'Revolutionary' event part of a new International Team Challenge series
Image 1 of 4
The fans crowd along the Cauberg in the finishing city of Valkenburg for the 2009 edition of Amstel Gold(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The U23 men's peloton acends the Cauberg early in their world championship road race.(Image credit: Sirotti)
The Velon logo(Image credit: Velon)
Out in the Limburg countryside on the back of the course (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
The already packed pro men's calendar will have another event series in 2017 known as the International Team Challenge (ITC), according to 1limburg.nl. The first event of the series will be in Limburg, known as the home of the Amstel Gold Race, and will take place June 2-3.
The ITC series will also include an event in Switzerland in August and in South Africa in October, all backed by the professional teams business group Velon and Infront.
1Limburg reported that the three-day Dutch race will begin with a sprinter's course at the Sportspark in Sittard-Geleen, followed by a stage for the climbers that will incorporate a type of points race using the Cauberg ten times, and finishing with a team event that 1Limburg says will be a team pursuit with all teams competing on the Sportspark circuit at the same time.
Only road stages and time trials are provided for by the UCI rules for road races, but the report says the race format is supported by the UCI and is to be classified as 2.HC.
When contacted by Cyclingnews, Velon confirmed the event but would not give further details until the new year. Velon was formed in 2014 to create a more exciting, sustainable pro cycling model. They signed a ten-year deal with Infront earlier this year to produce and distribute rider data.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
