The Dutch squad head into the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships filled with confidence after the season-long domination of Mathieu van der Poel in the elite men's races. The World Cup winner heads up the country's five-man team for the race.
Gerben de Knegt, the national team coach, was pleased with the team's outing in Hoogerheide this weekend. "Mathieu van der Poel has once again demonstrated in Hoogerheide that he is ready for the World Cup and his brother David also shows that his form is excellent," De Knegt said.
In a UCI profile of the Dutch programme, De Knegt expounded on the importance of having a rider like Van der Poel in the team.
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"With Mathieu van der Poel, we've got the ultimate billboard," de Knegt said. "Everybody wants to be Mathieu van der Poel. That's great. If only a few Dutch teams would be founded. We've got some, but not with the big money like the Belgian teams."
The men's squad is completed by Lars van der Haar, Corne van Kessel, Stan Godrie and David van der Poel.
On the women's side, Marianne Vos showed that her form is on the rise with a fourth-place finish in Hoogerheide. She will be part of the country's five-rider team for the women's race along with Lucinda Brand, Maud Kaptheijns and Annemarie Worst. De Knegt also found room for former world champion Thalita de Jong, who is still completing a comeback from a knee injury.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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