Dutch World Cup Team: Moerenhout’s Approval

The Dutch team had no World Cup favorite in the ranks in advance-in the absence of Mathieu van der Poel, but Thymen Arensman and Bauke Mollema could possibly surprise in Kigali. Mollema eventually stranded in place 21 and was the best Dutchman. How does national coach choose Moerenhout at the performance of Team NL?

“As expected, a first selection fell on Mount Kigali,” the former rider started his story with the NOS. “It turned out to be a fairly definitive selection with the impetus of Tadej Pogacar. The last thirty kilometers were actually superfluous, because not much has changed. It was a very tough game with a somewhat predicted course.”

With World Cup debutant Menno Huising there was a Dutchman in the early flight. “With Menno, the idea – that if a group were to drive away with good names – we were represented in it. He would have done that well, but as it was to be expected, the group did not really get the space. Then you know that it will be very difficult. At a certain point they make pace to position themselves for Mount Kigali. Then the pace is so high that it was unfeated.”

Was there just no herb washed against Pogacar? “I think that’s the only right conclusion,” said Moerenhout. “This game is not lying. We did well as a team. We wanted to get Thymmen and Bauke after Mount Kigali in course and that succeeded. From that moment you get a different picture and it is just more a wear and tear. Then everyone ends up where he belongs.”

The Netherlands started with five (actually six, but the sick Sam Oomen had to drop out before the start) riders at the World Cup, while the Netherlands was allowed to register the maximum number of participants of eight drivers. Could this have changed anything about the price trend? “No,” is the short but powerful answer from Moerenhout. “I would not know who to take with me. We can’t draw up eight top climbers. Then this is it is.”

One day