The Eneco Tour Women reaches its decisive climbing stage on Saturday 17 October, with Stage 4 taking the riders 114.1km from Hoogeveen to a summit finish on the VAMberg in Drenthe.
For viewers in Britain, the women start at 11:30 CEST, or 10:30 BST, with live coverage due to begin at around 11:35 BST. The finish is scheduled for approximately 14:15 CEST, or 13:15 BST, depending on race speed. HBO Max is the safest UK option for the women’s race, with the current listings not showing a separate TNT Sports linear slot for Stage 4.
Lieke Nooijen starts the day in the orange leader’s jersey after finishing second behind Femke Markus at Watersley on Friday. Markus cut into the overall lead with her stage win but remains 28 seconds behind, making the VAMberg the last major opportunity to overturn the general classification before Sunday’s short Arnhem finale.
Eneco Tour Women Stage 4 start time and how to watch in the UK
Stage 4 takes place on Saturday 17 October 2026. The women start from Hoofdstraat in Hoogeveen at 11:30 local time, which is 10:30 BST in the UK. The organisers expect the finish on the VAMberg at around 14:15 CEST, or 13:15 BST.
Live coverage is scheduled from approximately 12:35 CEST, or 11:35 BST. HBO Max carries the women’s Eneco Tour stream, and that is the most reliable option if you want the full televised finale. Current UK listings do not show a separate TNT Sports linear broadcast for the women’s Stage 4, unlike Friday’s Stage 3 coverage, so viewers should look for the dedicated women’s race stream rather than the men’s Eneco Tour programme later in the day.
The men also race from Hoogeveen to the VAMberg on Saturday, but their stage begins later and is longer. Make sure the listing specifically says Eneco Tour Women or Women Stage 4 if you are joining through a streaming menu.
The VAMberg is the biggest GC test left
The VAMberg is one of the most distinctive climbs in Dutch racing. Built over a former landfill near Wijster, it rises abruptly from otherwise flat Drenthe countryside and includes several steep roads, with gradients moving well into double figures.
The climb has become a regular feature of major Dutch races and championships, including the Ronde van Drenthe, national championships and the 2023 European Championships. It is short rather than mountainous, but repeated ascents make it difficult to control because riders are constantly accelerating into steep sections rather than settling into a long climbing rhythm.
The women’s Stage 4 is the longest road stage of this year’s race and finishes on top of the Col du VAM. The repeated climbing late in the stage gives teams several chances to attack before the final ascent rather than waiting for one short uphill sprint.
That matters because the time gaps are still small enough for bonus seconds and short accelerations to change the overall order. Nooijen has a useful cushion, but 28 seconds is not enough to ride passively if SD Worx-Protime, VolkerWessels or another team starts attacking in numbers.
Nooijen leads Markus by 28 seconds after Stage 3
Nooijen defended the race lead on Friday after Femke Markus attacked with 17km remaining and soloed to the Stage 3 victory at Watersley. Nooijen led the reduced chasing group home five seconds later, limiting Markus’s gain and collecting the bonus seconds for second place.
ProCyclingUK’s Stage 3 report covers the Watersley finish in full. Markus now sits 28 seconds behind Nooijen overall, giving SD Worx-Protime a clear reason to race aggressively on the VAMberg.
Nienke Vinke remains another important rider to watch on the climbs, while Femke de Vries gives Visma | Lease a Bike a second strong option if the race becomes tactical. Charlotte Kool also survived Friday’s hilly stage well enough to finish sixth, although the repeated VAMberg ascents should make Saturday a much harder test for the pure sprinters.
What to watch on Stage 4
The biggest question is whether Nooijen can control repeated attacks without spending too much energy before the final climb. Her time-trial performances have given her the strongest position in the race, but the VAMberg rewards explosive climbing and positioning more than steady power.
Markus has already shown she is willing to attack from distance, and another aggressive SD Worx-Protime strategy would make sense. Vinke can also benefit from a hard race, while VolkerWessels have several riders who have been consistently present near the front this week.
The full Eneco Tour Women route guide explains how the VAMberg fits into the wider race, while the full start list contains the complete 2026 field.
For UK viewers, the important window is straightforward: the race starts at 10:30 BST, live pictures should begin around 11:35 BST, and the decisive VAMberg finish is expected at roughly 13:15 BST.
