"I'm going to jump on that bike and join in.." - Retired Lars van der Haar admits a part of him misses racing in the mud
Cyclocross
Lars van der Haar has made the hard decision to conclude his professional career at the end of last winter. But the former European cyclocross champion still has the itch to jump on his bicycle when watching his long-time rivals rocking the muddy routes.
"Life is completely different," Van der Haar tells WielerFltis. "At the moment, I haven't quite got the balance right yet regarding work, sport, and private life, but that will come naturally. I think it also has to wear off a bit that you no longer belong in that bubble of being a cyclist."
Today, Van der Haar was present for the Koppenbergcross in Oudenaarde. And seeing Michael Vanthourenhout compete for victory immediately made the Dutchman think he could've been up there as well.
However his decision to stop was not an impulsive one. "That is quite a big itch, mind you. But I stopped for a reason, because I found it difficult to fully commit to the preparation and the sacrifice. If you want to compete at a high level here, you have to do that."
"But of course, I think this is the most beautiful thing there is. When you stand here, I still think: I'm going to jump on that bike and join in, but that is of course absolutely out of the question now."
The "old guns" still got it
At the start of this cyclocross season, Van der Haar followed with great interest as representatives of the older generation Michael Vanthourenhout and Joris Nieuwenhuis have entered the winter like a storm.
In Oudenaarde, unfortunately Thibau Nys was a bit too strong for Vanthourenhout who nevertheless put up a great fight against the Belgian champion.
"The old tenors are simply still doing very well," Van der Haar assesses. "I see that Michael has adjusted his tactics a bit and strikes later, and he is really very good: cunning, smart, a true fox. Joris just did it his Joris way in Woerden, which I thought was really nice to see. But I think the youth is slowly starting to catch up as well."
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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