Holland 8 on report: words Kooij and Van der Poel reflect prevailing European Championship feeling

The Netherlands started Sunday's European cycling championships in Belgian Limburg with perhaps the strongest formation but ultimately had to settle for second place for Olav Kooij. However, the 'Holland 8' tactics were not much to complain about, as the Dutch cyclists were in the picture a lot and had an excellent ride until the chaotic final kilometer.

Afterward, we caught the conclusions from Duracell-Mathieu van der Poel and finisher Kooij. The former hit the nail on the head. "The tactic was always to have someone with us so we didn't have to ride from behind. I think we did that well," stated the world champion. "But this is still a disappointment, I think. We should have delivered Olav better, but it was pretty hectic."

Kooij, who rode perhaps the fastest sprint, mostly looked in the mirror. ''We were there constantly, also in the hill zone. Italy and Belgium lost a lot of strength there, too. It's easy to conclude afterward that things should have been different, but we rode a perfect race. It's also up to me to be in a good position, so, unfortunately, it didn't work out."

Defense: broad orange shoulders carry the weight of the race

Looking at the Dutch riders individually, we start with the workhorses on duty: Oscar Riesebeek, Pascal Eenkhoorn, and Daan Hoole. "Those are guys of priceless value. That may not be seen as much on TV, but even within their team, they are praised for that. They always ride in service of the team, so then it is logical that you don't see them in the last hour, "national coach Koos Moerenhout told us before the World Championship.

Moerenhout was wrong there but in a positive way. All three men were there until the last stage and thus fulfilled their task brilliantly. Eenkhoorn and Hoole were involved in several important attacks, made good lead changes, and ensured the leaders never had to ask for water. Riesebeek was crucial in positioning and fought hard until the last phase.

In the last ten kilometers, these gentlemen also ensured that the train was put on track in the group of 55 riders that remained after the uphill zone.

Midfield: done exactly what was expected of them

We count Mike Teunissen, Danny van Poppel, and Mick van Dijke to the midfield of the orange formation. "For this type of race, we have very good riders in terms of body, especially because they also have a good sprint in their legs," Moerenhout pointed out before the European Championship. "That makes you decisive on a circuit like this, and we need to use that. Although it also depends on the course of the race, so we have to be flexible in that."

Van Dijke was ultimately the only Dutchman not to survive the Limburg loop, but in the phase before that, he blocked all attempts. De Zeeuw did not have an excellent preparation for this European Championship, with a hard crash in the Renewi Tour and an illness, so that was the main reason we didn't see him among the first riders in Hasselt.

Teunissen and Van Poppel did precisely what was expected of them. Both men were in the big group of eighteen riders that broke away and put in some solid efforts, to which Mads Pedersen responded eagerly. Ultimately, Van Poppel was in the last remaining group, giving Teunissen the lead-out role.

However, Kooij was unable to find him in the chaotic last phase. "I noticed Mike was there, but we decided to wait and ended up not coming together to make our move. They were also behind me, among the riders who dropped out from the front. That made it difficult to keep an overview and find each other again," he revealed afterward.

Attacker: Van der Poel lives up to role, Kooij just couldn't finish it off

The two attackers of the Dutch team were Van der Poel and Kooij. The former was Raging Ronnie to chase every ball and play opportunistically; the latter played the waiting game, lurking for his chance. "The uphill zone is quite tricky, and that can ensure it will be an attractive and hard race. If it becomes a sprint, you may see different things in that sprint," Moerenhout looked ahead to the European Championship.

The Dutch succeeded, with Van der Poel in the lead. He sparked the fire 112 kilometers from the end, eventually dying out in the final 20 kilometers. In between, we got burst upon burst, but in the end, he also had to conclude that the Belgians and Italians were an unfair battle on this course.

"I did what I could," sounded out of the world champion's mouth. "I think this was the plan, and then at the end with the whole team for Olav. We knew it was going to be difficult. I had already done my thing on the road, and I think he's not riding a bad sprint," Van der Poel said.

So Kooij ultimately failed to find his compatriots and the perfect line. "I had a good kick, but Tim went fast, which was hard to make up for. The feeling was good, and I was close, so I regretted it. Last year, I was happy with third place, but now that's not the case. That makes it a bitter pill to swallow," he pronounced his verdict. A final verdict is purely positive, but this sprint preparation would just fall short of hitting green in the casino.