Eneco Tour makes major prize money U-turn after Charlotte Kool exposes €46,000 gender gap

The decision, announced on Friday, brings the women's prize fund in line with the men's for the entire 2026 edition, including prizes already awarded during the opening stages.

The difference had been substantial. While the men's race offered €63,465 in total prize money, just €17,205 was available to the women. Organisers have now closed that €46,260 gap.

The issue came to a head following Tuesday's opening prologue in The Hague, where Lieke Nooijen collected just €220 for her victory, compared with the €1,490 awarded to men's winner Jakob Söderqvist for racing over the same course.

The disparity caught the attention of Fenix-Premier Tech sprinter Charlotte Kool, who took to Instagram to question the difference.

"Same start time, same distance and same energy," Kool wrote, before adding a pointed joke aimed at title sponsor Eneco: "I wonder if we'll get a discount on energy at the Eneco Tour."

Her remarks quickly brought attention to a problem that appeared difficult to reconcile with the event's stated ambitions for gender equality.

The difference in prize money was not the result of an oversight. Organisers had initially followed the UCI's prize money scales for the respective race categories, which set different financial requirements for men and women.

Equal prize money had already been part of the longer term plans agreed between Eneco and TIG Sports & Events. But Kool's intervention convinced both parties to bring that change forward.

"We organise the women's and men's races together and want to give both the same attention," race director Roxane Knetemann explained. "The same performance deserves the same platform."

Knetemann pointed out that the organisers were already making an effort to improve conditions for participating teams, including financial support to cover their expenses.

"We already ensure that all teams receive a good contribution towards their expenses to start here, which isn't common at every race. Equal prize money should be part of that too."

Kool was delighted with the response and the speed with which the organisers had acted.

"This is a great move. I'm really happy they've taken it on board and implemented it immediately," she said.

"It shows that the Eneco Tour really considers the women just as important as the men."

The revised prize structure covers stage victories, classification jerseys and other financial rewards throughout the race.

The controversy comes during the first edition in which the renewed men's Tour of Holland and the former Simac Ladies Tour have been brought together under the Eneco Tour banner.

Although the competitions remain separate, organisers have coordinated schedules, venues and finishes to give both races equal exposure.

That ambition even led to a disagreement with the UCI ahead of the opening prologue in The Hague, where organisers had planned to alternate male and female riders individually on the start ramp.

"The idea was to have them start alternately, but the UCI didn't quite agree with that," Knetemann explained.

"They pointed out that these are two separate races and had concerns regarding insurance. So, in our enthusiasm, we might have moved a bit too fast for the UCI."

A compromise saw riders start in alternating groups of 30 women and 30 men instead.

"This way, we still achieve the integration we consider so important," Knetemann said, stressing that the event would feature "two fully fledged races."

The same approach extends to other stages, including the finish on the VAM Berg in Drenthe, where both races are scheduled to overlap while following separate routes.