
Pulled together from the remnants of the Holland Tour, the race was born in 2005 to be included in the UCI’s ProTour series. Plans to create a larger, more difficult Benelux Tour between Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg are still in the works. Known for its hilly route, the race often comes down to time bonuses. Bobby Julich won the inaugural event in 2005 and George Hincapie lost a sure victory in 2006 when Stefan Schumacher knocked him over in the final sprint.