Rudi Kemna believes there is untapped sprinting potential within Emils Liepins: "We think he is undervalued
Cycling
Last Monday, Team DSM-firmenich PostNL held official press release ahead of the new season. Sports director Rudi Kemna tells WielerFlits that the Dutch WorldTeam hopes to find a new finisher in Latvian champion Emils Liepins. In WielerFlits Podcast, this is discussed thoroughly.
Normally, you'd expect Fabio Jakobsen to be team's first sprinter followed by the young Casper van Uden in the hierarchy. "We are not talking about a first or second sprinter. Don't forget Emils Liepins. Most people won't see him as a sprinter, but we actually do. Marcel Kittel was also once offered to us as a time trialist. But with the values he had, there had to be more to it. We now also have that feeling at Emils," thinks Kemna.
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"We think he is undervalued and used differently than possible. We also discussed that a lot with him. Not that he will just become our first sprinter. But we think he has considerable potential. And that we can also work with that. What happened to Pavel Bittner? A different approach. He is mainly someone with a good jump, a good punch. He will definitely be in the lead out, but also in the classic core."
Maxim Youri of WielerFlits Podcast is not of the same opinion. "With all due respect, this guy is 31 years old. Ten years older than when Kittel joined the team. How are you going to explain to me that this is now a finisher? I am very critical, I must say. If people from DSM are listening, I have nothing against that team. But that Liepins story made me think: 'Come on, guys. That's impossible?'. I hereby also challenge the team: blow me off my chair."
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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.
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