Former skilled rider Laurens ten Dam will develop into the brand new Dutch girls’s nationwide highway coach from January 1 2025, the nation’s KNWU federation introduced on Thursday.
After a profitable stint because the nationwide gravel coach, which noticed the Netherlands web each world titles in Leuven by Mathieu van der Poel and Marianne Vos, Ten Dam will change the retiring Loes Gunnewijk, who has served as nationwide coach since 2019.
Ten Dam was a professional for 16 years between 2004-2019 and has spent most of his time since racing for enjoyable within the rising gravel scene. Nonetheless, his time as nationwide coach this previous 12 months has totally reignited his urge for food for elite competitors, prompting him to tackle this new position when the chance arose.
“Throughout my work as nationwide coach for gravel, I seen that I actually missed performing on the highest high sport stage – working along with a bunch in the direction of the most important tournaments reminiscent of a World Championships,” stated Ten Dam in a KNWU launch.
“As an skilled knowledgeable, I’m getting into this journey with none prejudices and that’s how I need to work with the athletes. They’ve to have the ability to depend on me and I count on the identical in return.
“It’s actually about forging a staff with a transparent mission. There’s a variety of expertise inside Dutch girls’s biking, so I’m satisfied that we’re going to have some excellent years forward of us!”
The Dutch girls’s staff has obtained widespread criticism for his or her techniques in latest seasons below Gunnewijk’s watch, with their breadth of leaders typically ending up as a hindrance. Ten Dam is aware of will probably be no simple feat managing the ladies in orange, given there’s a lot stress on them to carry out.
The newest race content material, interviews, options, evaluations and knowledgeable shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
“My benefit is that I’ve no previous with the riders in any respect. So I’m very goal about it. That’s maybe additionally one of many causes that they requested me. I notice very effectively that there’s nonetheless some speaking to be achieved right here and there,” stated Ten Dam to Algemeen Dagblad.
“I can not actually choose previous failures. But it surely’s clear that I do not need any bickering. That begins with honesty. We’ll make very clear agreements about everybody’s position in a race. You must agree on that.”
The final two World Championship highway races and Olympic Video games highway races have been missed out on by the Netherlands, regardless of having a number of favourites on their roster. Ten Dam is aware of he should flip the tide, whereas additionally not underestimating his opposition.
“Being a nationwide coach is a tough activity. Because the Netherlands, we’ve got an excellent group of riders. We’ve to reap the benefits of that,” stated the 43-year-old.
“However it’s not a ‘fill-in train’ that the Dutch girls all the time win all the things. The game has modified. There are additionally girls using within the entrance sporting different [nations’] jerseys. That’s solely good for the game.
“However as I stated: we’ve got a variety of good riders. If there’s a group of thirty left at a World Championship, there are usually 9 Dutch girls in it.”
Ten Dam is hoping to revive a profitable tradition which noticed the Dutch girls win seven of the 11 World Championships highway races between 2012 and 2022, with a wider purpose of the 2028 LA Olympics to return after an analysis on the finish of 2025.
“I’ll positively need to be robust, sure. That’s a part of this job. However I cannot faux to be another person. I like a great ambiance and that’s the foundation for achievement. And profitable additionally helps, proper? The most effective ambiance is created when loads is received,” he stated.
“Being a nationwide coach is a tough activity. You solely see the ladies just a few occasions a 12 months. They compete in opposition to one another your complete season and abruptly they’re teammates in orange. It’s subsequently tough to essentially kind a bunch, however I feel I can do it.”
