Laurens ten Dam has important news: "I will become national coach of the elite women"'

The podcast opened with many strong stories and anecdotes, as we know Ten Dam, but then he dropped the big news. "The new national team coach is closer at hand than you think. I will, in fact, be the national coach of the elite women's team. Of course, I wouldn't have thought that a few months ago."

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Ten Dam then explained how he became involved with the job. "I was sitting next to Wilbert Broekhuizen of the KNWU at the table at the Dutch talk show, De Avondetappe, during the past Tour de France. He is the technical director there, and I had already spoken to him about the national coaching position with the gravel group. He was also curious if it wasn't something for me to take on the women's elite."

At first, Ten Dam reacted with surprise: "I was very flattered, but what happened immediately was that everyone had an opinion about it around me. What did appeal to me was that journey toward the big goals, as I always did as a rider. I'm still unsure about it. Can I manage the logistics? Can I manage the group? I've never done anything like that before, only taken a one-year training course as a coach."

2It's a part-time job; you work at the highest level to European Championships and World Championships, but a lot of other things besides it can't be done then just like that," he also addressed the disadvantages of the new challenge. "I never had much to do with the ladies, but as a Sunweb rider, I already noticed their strength. The sport and the game remain the same. I wanted to wait for the World Championships gravel first. The excitement of that race was my deciding factor: I thought that was so cool and was really involved in that race and the recon."

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Ten Dam could still play a bit of the laid-back leader in gravel racing. With a beer in hand, he rode the World Championships himself and watched the race's outcome, which Mathieu van der Poel won. He realizes all too well the difference between road and gravel races. "Gravel is a bit of fun. I want to take that to the road, but it's very different. I know those differences too, of course."

In addition to those differences, Ten Dam will have quite a task with the women's squad anyway. In the past significant international events, the group did not precisely ooze with unity. "I have no history with anyone. I go into it very open. I have a disadvantage but also an advantage. I'm going in with an open mind. I will visit all the teams in December and get to know the ladies."