VPZ was a skating team of main sponsor VPZ Assurantiën. General director of VPZ was Bert ten Hove (1956-2022). The VPZ team had a so-called B status within the brand teams and was the third major commercial skating team in the Netherlands after TVM and Control.
Technical advisor was Ab Krook. During the VPZ presentation of September 10, 2008, Krook called on the big three commercial teams to work together more.
VPZ has been investing in skates for almost 10 years. On October 14, 2007, the team won the team pursuit during the season-opening IJsselcup. From that season onwards, 2007/2008, VPZ came into the spotlight with the delegation of Ben Jongejan to the major all-round tournaments and Jorien Voorhuis to the World Championships distances. The following season, during the selection competition for the World Allround Championships, there were again two VPZ players: Voorhuis and Tom Prinsen. For the 2009 World Distance Championships, Voorhuis and Diane Valkenburg secured participation in the 3000 meters. In the years 2008-2010, the team really started to become known with skaters who showed themselves at the 2010 Olympic Games, among others. After the Olympic season, the skating team was disbanded and VPZ limited itself to sponsoring the Groningen Region and supporting the Groningen skating academy where children can train during school hours and in this way make the perfect combination between school and skating. In 2018, Ten Hove Holding was declared bankrupt.
In recent years, the skating team has consisted of an all-round team and a sprint team. VPZ was led by Erik Bouwman, Emiel Kluin and Erwin ten Hove (the three E's) and in its final year had the following long track skaters under its wing. VPZ was also a sponsor of the Groningen marathon skater Hilde van Slochteren.
Skaters who spent part of their career at VPZ include:
Jan Blokhuijsen
Pim Cazemier
Bob de Jong
Ben Jongejan
Sophie Nijman
Thijsje Oenema
Remco Olde Heuvel
Tom Prinsen
Sanne van der Star
Diane Valkenburg
Jorien Voorhuis
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