Former skilled rider Laurens ten Dam will turn out to be the brand new Dutch girls’s nationwide street 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 internet each world titles in Leuven by Mathieu van der Poel and Marianne Vos, Ten Dam will exchange 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. Nevertheless, his time as nationwide coach this previous yr 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 direction of the key tournaments akin to a World Championships,” stated Ten Dam in a KNWU launch.
“As an skilled skilled, I’m coming into this journey with none prejudices and that’s how I wish 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 workforce with a transparent mission. There may be a variety of expertise inside Dutch girls’s biking, so I’m satisfied that we’re going to have some superb years forward of us!”
The Dutch girls’s workforce 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 straightforward feat managing the ladies in orange, given there’s a lot stress on them to carry out.
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“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 finished right here and there,” stated Ten Dam to Algemeen Dagblad.
“I am unable to actually decide previous failures. Nevertheless it’s clear that I do not need any bickering. That begins with honesty. We will make very clear agreements about everybody’s position in a race. It’s a must to agree on that.”
The final two World Championship street races and Olympic Video games street 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 troublesome activity. Because the Netherlands, we now have a fantastic group of riders. We have now to reap the benefits of that,” stated the 43-year-old.
“However it’s now 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 now have 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 successful tradition which noticed the Dutch girls win seven of the 11 World Championships street races between 2012 and 2022, with a wider objective of the 2028 LA Olympics to come back after an analysis on the finish of 2025.
“I’ll positively must be powerful, sure. That’s a part of this job. However I cannot faux to be another person. I like a very good ambiance and that’s the foundation for fulfillment. And successful additionally helps, proper? One of the best ambiance is created when rather a lot is gained,” he stated.
“Being a nationwide coach is a troublesome activity. You solely see the ladies a couple of instances a yr. They compete in opposition to one another your complete season and all of the sudden they’re teammates in orange. It’s subsequently troublesome to actually kind a bunch, however I feel I can do it.”
