National coach Laurens ten Dam has already announced his Dutch selection for the Women's Road World Championships in Rwanda. The Dutch women's team will start at full strength and, in their own words, will “fight for nothing less than the highest steps on the podium.”
The selection for the Worlds in Kigali is the first milestone for the national coach, who has fully immersed himself in the world of women's cycling. “I have followed all the races and attended the Tour de France Femmes. I also spoke with the riders one-on-one, remotely or together on the bike. I started with a blank canvas, and over time the pieces of the puzzle began to come together.”
Ten Dam's final squad consists of seven riders, featuring the cream of Dutch women's cycling. Demi Vollering is the big name, but Anna van der Breggen, Marianne Vos, Puck Pieterse, and Pauliena Rooijakkers are also expected to perform well in Rwanda. Shirin van Anrooij and Yara Kastelijn complete the selection. Riejanne Markus missed out and is the first reserve. Vollering and Van der Breggen will contest the time trial.
“I looked at all possible tactics and the team roles that go with them. These have been discussed with the riders, and they have said ‘Yes’ to their specific roles. So far, our time together as a team has been limited, but soon in Kigali (and later at the European Championships in Ardèche) we will spend a significant amount of time together, especially with the riders also doing the time trial. There is still plenty of room to train together, have conversations, and of course, share some laughs.”
Ten Dam is already clear about the intended result. “We’re going for gold. But winning is never guaranteed; just look at the various nationalities that have taken wins in the classics and the Tour. Our goal is clear—we want to win in orange. The race situation will determine who ultimately moves forward. I expect the riders to show up at the start with their knives between their teeth.”
