Name: Lars van der Haar
Birthday: July 23, 1991
Birthplace: Amersfoort, Netherlands
Turned pro: 2011
Height: 1.68m
Lars van der Haar in a race
Lars van der Haar, born July 23, 1991 in Amersfoort, Netherlands, is a Dutch cyclocross rider who competes for Baloise - Trek Lions. He is known for his technical skills and explosive accelerations on challenging courses. In his career, he has won multiple European titles (2015, 2021) and Dutch championships (2021, 2022). Van der Haar is one of the best cyclocross riders of his generation and is estimated to earn around €100,000 a year.
Lars van der Haar, born July 23, 1991 in Amersfoort, Netherlands, began his professional cyclocross career in 2012. That year he broke through with an impressive victory in the Cyclocross World Cup in Tábor. In the 2013-2014 season, he won the overall classification of the World Cup, definitively establishing himself as one of the top cyclocross riders.
Van der Haar began his professional career in 2012 with a strong performance in the Cyclocross World Cup. His victory in Tábor, Czech Republic, marked his international breakthrough. This immediately made him a name to be reckoned with in cyclocross, thanks to his speed and technical skills.
In the 2013-2014 season, Van der Haar established himself as one of the best cyclocross riders in the world by winning the overall World Cup standings. He showed time and again that he could not only handle technical courses, but also accelerate quickly and surprise his opponents with his explosive sprints. This performance gave his career a big boost and made him a fixture at the top of cyclocross.
2015 was an important year for Van der Haar. He won his first European cyclo-cross title, which was a highlight of his career. This victory confirmed that he was a serious candidate for victory not only in World Cup races, but also at championships. His technical skills and speed made him one of the best riders of his generation.
The years between 2016 and 2020 were characterized by consistency for Van der Haar. Although he did not capture any European or world titles during this period, he regularly achieved podium finishes in World Cup races and national championships. He remained a strong competitor in major competitions such as the Superprestige and X²O Trophy, where he repeatedly proved his skills on technically challenging courses.
In 2021 , Van der Haar had a particularly successful year. He captured the European cyclo-cross title for the second time, confirming his status as one of the top cyclo-cross riders of his generation. He also became Dutch champion, underscoring his dominance in Dutch cyclo-cross. These achievements showed that Van der Haar could still compete at the highest level and that he was capable of winning major titles.
In 2022, Van der Haar prolonged his national title, continuing his strong performance in Dutch cyclocross. He remained a constant force in major international competitions, with podium finishes in the World Cup and other prestigious cyclocross events. His focus on technique and explosiveness made him a favorite on technical courses.
In the 2023-2024 season van der Haar won one race which was the Maasmechelen World Cup, but he proved to be very consistent all year long and as a result of this he conquered the X2O Badkamers Trofee.
The 2024-2025 season started off pretty perfectly with a victory on day 1 in Beringen, and a week later another one at the Nacht van Woerden - his eighth consecutive in the night cross.