Niki Terpstra won the 253km Dutch Road Championship out of a sprint, as the peloton caught the lead group in the final kilometers even though the breakaway riders had a gap of at least 16 minutes at one point in the race. Terpstra, despite coming through the final corner in about 2nd position, passed Ramon Sinkeldam in the final meters to win his third National Road Championship of his career. Danny Van Poppel was 3rd.

"I am happy because this is the third national title on the road in my career, but probably the most difficult of the three," Terpstra said. "The race was really crazy. There was a breakway group with about eight riders that took more than 16 minutes of an advantage. No one wanted to work to close the gap. In the last laps we worked hard to bring these guys back. In the last lap I thought maybe I could be there and do the final. We caught the breakaway at about 6 or 7 kilometers to go and I knew in the last two or three kilometers there were a lot of corners where I could try to do something. It was also slippery due to the rain. So, I went at a certain moment and fortunately I took advantage of our tyres that are super good in wet conditions. Then I came into the final sprint with the other guys, but when I looked around me it was only sprinters. So, I was thinking I will end up with another 2nd place, but I gave everything and in the end I passed Sinkeldam and I won. After a few podium places during the Classics winning is important. This is also a special, as any time you can be a champion in your country, it is beautiful. I am really waiting for my Vermarc box to arrive with my Dutch outfit, so I can have a look and enjoy the moment when I will wear the jersey for the first time."

Petr Vakoc also won the Czech Republic Road Championship on Sunday, which means the Czech Champion colors stay in the team for a second consecutive season. Zdenek Stybar won the Czech road title in 2014. Leopold Konig was 2nd in the 2015 edition behind Vakoc, and Jiri Polnicky was 3rd.

"It's amazing," Vakoc said of his victory. "It's the first time I became national champion on the road in all my life, so it's a really great feeling. I knew I had a chance to win today, but it was a really hard race until the last meters. The race really started at 40 kilometers to go more or less, with the big guys like Peter Sagan, Jan Barta, Roman Kreuziger, and Konig starting to accelerate. There were a lot of attacks. At 20km to go I took my own chance to attack. I went and was joined by Sagan, and also Konig arrived. In the last cimb Sagan attacked, and I followed, and we dropped Konig. I was pushing to keep him away to try and win this title. In the finale we came together again, all 3 of us. Sagan went and he won the Slovak title. Konig and I started playing a bit for the Czech title. I attacked at 500 meters to go just before the top of the climb. I gave everything and took a small gap. When I looked behind me I saw that I was alone and I could finally celebrate my victory. But it wasn't easy. It was raining the entire day and the competition was really hard in the final. But I am happy, I showed in Baku I had good condition, and this win is basically icing on the cake. I really can't wait to ride with this jersey. I was often 2nd and 3rd in these championships in the past, but a national championship is another level. I want to celebrate this big achievement now with my family."

Those two victories mean Etixx - Quick-Step has earned 34 total road wins so far in the 2015 season.

Etixx - Quick-Step riders also earned two silver medals. Michal Golas was 2nd to Tomasz Marczynski in the Polish Road Championship, with Pawel Bernas placing 3rd.

"I was 2nd today, and it was a difficult race," Golas said. "We went away immediately at the start with a big group, then it was smaller and we arrived at the finish with about five riders. The finish wasn't so easy. It was a slight uphill finish. I was pretty confident as I felt strong the whole day. At 250 meters to go I tried to attack, but Marczynski passed me. He was stronger than me in the end and he won. I'm a little disappointed, I really wanted to win this jersey. It was a goal to go to the Tour de France with the Polish Champion jersey, but congratulations to the winner. I can say that my condition is good, riding well in a hard race with a long breakaway. I'm now looking forward to going to the Tour de France to support my team."

Mark Cavendish, after a gutsy effort in the British Road Championship on Sunday, was 2nd to Peter Kennaugh as it came down to those two riders out of a four-rider breakaway in the finale. Ian Stannard finished 3rd. Cavendish bridged to Stannard and Kennaugh with Luke Rowe on the penultimate lap, and was able to contest the race on an up-and-down circuit that also featured a tough, cobbled Michaelgate climb.

"I'm super happy with my performance today," Cavendish said. "I felt really strong throughout the whole race. I feel I'm in good form now going into the Tour de France. I'm looking forward to it."

Other top 5 or top 10 results from the National Road Championships on Sunday included Julian Alaphilippe placing 5th in the French Road Championship, Tom Boonen finishing 8th in the Belgian Road Championship, and Martin Velits placing 8th in the Slovak Road Championship.

He finished 13" ahead of Francesca Reda in 2nd, and Diego Ulissi was 3rd. Brambilla crossed 1'57" down.

"This was a hard race with high temperatures," Brambilla said. "The guys brought me into good position at the bottom of the Superga climb with about 25 kilometers to go. The pace was high the first time we climbed it, so I took my tempo because I knew that I could come back after the climb. I managed to do it, but when I entered into the small peloton Nibali, Ulissi and Reda were already gone. I managed to stay in what was left in the peloton behind them. I think I could have tried to go for 4th out of the group, but probably not the win. Congratulations to Nibali who rode a great race."

more information

The course, which wasn't technical and was mostly flat, included three laps of 15km apiece. Martin hasn't given up the German National TT Champion jersey since 2012. Martin's victory is the 32nd on the road for Etixx - Quick-Step in the 2015 season.

"I am very happy to have won this race," Martin said. "This is the 5th title for me, so being able to wear this jersey at the Tour de France to represent this is also something special. As for the parcours, it was flat and simple. But to me it was really good because it was kind of a last test prior to the opening time trial of Le Tour in Utrecht. After Dauphine I was a little tired, and didn't train as I wanted to. I didn't know exactly what I coud expect from this race, so I have to say I am satisfied with the feeling I had on the bike today. In the race I really felt good. I started quite strong because to me it was also a question of simulating the TT effort of Utrecht. Then, when they told me I had a good margin on the second intermediate point, I continued to push until the end to see how good the feeling really was. In function of Utrecht I think this was a really good race for both my legs and my morale. Also, when you are on your time trial bike for 45 kilometers, it always important to have a good setup. The setup of my Specialized Shiv was perfect. It will be the same as next week at Le Tour. Tomorrow I will analyze my effort again and see how I can further tune up my condition beforenext Saturday. That is why I won't ride on Sunday in the German National Road Championship. I want to do specific and quality training prior to the Tour de France."

Yves Lampaert also earned a silver medal in the Belgian National Time Trial Championships. He finished 42" down in the 49.2km ITT on new national champion Jurgen Van den Broeck. Kristoff Vandewalle (Trek Factory Racing) was 3rd, 1'07" down.

Petr Vakoc took home the bronze medal in the Czech Republic National TT Championship on Friday. He finished 1'44" down on Jan Barta's fastest time of 46 minutes and 42 seconds along the 38.6km parcours. Leopold Konig (Team Sky) earned silver, finishing 45" down.

The first week of Le Tour will be a crucial opportunity for Etixx - Quick-Step. The Grand Depart takes place in Utrecht (Netherlands) with a 13.7km individual time trial. Stage two is a seacoast race, going along the harbor from Utrecht to Zeeland during a completely flat 166km stage. The race then takes on an Classics feel as it moves into Belgium during Stage 3, 159.9km in total distance, from Anvers to Huy with a finish on Category 3 Mur de Huy. The Mur de Huy is 1.3km at 9.6% average gradient, but there is a ramp on this finale that reaches 19 percent gradient. There is also Category 4 Cote de Bohissau, Category 4 Cote d'Ereffe, and Category 4 Cote de Cherave to ascend during this stage. Stage 4, from Seraing to Cambrai, features the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix along its 223.5km of total distance. There are a total of seven sectors for a total of 13 kilometers. Six of these sectors are within a 30 kilometer span of the stage, with the last sector at the 210.5 kilometer mark. Stage 6, 189.5km from Arras Communauté Urbaine to Amiens Métropole, is an up-and-down affair through some of the battle regions of World War I. However, a sprint finale is anticipated. The 191.5km 6th Stage, from Abbeville to Le Havre, goes along the windy coast of Normandy. The parcours is undulating with three Category 4 ascents, and there is a small uphill going into the finish. Stage 7, from Livarot to Fougères, again has a slightly uphill into the finish, and while the stage could end in a group arrival, this might be a chance for a breakaway to make it to the line. This stage wraps up a period of several chances for the sprinters. Stage 8, from Rennes to Mûr-de-Bretagne, may be the first real opportunity for GC contenders to establish some time gaps. The Mûr-de-Bretagne concludes the 181.5km stage, and the riders will have to fight for two kilometers on a 6.9% average gradient with some steep ramps. Finally, to conclude the first week, there is the 28km TTT from Vannes to Plumelec. This is a hilly time trial including the Côte de Cadoudal (1.7km, 6.2%) to conclude the race against the clock.

After the first rest day the fight for the yellow jersey gets into full swing for the GC contenders. There is the Stage 10 finale on HC La Pierre Saint-Martin (15.3 kilometre-long climb at 7.4%), a climb featured in Le Tour for the first time in its history (it was a descent in 2007) with several very steep slopes. The are three stages spent in the Pyrenees, and several more up-and-down parcours in the southern portion of the Massif Central. Finally, the Tour de France heads into the Alps for the last week of racing. The high mountain summit stages, while shorter in distance, will be action packed as the top riders of the classification will be trying to further establish their advantages, or perhaps move up in the overall. The 110.5km penultimate stage of Le Tour includes a finale on the legendary Alpe d'Huez (13.8km, 8.1% average gradient), but Category 1 Col du Télégraphe (11.9km, 7.1%) could lead to the peloton being splintered well before they reach the foot of the final climb. The Tour de France concludes with the prestigious arrival on the Paris Champs-Élysées.

"We are at the start of this Tour de France with a very talented and experienced team," Sport and Development Manager Rolf Aldag said. "Of course for a team like ours, until the 9th Stage at the TTT, every day will be a challenge. Starting in the beginning in Utrecth with the ITT, and continuing the day after with a stage that, on paper, looks to be conditioned by crosswinds along the sea. It's no secret we have a team that is built for these kinds of efforts. So we are looking forward to this stage. Then we move into Belgium. As a team based there, it is a key moment of Le Tour to show ourselves in front of our home public. We also have the day of the Mur de Huy finale, where we can play with several options. Then the day after, Stage 4 with the cobbles, it is another stage that suits our team perfectly, even if riding on a Classic parcours during the Tour de France is not exactly like riding the spring races. Of course, in cycling anything can happen during these stages, but we know we are as prepared as any team in the peloton to do well on the cobbled sectors. Then we have a couple of stages for fast riders, where Mark Cavendish can be a protagonist. Mark will have the team at his service these days. To conclude the first week of the Tour de France is the arrival of Mûr-de-Bretagne, and the TTT, a discipline where technique and commitment are important. We have tradition in this discipline, that's why we consider it a important appointment on our road to Paris. Our goal is to perform well in this first part of the race. We want to go into the first rest day happy with our overall performance. It will be important to perform, find results, and then good confidence for the second part of the race starting with the 10th stage. In the second part of Le Tour there are still some stages for the sprints, but also a lot of ground for climbers and attackers. We have options also in the mountains with a rider like Rigoberto Uran, but not only him. Riders such as Tony and Michal showed already in the past that every day they can invent something significant. We want to be consistent over the three weeks and try to be present on multiple levels. We want to be present in the stages, and why not, try to get the yellow jersey for a few days. Wearing that jersey even for few days is always a big achievement. The guys prepared well for this race, and we are confident that all the jobs we've done in the last weeks will pay off at the right moment. We believe in our selection formed by riders of eight different nationalities. Our ultimate goal is to leave a mark in this Tour de France, and we believe we have the potential to do it."

Etixx - Quick-Step Rider Info:

Mark Cavendish (Great Britain)

9th participation

25 stage wins Tour de France (2013 (2x), 2012 (3x), 2011 (5x), 2010 (5x), 2009 (6x), 2008 (4x))

18 days green jersey as leader of points classification Tour de France (2011 (10x), 2009 (8x)

Winner point classification in 2011

2nd points classification (2009,2010,2013)

2015 Victories

7th stage Tour de San Luis, 1st, 4th stage and overall Dubai Tour, Clásica de Almería, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, 1st, 2nd & 7th Stage Tour of Turkey, 1st, 2nd, 5th and 8th Stage Amgen Tour of California

Michal Golas (Poland)

2nd participation

2015 Highlights

17th place Paris-Nice Stage 6

Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland)

3rd participation

12 days leader youth classification Tour de France (2014 (2x), 2013 (10x))

2015 Victories

Prologue Paris-Nice, Best Young Rider Paris-Nice, Amstel Gold Race

Other 2015 Highlights

2nd place Tour de San Luis Stage 5 ITT, 2nd place Overall & Stage 4 Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta, 2nd overall Paris-Nice, 3rd place Paris-Nice Stage 4, 4th place Dwars door Vlaanderen / A travers la Flandre, 2nd place Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco Stage 1, 2nd Place Points Classification Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco

Tony Martin (Germany)

7th participation

4 stage wins Tour de France (2014 (2x), 2013, 2011)

15 days leader you classification Tour de France (2010 (3x), 2009 (12x))

1 day leader mountain classification Tour de France (2014)

2015 Victories

3rd stage Volta ao Algarve, 6th stage Tour de Romandie

Other 2015 Highlights

3rd place Paris-Nice Prologue, 4th Place Stage 7 ITT Paris-Nice, 4th place Mountains Classification Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, 4th place Tour de Romandie Stage 1 ITT

Mark Renshaw (Australia)

7th participation

2015 highlights

3rd place Clasica de Almeria, 8th place Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde Stage 2

Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic)

First Participation

2015 Victories

Strade Bianche

Other 2015 Highlights

2nd place E3 Harelbeke & Paris-Roubaix, 3rd Vuelta Ciclista al Murcia

Matteo Trentin (Italy)

3rd participation

2 stage wins Tour de France (2014, 2013)

2015 Highlights

3rd E3 Harelbeke, 6th place Scheldeprijs, 7th Tour de Suisse Stage 8

Rigoberto Uran (Colombia)

3rd Participation

4 days leader youth classification Tour de France (2011 (4x)

2015 Victories

Colombian National ITT Championship

Other 2015 Highlights

4th place Colombian National Road Championship, 2nd place Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 4, 2nd place Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Stage 3, 5th place overall Tour de Romandie, 3rd place Stage 19 & 20 Giro d'Italia

Julien Vermote (Belgium)

First Participation

2015 Highlights

21st place Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta Stage 3 ITT, 14th place Strade Bianche, 19th place Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 6, 8th place Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde Stage 3b & Overall

more information

The full list of Etixx - Quick-Step national championship participants is listed below:

Friday, June 26th

Belgian National TT Championship

Tom Boonen, Yves Lampaert, Pieter Serry, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck, Julien Vermote

Czech National TT Championship

Petr Vakoc

German National TT Championship

Tony Martin

Saturday, June 27th

Italian National Road Championship

Gianluca Brambilla, Fabio Sabatini, Matteo Trentin

Sunday, June 28th

Belgian National Road Championship

Tom Boonen, Iljo Keisse, Yves Lampaert, Nikolas Maes, Gianni Meersman, Pieter Serry, Stijn Vandenbergh, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck, Julien Vermote

French National Road Championship

Julian Alaphilippe

Czech National Road Championship

Petr Vakoc

Polish National Road Championship

Lukasz Wisniowski, Michal Kwiatkowski, Michal Golas

British National Road Championship

Mark Cavendish

Dutch National Road Championship

Niki Terpstra

Slovakian National Road Championship

Martin Velits

Spanish National Road Championship

Carlos Verona