Kamp feels the pressure after multiple World, European and National Championships in youth categories: "I suppose they do expect a lot"

Ryan Kamp is precisely one day younger than your truly, but about 295 times more talented. It was already evident that the cyclo-cross rider from Raamsdonksveer possessed a significant amount of talent during his time in the junior and U23 categories. IDLProCycling.com visited the 22-year-old rider's camper ahead of the World Cup race in Dendermonde and was treated - alongside a welcoming cup of coffee - to an informal yet utterly fascinating interview with the rider from North Brabant!

We will briefly outline Kamp's merit list, richly filled with victories and places of honor. The rider currently residing in Roosendaal is known for his substantial achievements over recent years at various championships. In the junior and U23 categories, Kamp amassed a collection of medals of all colors at World, European, and National Championships. Focusing specifically on victories, he became the world champion in the U23 category in 2020, was crowned European champion in the U23 category twice (in 2020 and 2021), and claimed the Dutch championship title in both the U23 and U19 categories (in 2018, 2019, and 2020). In short, the man who has been riding for Pauwels Sauces-Bingoal since 2019 boasts a list of accomplishments that is very impressive.

Kamp continues to make a mark in the elite category, too. Last cyclo-cross season which was his first full season in the elite ranks, he was in the lead several times. He kicked off the season with three wins: two in Spain and one in the Netherlands (Oisterwijk). His rapid rise and adaptation to the elite level were evident throughout the 2022-2023 cyclo-cross season, where he often matched pace with the top contenders, becoming a well-recognized figure in the sport's upper ranks. This year he's maintained his form, with a notable fifth place at the European Cyclo-cross Championships in Pontchâteau, where his teammate Michael Vanthourenhout took the victory, marking a peak moment in his season.

The European Cyclocross Championship course was the perfect track for Kamp

"It's going pretty well, yes. I think my form is good," Kamp tells us in Dendermonde, where he later finished tenth. "Additionally, I haven't always had the best of luck. Now and then a fall, sometimes some bad luck. But that's all part of our sport. 'Bad luck' might even be too strong a term. In Niel, just to give an example, I had a good feeling, but I couldn't translate that feeling onto the course and its surface. And then you encounter little stumbles, getting stuck now and then, and stuff like that."

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Kamp would have certainly signed up in advance for a season going as it has so far. "I'm really satisfied looking back at that fifth place in the European Championships. That was a nice bonus. Of course, I've had my ups and downs, but I definitely can't complain about how the first ten races went."

Which types of courses does Kamp have a soft spot for? "I like muddy courses, but I really prefer those that allow for some speed. A course like Pontchâteau is right up my alley: slick and muddy, yet also challenging and conducive to speed. I wouldn’t mind it if it were always like that," he remarks with a smile. "Trudging through mud isn’t exactly my favorite activity, but it always adds a certain charm. It often leads to a splendid race and is, in essence, what cyclo-cross is all about."

The Cyclo-cross World Cup is Kamp's primary focus, as he aims to polish his "new school" cross techniques

Kamp has enjoyed the support of his own fan club since the cyclo-cross season of 2017/2018. The club now boasts around fifty dedicated fans who, naturally, can’t make it to every race. This ties into why Kamp has marked the World Cup rankings as his principal target. "I set out at the start of the season with the goal of securing a strong finish in the World Cup classification. I plan to compete in all the races, unless an unforeseen issue arises."

This ambition leads to a packed itinerary with competitions that take him far home. "For the upcoming weeks, I'm generally racing once each weekend because the World Cup races require significant travel. I'll be in France next week (Troyes, ed.), followed by Dublin the week after. Then there's a back-to-back race weekend in Boom and Flamanville, before heading to Val di Sole. The Niel-Dendermonde back-to-back is my second this season, following the Ruddervoorde-Maasmechelen earlier," he explains, shedding light on his weekend race frequency. "I've taken part in every Superprestige race to date, but I’ll be sitting out the Merksplas race (on Saturday, November 18, ed.), for instance. Chasing a high overall score in that series can be challenging. The World Cup is where I’m channeling all my efforts."

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Kamp has been involved in cyclo-cross for some time now, but he sees (understandably) plenty of areas where he can still progress. "It's really the important aspects of a riding in the mud where I see the most room for improvement. I'm talking about endurance and pace. My technique could also be better: those "new school" cross moves, like making certain jumps or conquering steps, are not yet my strong suit. Fortunately, I do notice that it's starting to come together slowly but surely. That's really nice."

Kamp is comfortable in the role of "third man" behind team leaders Iserbyt and Vanthourenhout

Does Kamp feel at home on Jurgen Mettepenningen's team? We get a resounding 'yes' when we ask him. "I'm really happy with the team. Michael Vanthourenhout and Eli Iserbyt are the leaders in our team. That seems logical to me, as they are really strong riders. I follow as the third man. It's a role I'm quite comfortable with. I notice that Michael and Eli are always willing to help. If the opportunity arises, I know that I can take my chance. The atmosphere in our team is also really good."

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article: Kamp was quite a glutton for victories in the juniors and U23 categories. Given that, this website was curious if that - a few years later - adds a certain pressure at the elite level. "In my opinion, there is definitely some pressure," he answers when asked. "There's certainly a bit of pressure, I believe others do take notice and expect a lot. But on the other hand: I think that quite a few people have also forgotten about it. After all, numerous junior champions don't manage to reach the same heights later on. It's not the be-all and end-all. Nevertheless, it's natural for athletes to apply some pressure on themselves, which is a part of healthy competition."