Frank van den Broek forced out of Eneco Tour despite finishing within time limit after racing in open traffic

It was a strange way for Frank van den Broek's Eneco Tour nd 2026 season to come to an end. The Dutchman struggled through the hills around Sittard during Friday's third stage, but appeared to have done enough to stay in the race. Instead, he found himself riding to the finish on roads that had already been reopened to traffic.

The 25-year-old was part of a group that had lost contact with the main field, although the gap was far from insurmountable.

"With one lap to go, my group was less than 10 minutes behind the leaders," Van den Broek explained on Instagram.

But the situation soon took an unexpected turn.

"During the final lap, we were overtaken by the broom wagon. We continued and completed the full course in open traffic, finishing about 15 minutes behind the winner. Well within the 15% time limit."

Van den Broek was particularly critical of the decision to reopen the roads before all riders had finished.

"And it's a shame that, here in the Netherlands, we can't keep a finishing circuit secure long enough for riders to finish within the time limit," he wrote.

Despite finishing within the time limit, Van den Broek and his group had already been removed from the race, ruling them out of the final two stages. 

"The decision to withdraw riders who were more than ten minutes behind in the final lap was made by the jury and the police," Eneco Tour organiser Thijs Rondhuis explained to Wielerflits. 

"They considered the deficit to be so significant that the safety of the riders was at risk.

"We had thought it through carefully and made many adjustments. We also closed off the roads around the course so that we could manage the traffic effectively. We had skilled traffic controllers and motorcyclists, which gave us a lot of confidence. But we also know that those factors don't tell the whole story. We are happy and relieved that everything went well."

For Van den Broek, the consequences extend beyond a disappointing result. His exclusion means Picnic PostNL will have one fewer rider available for the final two stages, even though he believes he completed Friday's course within the permitted time.

"Yet because we had been taken out of the race, we cannot start tomorrow to help our teammates," he wrote.

It is another unwelcome episode in an already turbulent week for the Dutch team. On Thursday, an explosive investigation by Dutch broadcaster NOS and podcast In De Waaier brought allegations of a toxic working environment and a culture of fear at Picnic PostNL to light, based on accounts from 71 current and former riders and staff members. 

The team has disputed the overall picture presented but announced an independent investigation into the allegations.

The incident adds to a difficult season for Van den Broek, who has struggled for form after racing both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France.

"To be honest, after a long, hard and demanding season, my body and mind is drained and needs a rest," he admitted.

But despite the need for recovery, Van den Broek had hoped to see out the race alongside his teammates.

"I'm disappointed that I won't be able to support my teammates over the next two days."