"I am strong but not fast at the moment" - Jens Dekker finishes 2nd in Heerderstrand despite terrible start
Cyclocross
Jens Dekker crossed the line second in the Cyclocross Heerderstrand. Initially, a podium place seemed far away for the Dutchman, who had a bad start, but the 25-year-old eventually found his rhythm and got back into the fight for podium.
"In the first lap I noticed that I was not able to do my intensive training in June," he told CyclingOnline afterwards about possible reasoning behind his weaker start to the race.
"I couldn't make any progress on that long stretch of the asphalt, I was passed on all sides," said Dekker. "I am strong but not fast at the moment. The last two months have been an investment, I now hope to be able to ride some bigger crosses. The fast cross-country races are not really my thing, I think I come into my own on some of the tougher courses."
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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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2nd in Heerde (c2) today behind Niels Vandeputte. Terrible start, took ages to get to the group for 2nd, but by then Niels was long gone. Didn't feel great, butI came through in the end. Loved racing close to home!
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