Yesterday marked Merijn Zeeman’s final day with our team. He left us with deep gratitude for everything he brought, unforgettable moments, a lasting impact on our team, and this beautiful message. All the best for the future, Merijn!
Inside Merijn Zeeman's switch from the top of cycling to soccer: "Soccer has so much to learn from other sports"
CyclingSaturday, 30 November 2024 at 17:09
This Sunday, Merijn Zeeman begins his new role as the general director of the Dutch soccer club AZ Alkmaar. As a native of Alkmaar in the Netherlands, it’s a great honor for him — a sentiment shared by the club as well. After 16 years in cycling, Zeeman has earned significant respect in the world of sports.
After 12 years with Visma | Lease a Bike and its predecessors, Zeeman decided it was time for a new challenge. He started at Rabobank in 2013, just 19 days before the team lost its main sponsor due to the Lance Armstrong scandal. What followed was a rollercoaster ride that would make the best theme parks envious. The Dutch cycling team was rebuilt from the ground up, eventually becoming a powerhouse that won all three grand tours in a single year — a feat of cycling history.
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"Soccer has a lot to learn from cycling"
After that achievement, Zeeman is now ready to take on the soccer world. At AZ, his arrival has been met with enthusiasm. "I think it’s super exciting that Merijn is coming to work with us," Maarten Martens told NU.nl after AZ’s Europa League match against Galatasaray. "I have enormous respect for what he’s accomplished in cycling. He can bring his experience from that sport to help us. I’ve already called Merijn recently to ask how they handled things at Visma-Lease a Bike, particularly regarding team dynamics and culture. I believe he’ll be a tremendous asset to us. We’re very happy to have him join us," added the Alkmaar head coach.
Midfielder Sven Mijnans is also optimistic about Zeeman’s arrival. "I think soccer has a lot to learn from other sports, especially cycling. Maybe they have different approaches that could work well for us. I always find it interesting when two sports come together like this."
The Dutch cycling team bid farewell to Zeeman on September 30 with a heartfelt video tribute. "Yesterday marked Merijn Zeeman’s final day with our team," the video caption read. "He left us with deep gratitude for everything he brought — unforgettable moments, a lasting impact on our team, and this beautiful message. All the best for the future, Merijn!"
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Latest Comments
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024