Laurens ten Dam aims to grow cyclocross in the Netherlands with 'TEAM BOMBA JOIN'

Last week, WielerFlits broke the news that the cycling media platform Live Slow Ride Fast is starting a cyclocross team. Now Laurens ten Dam and Stefan Bolt, from the podcast of the same name, have officially announced their new cyclocross team. The squad will be called 'TEAM BOMBA JOIN.' As previously reported, the roster will consist of two Dutch cyclocross riders: Mees Hendrikx and Ryan Kamp.

“We believe cyclocross can be bigger and cooler in the Netherlands than it currently is,” Ten Dam says in a press release. “Over the past few years, we have followed the sport closely and told its stories. Now we want to contribute ourselves with a team that is visible, races aggressively, and above all, involves people in the entire adventure.”

"Initially, we only wanted to lend a helping hand to Ryan Kamp, as he was without a contract. A week and a round of meetings with our regular partners later, we had built a whole team from scratch. Things can move quickly.”

KLAK AF!
Starting in April, Kamp and Hendrikx will compete in multiple gravel races and begin a full cyclocross season in November, featuring twenty to thirty races. TEAM BOMBA JOIN will follow both riders throughout the winter. This will be showcased through podcasts, videos, and social media. The team also aims to be visibly present at 'selected cyclocross races with its own accessible team space (...) where supporters and KLAK AF! members can have direct contact with riders and staff.'

KLAK AF! members form the community of Live Slow Ride Fast. They support the cycling media platform with a monthly contribution and receive extra podcast episodes in return. “We are going to build a team centered around the KLAK AF! community and the content generated by the team itself," podcast host Bolt explains. “That doesn’t make the riders’ results any less important, certainly not, but it demands more than just cycling and training."

"Mees and Ryan are top talents in cyclocross. At the same time, the riders will be visible and share their stories. That’s exactly why cyclocross riders in general—and Mees and Ryan in particular—are exceptionally suited for this.”

JOIN
Kamp himself thinks it’s 'awesome' to take the step to TEAM BOMBA JOIN. "I’ve been listening to the podcast for years, am a Klak Af! member, and now we’re embarking on this adventure together. It feels a bit strange because it’s not an obvious step. Exciting too, but I can’t wait. It gives me morale, and I’m already looking forward to training hard all summer."

Mees Hendrikx calls it 'cool' to get started with JOIN. JOIN, the title partner joining the project, is a training platform that offers personalized cycling plans based on training data, goals, and availability. The company was founded by former rider and movement scientist Jim van den Berg, who frequently guests on the Live Slow Ride Fast podcast.

"I think I can really take a step forward towards next season, and I believe Jim’s approach can really help with that," Hendrikx says. "It’s all new, and that’s good for morale.”