Visma can't give Kooij a birthday present at Tour of Holland: "The cyclists felt it was too much"
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike had hoped to celebrate Olav Kooij's birthday and have a lively stage with Christophe Laporte in the fight for the overall in the Tour of the Netherlands, but the day in Zuid-Limburg came to an abrupt end after the opening kilometers. The race was stopped after a serious incident with a car and the peloton decided not to continue.
"Near Gulpen, a car passed through the race area twice and ended up entering the peloton, which almost led to crashes among the cyclists. At that point, some of the riders said: this is as far as we've come," explained Arthur van Dongen, Visma's sports director, in conversation with In de Leiderstrui.
The Dutchman regretted the outcome of the stage. "It's a shame for the race, because Limburg is always a sporting spectacle. I've been a director for 33 years and I always get excited when there are races in this region, they're always beautiful races in which the strongest stand out. To see that disappear like this is not good. Neither for cycling nor for those who live cycling in Limburg."
Despite his frustration, Van Dongen considered the decision to be the right one. "Safety always comes first. Stopping was the right decision when the cyclists felt it was too much."
Safety first
"I've experienced other stages that have been canceled, this isn't the first time, but it's still sad. I trust that over the next two days, in other regions with more controlled circuits, everything will go well and that the race can end in a dignified manner."
The experienced director identified a critical point for the future. "We need to rethink these races. It's increasingly difficult to organize races in certain areas and closed circuits are easier to control and monitor. With a one-way system, a lot of confusion is avoided."
It was precisely the lack of this control that led the cyclists to reject the idea of heading towards Watersley, one of the alternatives on the table. "The riders questioned the safety of the local laps, as there was no one-way traffic there either. That made it riskier."
Ethan Hayter maintains his lead in the Tour of Holland with two stages to go
Hope for a safer future
Even with the disappointment of the cancellation, Van Dongen preferred to leave a note of hope. "We have to turn the negative into a positive. I hope that local politics will get involved and that some people will wake up to the importance of safety. Still, it's a bitter day for such a beautiful project. In the next two stages we'll try to put up as much of a fight as possible."
The Team Visma | Lease a Bike coach was nonetheless optimistic about the potential of the Tour of Holland. "I know how complex it is to organize a race. I see this episode as a youth problem. The organization has shown that it has the will and is open to constructive criticism. From there, it's possible to grow and take important steps towards a promising future."
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- They do this but literally let cars on courses to run over riders.mij07-11-2026
- Looking at that photo she appears to be several feet from her. I’m not sure how that impeded brands sprint.mij07-11-2026
- I hope you are wrong but I suspect you will be proved correct. It might do something for Scottish tourism - although due to logistics the route skips the most spectacular parts of Scotland. It will bring in short term money no doubt, but will cycling overall in the U,K benifit? I doubt it. Even at £2 a litre the bits love thei cars,Cyclingsbestfan07-11-2026
- Lucky to not get disqualified
leedorney07-11-2026 - The road from Holyrood to Edinburgh Castle is a nice steady climb of just over a mile that is cobbled in many parts. (Very slippery if wet!) If the teams are going by one by one that will give fans an even better view of the riders up close than the castle esplanade.Cyclingsbestfan07-11-2026
- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment