Laurens ten Dam oversaw his first World Championships as
head coach of the Dutch women’s team, but the day ended without the success
they had hoped for. Anna van der Breggen struggled, Demi Vollering managed only
seventh place, and Magdeleine Vallieres delivered a shock victory. For ten Dam,
the disappointment was clear, though he also took positives from what he
witnessed across his squad.
"You've obviously worked very hard towards this, with
the goal of winning. And then you're disappointed when it doesn't happen. But
if you zoom out, I definitely saw a team. Their tactics and communication were
excellent, but physically they weren't good enough," he told In de
Leiderstrui after the race.
The coach acknowledged Vollering and Riejanne Markus had not
been at their best during the week. "They've had some trouble with that
this week, but I wasn't wrong when they went crazy. (laughs) They were sharing
a room, but they're still riding a fantastic race. As I've generally seen, a
good team. That's what I wanted to see, and I can't comment on that."
Looking back at individual performances, ten Dam was
measured. "'Riejanne jumped well and didn't take the lead. Shirin van
Anrooij led the way, although in hindsight she might have been too good for
that. Femke de Vries also rode a very good race. Demi was just as good as the
rest of the group, but certainly not better. Anna wasn't as good as last
Sunday, and Pauliena Rooijakkers and Yara Kastelijn were also a bit
disappointing."
Preparation was not lacking, he insisted, pointing to their
recent training. "They've all been at altitude, except for Femke. In that
respect, the preparation was good, and I was also happy that we were here
together for a week. I do know that the Swiss were at altitude together and
they really rode a bear race, so I kept that in mind. You can see that it does
help a bit."
Despite missing out on the podium, ten Dam stressed the
cultural and tactical progress made. "There was certainly a legacy, with
difficult questions: the tactics, the atmosphere, how we'll go through fire for
each other... I really saw that, so that mission was accomplished. The fact
that some riders were better now is a given."
For ten Dam, this championship marked a fresh start in his
new role. "I think we've made a clean sweep. Everyone's starting from
scratch, and that includes the coaching staff. I'm very happy with how we
worked together at the KNWU, because it was quite an operation. As a rider, I'd
arrive here, so to speak, and then I'd be in bed for half the day, haha."
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment