Nils Eekhoff may welcome many Dutch individuals at DSM-firmenich, but: "The language of communication remains English"

We approached Osnabrück with a straightforward question for Eekhoff: How has his autumn season been so far? "I can't complain about my form; I've reached a respectable level," responded the articulate Dutchman. "In the end, I haven't been able to achieve the results I had hoped for, but well... I still have motivation and I'm eagerly anticipating this race and Paris-Tours."

Eekhoff maintained the same level of determination on the slippery German roads, where he spent the entire day at the forefront of the race and ultimately sprinted to a fourth-place finish, among a group of leaders. Reflecting on the race, he noted, "It started off incredibly fast right from the beginning. BORA-hansgrohe set a relentless pace, reducing the group to about thirty to forty riders. Among them were five of us, but eventually, the peloton accelerated on the hilly circuit. I managed to stay with the front group."

In the final stages, Eekhoff found himself in the company of riders like Christophe Laporte, Mads Pedersen, and Kaden Groves. He explained, "It was a favorable situation for us because I didn't have to do the work at the front. Our faster riders were in the chasing group, and we could use that to our advantage. Towards the end, I attempted to seize an opportunity myself by launching an attack with Laporte in the finale. However, I took a gamble and didn't want to go full throttle with him to the finish. After all, he's quite fast."

"In the end, this meant I narrowly missed the break initiated by Per Strand Hagenes, resulting in a sprint for the remaining podium positions. I secured fourth place in the end, and while I'm slightly disappointed, I believe there was more to be had. However, that's how the race unfolded," Eekhoff remarked. He concluded by emphasizing that this strong result would serve as a positive note for the upcoming 2024 season. "A good result is always gratifying, but it won't alter the course of my winter or my motivation for the approaching season."

With the addition of riders like Fabio Jakobsen, DSM-firmenich is set to receive significant reinforcements. However, for Eekhoff, his role will likely stay consistent. "In essence, it will follow a similar pattern as previous years. This means that during the spring race period, I'll focus on the classics, and around that, I can contribute to the lead-out train."

While the influx of Dutch riders, including Jakobsen, Bram Welten, Gijs Leemreize, and Timo Roosen, may seem promising, Eekhoff doesn't dwell on it too much. "Having so many Dutch teammates is something I'm not particularly accustomed to. Ultimately, we remain an international team, so the primary language will still be English. Not much will change, but it's certainly pleasant to be able to converse in your native language every now and then."