The Ster ZLM Toer, a stage race which traditionally is a warm-up for the sprinters on their way to the Tour de France. In my days as a cyclist I was able to start in this race once, that was 2011. This year, I came back not as a rider but as a photographer. It was great to see many former teammates, staff and other colleagues again. My friend Wouter Roosenboom, who is the official photographer for the Ster ZLM Tour organisation, took me along for the first two days. Although it is hard work (your working day usually starts around 10am and doesn’t stop until midnight), we had a blast together. It was great to see how quick and passionate Wouter works, something that definitely motivates me too. We arrived on the evening before the first stage as we were invited on the Ster ZLM Toer Talkshow. Wouter presented his book #SCHERP to TV host Humberto Tan and sports marketer Bob van Oosterhout.

Talkshow

Day I Time Trial, Goes:
On day 1 of the race there was a short Time Trial of 6.4K which was held in Goes, Zeeland. As a time trial is all about speed I looked for photos wherein you can see the movement, power and speed of the cyclist.

Day II, Dikes, Den Bosch – Rosmalen:
On day two there was a flat stage with some small and tricky dikes. This stage passed my hometown and mainly went over my former training roads. The start was on a parking, which was a big vibe killer. Therefore, I tried to get the riders more in detail and immediately I noticed the uprise of tattoos in the peloton. In my days as a cyclist, only some established pro’s had them, no youngster would take them afraid of being judged but staff or sponsors. Nowadays, it seems to be accepted which I see as a big achievement. If you want to see more about tattoos in the cycling peloton, get Wouter’s new book Scherp as he devoted a whole chapter to this phenomena and got a look behind the scenes!

All photos © Brian Megens