Van der Poel: ‘The Jumbo riders were quite annoying’ | Cycling

sport">“It has not been quiet for a moment,” Van der Poel analyzed, who always had to deal with the men from Jumbo-Visma, at the WE. “They were quite annoying, and I didn’t understand their tactics very well either. I did know that it would be man against man in the end, this was really a race for each person. You really had to be in the front here, otherwise it would be ten times as hard. ”

Teasing ghosts

sport">Van der Poel settled with Pascal Eenkhoorn, the last bully of Jumbo, at about 40 kilometers from the finish, and then headed for his second national title on the road. “It was a lap that lent itself to riding ‘alone’, really an interval course. Whether I benefited from my cyclocross past? I dare not say that, it was so long ago. It was finally a bit normal temperature again, that could also have something to do with it ”, said Van der Poel laughing.

sport">The NK course in Drenthe does not immediately qualify for a World Cup, said the brand new champion. “It is very narrow everywhere, I think it is already on the edge for a Dutch championship. Now we were at the start with about 88 riders and that just went, let alone when we met during the World Championship of hele club are at the start. It could be if we take a long run-up and then do the last laps on this track. ”

sport">Nils Eekhoff finished second. He resigned himself to the supremacy of Van der Poel. “He was just the strongest.” Timo Roosen did not look for excuses either. With a third place, he was the best classified driver of Jumbo-Visma. “It was a fair race,” said Roosen. “We really did everything we could. Time and again we went with Van der Poel and we stayed in his wheel. You hope he gets tired then. But he drove us all off. ”

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