Gerben de Knegt surprised by Joris Nieuwenhuis' progress: "It wasn't that long ago that he called me to tell me that he wanted to make that switch"
Cyclocross
Gerben de Knegt watched Joris Nieuwenhuis and Lucinda Brand as they rose to the throne of Dutch champions. Their performances seem to have satisfied the national team coach, he suggested to WielerFlits.
"This was no surprise," he says about Nieuwenhuis's triumph. "But it could just as well have been Ronhaar or Van der Haar. Although on this route it would be more between Ronhaar and Nieuwenhuis."
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"This is great for Joris. He was a road racer for a few years and it is nice to see that he has found his way again. It wasn't that long ago that he called me to tell me that he wanted to make that switch again," De Knegt remembers the moment Nieuwenhuis decided to become a full-time cyclo-cross rider again.
Lucinda Brand's victory in Hoogeveen was quite a surprise. "I knew it was possible, but she broke her nose and that's not nice," he laughs. "It was not ideal preparation, but she indicated that it did not bother her much. At first I thought this was not the best course for her, but technically Lucinda did really well. She simply deserved to win."
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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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