage races are held in one country but the Eneco Tour visits both Belgium and Holland over seven days and so is able to take advantage of the different terrain in the two countries. Some stages in the Flemish region of Belgium remind the riders of the cobbles in the spring classics, while others in the hillier Ardennes region cover the climbs featured in the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Stages in Holland give the sprinters a chance to show their finishing speed but they also have to fight for a place in the echelons because of strong winds.

In 2009 Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen claimed the white Eneco Tour winner’s jersey thanks to his victory in stage six and again in the decisive stage seven time trial. It was his first stage race victory of his career but will surely not be his last. The quiet 22 year-old Norwegian is considered one of the most promising riders of his generation. Thanks to the points Boasson Hagen scored for his win at the Eneco Tour, he also moved up the UCI World Ranking and ended the season in sixth place behind winner Alberto Contador. Another sign of his talent.

The race was also important for Belgium’s Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and the USA’s Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Slipstream). Boonen won a stage wearing the Belgian National Champions’ jersey after a difficult summer, while Farrar won three stages, confirming he is one of the most powerful sprinters in the UCI ProTour peloton.