The Dutchman took time off after the brutal World Championships, well deserved after a season where he also won Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, whilst then helping Jasper Philipsen and
Alpecin-Deceuninck to collective success at the Tour de France as a new leadout star. He kept the focus after the Tour ended and showed up in Glasgow with terrific form, taking a dominant win in the hilly circuit. “Now there is nothing for me to win this season," he says.
He will surely prepare for the cyclocross worlds later in the winter, but for the time being he has a few months with no real goals. He has added a few races to the calendar to help the team and have fun on the bike, whilst also showing off his new colours. "That also plays a role in training, so I prefer to race. The World Championships was of course earlier than usual, so I also thought it was too early to rest now. Then it will be a very long time without races," he concluded.