David Dekker personally sees little change with Démare as teammate: 'Race pretty little with him'

David Dekker - on Instagram also known as shoe collector SneakerDave98 - is already in his second season with the current Arkéa-B&B Hotels this year, after making the switch from the then Jumbo-Visma at the end of 2022. IDLProcycling recently spoke briefly but powerfully with the affable Dutchman!

Apart from his triumphs in the Dorpenomloop Rucphen and in the Ster van Zwolle - both victories he achieved in 2020 - the 26-year-old Dekker has yet to win a professional race. However, he has come very close on several occasions, with second place in a Giro d'Italia stage as the absolute highlight. Back then, in his first year in French service, he was beaten at the finish by sprint phenomenon Jonathan Milan. He also previously rode to silver in sprints at, say, the UAE Tour (2021) or the Tour of Oman (2023). And so that first big fish seems only a matter of time for the rider from Roosendaal. 

'I'm doing very well. I'm comfortable and I've had some nice races. That's always nice,' he confided to this website prior to Nokere Koerse (he eventually finished 31st, ed.). 'I am very satisfied about my form in general and so also about the wattages. And also about how that all translates into the races themselves.'

Recently, Dekker was handsomely third in a soaking wet edition of the Grand Prix Jean-Pierre Monseré (also known as GP Monseré for short). So it is in such spring races and at this time of year that he wants to be good. 'I rode some nice one-day races the past few weeks. Just some lower classified races, so no WorldTour races. Those are all still to come. But they were nice races to get into the swing of things. For me next, the Classic Brugge-De Panne is a very nice opportunity, as well as Gent-Wevelgem. The latter is a challenge, but if I feel good it will be a nice race to see what I can do.'

Dekker finds it difficult to pinpoint exactly what his chances are in a race like Brugge-De Panne. That is very difficult. On such a day everything has to go really well for me. And then we'll see where the ship runs aground.' Also about the big tours there is not yet much clarity, he says. There is not much concrete to say about that. I hope to do one, of course. I don't expect it to be the Tour de France. So then it will be a Giro d'Italia or Vuelta a España.'

Finally, last August it was announced that top sprinter Arnaud Démare, who had fallen out of favor with Groupama-FDJ, was leaving Marc Madiot's team. The Frenchman decided to move to Arkéa, thus becoming a teammate of Dekker. So does that transfer change anything for Dekker's chances and/or possibilities? The answer is in the negative. I don't think so per se. I do think he will then go to the Tour. And I think that is logical, given the priorities of the team. For me, not much will change. I actually race pretty little with him.'