As in the previous edition, the Eneco Tour got underway with a short prologue. The riders faced a 3.1-kilometer course in Zuiderpark in The Hague. On Tuesday evening, during the opening of the six-day race, it all came down to pure speed and explosiveness. Victor Campenaerts rode a strong prologue and was the fastest rider from Team Visma | Lease a Bike for a long time.

Edoardo Affini and Laporte were among the group of riders who took to the course last. Affini was unable to match Söderqvist’s winning time, with the Italian eventually finishing ninth. Laporte came closer, but still fell just short. The 33-year-old rider was just over one second off the mark and recorded the third-fastest time.

Laporte looks back on his race against the clock with satisfaction. “It was a special evening, with this late start at a beautiful location. I rode a good prologue. This is a strong start, and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the week. Tomorrow will probably be a bunch sprint, followed by the time trial on Thursday. After that, the days for the general classification will come. That’s the goal this week.”