Chris Opie will begin the defence of his UCI 2.2 Ronde van Midden Nederland crown with a 26.3km team time trial on Saturday.
The Cornishman, 30, and his BIKE Channel Canyon team-mates will roll out on to the course between Doorn and Leersum at 2.42pm.
Fellow British UCI Continental outfit Madison Genesis start their test at 2.36pm, while Opie’s former team ONE Pro Cycling bring the curtain down on stage one at 4.15pm.
Opie and ONE Pro clocked a time of 28min 53.53sec to beat Cycling Team Jo Piels (29.19:59) into second place last season.
The former UK Youth sprinter then charged to glory on the second stage – a twisty 197.3km road race which will begin at FC Utrecht’s Stadion Galgenwaard on Sunday (11.10am).
That earned Opie glory in the general classification. And with little more than 600m of climbing on the stage two parcours, a bunch sprint is in the offing again – making the result of the team time trial crucial.
Along with the defending champion, the BIKE Channel Canyon team will include Rob Partridge, Dexter Gardias, Rory Townsend, Joe Fry, Harry Tanfield and James Lowsley-Williams.
Click here to see last season’s result. And follow this link to find out more about the Ronde van Midden Nederland.
Meanwhile back in England, Mitchell Webber, Max Stedman and Alex Richardson are set to contest the 167km National B Victor Berlemont in Oxfordshire on Sunday (11am).
