Dutch cycling shows severe flaws: "Besides Van der Poel, we are running out of options"

This Vuelta a España, of course, we had Thymen Arensman as our asset in play. However, the young man from Betuwe soon lost a lot of time and later dropped out. Partly because of this, we hardly see any Dutch input at the front in the final stage of the Tour. "There are many different nationalities who have won stages. I count nine already like that. However, the big one that is absent from the whole story is the Netherlands. Not a single stage did you feel a compatriot could win," Breuk clarified in De Telegraaf.

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In Sam Oomen and Gijs Leemreize, the former rider points out two men doing nicely this round, although they are playing a role on the sidelines. Stage wins remain far out of reach. "Not to mention the GC. Dutch best classification rider Thymen Arensman was not doing well from day one. In the end, he dropped out of the race sick. Unfortunately, I detect a negative trend regarding Dutch results in the big races."

And there's something to that. Between 2016 and 2021, at least one rider from the Netherlands rode among the best five in a grand tour every year. Steven Kruijswijk, Wilco Kelderman, and Tom Dumoulin made it to the podium. Dumoulin won the Giro in 2017, whereas Kelderman finished third in 2020. The Limburger also mounted the Tour podium in 2018, and Kruijswijk did so a year later. The latter hasn't cycled for the GC for years, while Kelderman is now also a frequent helper.

"If we leave the Mathieu van der Poel phenomenon out of consideration for a moment, then I only see top results from "our" sprinters Olav Kooij and Dylan Groenewegen. Overall, it's all declining," Breukink refers in particular to the generation with Bauke Mollema, Robert Gesink, Kruijswijk, and Dumoulin, who for a long time as a small group were almost entirely responsible for the Netherlands' cycling success.

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So what is missing? A thoughtfully designed plan, the analyst thinks. He points back to the Rabobank period. "This sponsor was there for the wide scope of Dutch cycling to give young cyclists many opportunities. That is exactly what we are missing now. It might not be all that noticeable yet, but in the long run, it might become a problem."

Finally, Breukink looks at his southern neighbors with admiration. Remco Evenepoel is a double Olympic champion and came third in the Tour. Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier are two matadors in the sprint. Not to mention the up-and-coming talent in classics and tours. "I, therefore, look jealously at Belgium, where they are currently successful on all fronts. They have many more teams and many opportunities for young talents. Organizing cycling races is in the genes of our southern neighbors," he concludes.