"We race seriously, but we can also have fun" - Maikel Zijlaard about success of Tudor's revelation Arvid de Kleijn

Tudor Pro Cycling's Maikel Zijlaard might not be the most well-known rider in the bunch, but being part of Arvid De Kleijn's very successful sprint train, he certainly deserves the recognition. Speaking to IDLProCycling, the 24-year-old Dutchman describes what's the 'secret ingredient' behind his team's success.

"Personally, I'm doing okay," he says. "I think we as a team have started off super well this year. In the UAE Tour, Arvid showed some great stuff. He also rode incredibly strong in Paris-Nice, including that stage win. Unfortunately, I did not finish Paris-Nice, but that was also with an eye on what's to come. I think I am really making steps towards a full pro level. I am very pleased with that."

"I think it's about the group we have. Take a BORA-hansgrohe as an example. They have guys in the lead-out train who average eighty kilograms. Our sprint preparers are a bit lighter, they're guys who perhaps can handle the Belgian work a bit better. What also makes us strong is that we really want to succeed as a team. And that our team is essentially a very big group of friends."

"That's why we enjoy riding for each other so much," he emphasizes once again. "It creates a beautiful formula. Ultimately, we are all fast cyclers. But having someone like Matteo Trentin in the team is fantastic. He can ride incredibly fast. And aside from the serious stuff, we just have fun together. I think that really plays a big role. Actually, that might well be the golden formula. When it is time to race seriously, we know exactly what we are doing. And when we can have fun, the whole group does something enjoyable together. Then we might go gaming, for instance. Fun, right?"