Team Picnic PostNL

Tour de l’Avenir | Race Report

Tour de l'Avenir
August 22, 2026
Lennes Jacobs
Lennes Jacobs
Matthew Peace
Matthew Peace
Christiaan van Rees
Christiaan van Rees
Matteo Vanhuffel
Matteo Vanhuffel
Thom van der Werff
Thom van der Werff
Jurgen Zomermaand
Jurgen Zomermaand

Stage 5: Les Carroz -> Flaine

The first of the big GC tests lay ahead of the Tour de l’Avenir peloton and a tough mountain time trial up the Col de Pierre Carrée. The Development program headed down the start ramp and managed to get through the day well, with first-year Matthew Peace setting a good early time on the board. Attention turned to the later starters of Matteo Vanhuffel and Jurgen Zomermaand who both gave their all on the tricky ascent. Vanhuffel took fourth place on the stage and with that moves into the same spot on GC with the team, while Zomermaand also vaults up to eighth place on GC ahead of the two big mountain road stages to come.

Results

  • 26.529/H
  • 11.4KM
  • 736M
  • Time Trial
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1FINN Lorenzo MarkRed Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies25:47.290-
2FABRIES UgoUAE Team Emirates Gen Z0:34.130-
3DRIESEN NielsLotto - Groupe Wanty0:58.010-
4VANHUFFEL MatteoDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL1:06.450-
21ZOMERMAAND JurgenDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL2:01.950-
24PEACE MatthewDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL2:12.150-
72JACOBS LennesDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL4:18.040-
124VAN DER WERFF ThomDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL7:23.920-
125VAN REES ChristiaanDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL7:28.910-

Stage 4: Saint-Vallier -> Semur-en-Auxois

A potential day for the breakaway, a strong ten rider group went clear that the team missed. Those out front cooperated well until the last five kilometres, and that gave the peloton a chance to be in the battle for the stage win. In the end, one rider from the bunch was able to pass the remnants of the break, while Thom van der Werff brought the squad home in 15th.

Results

  • 48.789/H
  • 150.8KM
  • 1260M
  • Stage
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1SPARFEL AubinDecathlon CMA CGM Development Team3:05:27.000-
2NEGRENTE MattiaXDS Astana Development Team0:02.000-
3LORELLO RiccardoItaly,,-
15VAN DER WERFF ThomDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
35VANHUFFEL MatteoDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
62VAN REES ChristiaanDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
71ZOMERMAAND JurgenDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
86JACOBS LennesDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
100PEACE MatthewDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL0:45.000-

Stage 3: Vierzon -> Saint-Vallier

The longest stage of the race, and one of the longest in the season, 230 kilometres awaited our Development program on Saturday, with a punchy sprint finale. With the break caught attention turned to the sprint finish, but in the fast finale the team weren’t able to move up sprint finisher Christiaan van Rees to compete for a result come the line.

Results

  • 46.524/H
  • 230.9KM
  • 1404M
  • Stage
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1STELLA DavideUAE Team Emirates Gen Z4:57:47.000-
2CAPRA ThomasBahrain Victorious Development Team,,-
3LEWANDOWSKI DawidPoland,,-
24VAN DER WERFF ThomDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
27VAN REES ChristiaanDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
39JACOBS LennesDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
40VANHUFFEL MatteoDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
44ZOMERMAAND JurgenDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
62PEACE MatthewDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-

Stage 2: Nogent-le-Rotrou -> Amboise

Stage 2 of Tour de l’Avenir looked set to offer the sprinters another opportunity, although the wind had the potential to make the 116-kilometre stage more difficult. A four-rider breakaway formed early, but was caught soon after as the bunch remained nervous, with Development Team Picnic PostNL attentive to the threat of echelons. With 36 kilometres to go, the race was neutralized following a major crash in the front group after the wind had split the peloton. After the restart, the bunch rode relatively calmly towards the finish and prepared for the expected sprint. Solen proved fastest on the day, with Thom Van der Werff sprinting to 10th for Development Team Picnic PostNL and Christiaan van Rees finishing just behind in 11th.

Results

  • 46.087/H
  • 116.3KM
  • 721M
  • Stage
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1SOLEN KeijeLotto - Groupe Wanty2:18:00.000-
2CAPRA ThomasBahrain Victorious Development Team,,-
3DELLE VEDOVE AlessioXDS Astana Development Team,,-
10VAN DER WERFF ThomDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
11VAN REES ChristiaanDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
47JACOBS LennesDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
66PEACE MatthewDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
84ZOMERMAAND JurgenDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
86VANHUFFEL MatteoDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-

Stage 1: Caen la Mer -> Argentan

For the first time ever, Development teams took to the start line at the Tour de l’Avenir, with Team Picnic PostNL proudly making their debut. The start of the stage was quite settled with a breakaway going clear and the peloton keeping them at a controllable advantage, but as they hit around 60 kilometres to go the race split to pieces in the crosswinds. The team were well represented with Jurgen Zomermaand, Matteo Vanhuffel and Thom van der Werff in the front group of 18 that went clear, which would then catch the remnants of the early break. On the penultimate ascent some of the riders out front pushed on and went clear, while Van der Werff brought the team home for sixth place on the day.

Results

  • 45.635/H
  • 151.9KM
  • 1265M
  • Stage
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1DRIESEN NielsLotto - Groupe Wanty3:19:43.000-
2HAUGLAND KasperDecathlon CMA CGM Development Team,,-
3FINN Lorenzo MarkRed Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies,,-
6VAN DER WERFF ThomDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL0:36.000-
16VANHUFFEL MatteoDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
17ZOMERMAAND JurgenDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL,,-
54JACOBS LennesDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL1:56.000-
88VAN REES ChristiaanDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL3:21.000-
96PEACE MatthewDevelopment Team Picnic PostNL5:54.000-