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Netherlands 07 Mar 2026 Class 1.2 – 1 day – Class 2
Website www.stervanzwolle.nl
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
The 65th Salverda Bouw Ster van Zwolle took place today, Saturday, March 7, 2026. As the traditional opener of the Dutch road cycling season, it delivered its usual mix of wind, narrow polder roads, and a high-speed finish.
The race was won by Mathis Avondts (Parkhotel Valkenburg), who proved the strongest in a chaotic sprint finish.
🏁 2026 Race Results
The 192 km race started at the Grote Kerkplein and concluded on the Blaloweg in Zwolle.
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1st | Mathis Avondts | 🇧🇪 Parkhotel Valkenburg | 4:19:34 |
| 2nd | David Dekker | 🇳🇱 BEAT CC p/b Saxo | s.t. |
| 3rd | Roy Hoogendoorn | 🇳🇱 Metec – SOLARWATT | s.t. |
| 4th | Jens Verbrugghe | 🇧🇪 NSN Development | s.t. |
| 5th | Lars Rouffaer | 🇳🇱 EEW – VDK | s.t. |
📝 Key Highlights
The Podium: David Dekker (winner in 2020) narrowly missed out on a second title, getting boxed in during the final 200 meters, allowing Avondts to surge ahead for the win.
The Route: Due to construction on the bridge at Kampen, the iconic Zalkerdijk was excluded this year. Instead, the finale took the riders through the wind-swept Mastenbroekpolder, which split the peloton into several echelons (waaiers) before the finish.
The Drama: The race was marred by a moment of controversy involving a rider from the NSN Development Team, who reportedly struck another rider during a tense moment in the peloton. The team has already issued a public apology regarding the incident.
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
The Salverda Bouw Ster van Zwolle is one of the most prestigious one-day races in the Netherlands, traditionally serving as the unofficial “opening classic” of the Dutch road cycling season.
Here is the history of the race:
🌟 The “Star” of Zwolle
The race was first held in 1961. Its name, Ster van Zwolle (Star of Zwolle), is a tribute to the historic city center of Zwolle, which is shaped like a star due to its fortified city walls and moats.
🇳🇱 A Dutch Stronghold
For most of its history, the race was a purely Dutch affair. In fact, for the first 63 years, only one non-Dutch rider managed to win: the Belgian Marc Wauters in 1994.
- This trend finally broke in recent years, starting with the Danish rider Nicklas Amdi Pedersen winning in 2024.
- Today’s winner (2026), Mathis Avondts, is Belgian, marking a shift toward a more international podium in the 2020s.
🏆 Record Holders
While many young riders use this race as a springboard to the WorldTour (including stars like Dylan van Baarle, who won in 2013), a few veterans have mastered its specific challenges:
- Coen Vermeltfoort: A legend of the Dutch continental circuit, he holds the record with 3 victories (2019, 2021, and 2023).
- Dries Klein: Also shares the record with 3 wins in the early days of the race (1969, 1970, 1972).
🌪️ The “Mastenbroek” Challenge
The race is famous (or infamous) for its weather. Because it takes place in early March in the Overijssel province, it is defined by:
- The Wind: The route often crosses the open Mastenbroekpolder. If the wind is strong, the peloton inevitably splits into “echelons” (waaiers), meaning only the tactically strongest riders remain at the front.
- The Pavements: Narrow dikes and exposed roads make positioning critical. If you aren’t in the top 20 riders when entering a dike, your race is usually over.
📈 Evolution to UCI Status
The race began as an amateur event but evolved significantly over the decades:
- 2011: It officially joined the UCI Europe Tour as a 1.2 category race.
- 2025/2026: The race faced some logistical hurdles, including being integrated into Olympia’s Tour as a stage in 2025 due to police escort shortages, before returning as a standalone classic in 2026.
