"Everyone knows how to organize a competition better": Tour of Holland director hopes to avoid mistakes in future
Cycling
Tour of Holland made its international debut last week. The new stage race in the Netherlands brought about a ray of hope in a country that has been struggling organization-wise lately with a fresh breath of air. Not everything went perfectly over the week, but generally speaking the race has been a success and will aim to return on the calendar with many more editions in the years to come.
"We've definitely heard from the teams that things need to be improved," race director Roxane Knetemann says about the criticism of the race's first edition on the In het Wiel podcast.
The 2025 edition of the Tour of Holland was also a big debut for the organizing party that has come together with limited experience. The 6-day stage race was ultimately cut down to just five stages with Friday's stage cancelled as riders refused to race due to safety concerns caused by multiple cars entering the course.
But Knetemann tries to see the cup half-full. "That's the great thing about organizer TIG Sports & Events. They're also eager to get that feedback. They also indicate that this is their first time doing this and therefore need feedback from the teams."
The amount of criticism from people who have never tried to organize a race themselves appeared funny to the Dutchwoman. "I find it really funny: cyclists and the cycling world are, of course, incredibly conservative. Everyone knows better," she says. "Everyone knows how to organize a competition better than anyone else. Of course, they don't all do it, but they all know better. That makes me laugh."
Knetemann was more concerned about one complaint than the other. "I sometimes sigh when I hear that. I think, 'Yeah, there's another one of those who thinks the hotels are just 20 minutes too far from the start or finish.' But luckily, Niels Markenstijn (of TIG Sports & Events, ed.) handles that very well."
According to Knetemann, criticism is part of the game, but teams also need to show understanding for the organization's hard work. "It's also good that I'm somewhat detached from that," she says confidently. "Because sometimes I think: guys, guys, what a pain. Take a little responsibility for yourself and be a little grateful. But that's also partly my fault now," she finally calls herself to a halt.
"Because I see how hard so many people are working. And then, of course, you sometimes lose sight of the bar you need as an organization to grow."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment