"Those Belgians were just a bit annoying" - Daan Hoole on Belgium refusing to pull in peloton at the start of the Olympic race
Cycling
Belgium rode a perfect race with Remco Evenepoel winning solo, while his teammates covered all dangerous moves behind. And while Belgians will hold a party tonight, their Dutch counterparts can only remorse what went wrong as Mathieu van der Poel was their best finisher in 11th place.
The tall rouleur Daan Hoole was designated as the man to control the leading group on behalf of the Netherlands. Yet finding the cooperation at the front of the bunch wasn't always easy. "We wanted that too, just like Denmark," he pointed out to NOS afterwards about Mikkel Bjerg, who was already willingly taking his turns quickly after the breakaway of outsiders formed.
However not all the teams of pre-race favourites were as keen to spend energy at the front of the bunch. "Those Belgians were just a bit annoying. If you come first and third in the time trial, it seems logical to me that you should also ride at the front. At a certain point we just stopped and said: you ride with us, or else we won't."
At that moment, Tiesj Benoot was being played out as a man who had to work. They could have been on their wheels for quite some time. "They said they hadn't taken anyone with them to ride at the front," laughs Hoole, who cynically adds: "Typically Belgian, but hey... In the end, they ride along and win, so they had the right plan."
There will definitely be some criticism about Hoole's selection as Van der Poel found himself isolated at the decisive parts of the race. But national coach Koos Moerenhout says he is 'one hundred percent' behind the decision that the Netherlands brought Hoole as a pure helper. "We took Daan off the front, until the Belgians also started riding. You just need someone who can fill gaps and put things right. Daan did a great job."
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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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