Darren van Bekkum may have been an unfamiliar name to many
until his transfer to Astana Qazaqstan, but the 22-year-old Dutch climber is
now poised for a breakthrough in the coming years. Having previously ridden for
the Visma | Lease a Bike development team, Van Bekkum has already demonstrated
his potential, and those around him believe his future is bright. The young
rider shares that confidence.
This comes during a perido where there is some unrest about where the next star of Dutch cycling is coming from, after Mathieu van der Poel.
Despite his current trajectory, Van Bekkum hasn’t been in
the cycling world for long. He only started cycling in 2019, at the age of 17,
after receiving his first bike. Enthusiastic to compete, he faced the
unfortunate timing of the coronavirus pandemic, which delayed his entry into
competitive racing. This slowed his rise, but his development since then has
been rapid. Although 22 may seem older compared to some of today’s top cycling
talents, Van Bekkum has wasted no time in showcasing his potential.
In an interview with Wielerrevue, Van Bekkum
discussed his rapid rise: “I have always had the physiological predisposition
for endurance sports, and as a second-year junior, it was my goal to belong to
the top of the Netherlands, but that year almost all races were cancelled due
to COVID,” he explained. His breakthrough came thanks to a tip from the father
of Mischa Bredewold, who suggested Van Bekkum participate in a selection for
the Dutch Cycling Federation.
Van Bekkum impressed at the KNWU selection camp, despite
being relatively unknown at the time. “I arrived as a rookie, nobody knew me. I
just rammed uphill three times as hard as I could,” he recalled. His
performance shattered all junior records, catching the attention of major
teams. Soon after, Van Bekkum was riding for the small team WV Eemland, but his
raw power was undeniable, faster than all the riders from Metec during the same
test.
Now part of Astana Qazaqstan, Van Bekkum is ready to dream
big. His ultimate goal? “Even when I was not yet cycling, I was already
watching the Tour de France. It was my goal to win the Tour de France one day,
and it still is.”
With van Bekkum’s climbing skills and ambition, his future
looks incredibly promising, and Dutch fans could get excited about this young
star.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- 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
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