Ten Dam announces "tough decisions" on women's team and warns Kopecky: "We're coming to get you"

Laurens ten Dam has revealed more about his plans in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad. The 43-year-old Dutchman was surprisingly appointed as national coach of the elite women's team, and of course, he has solid ideas about how he wants to bring the ladies back to the top of the world.

Books could be written about the women's cycling team. About tactics, about allowing each other a chance, about riding for each other, about ten leading women in one country... Ten Dam realizes he must use a strict policy to get them together. "I was a pro for sixteen years on the road, and now I have been a gravel pro for a few years. I know both worlds and understand how to manage within them. So, for the World Championship on the road, I'm certainly not going to organize a barbecue already, which I did for the World Gravel Championship (where Ten Dam is director, ed.). At the same time, the intention of the Dutch road team is also to have fun. Professional and fun. Look at the Wolfpack: that works there too," he refers to Soudal-Quick Step.

Whether Ten Dam can raise his voice a bit? "Ask my children how strict I can be. Or with the staff of my company, Live Slow, Ride Fast. I know that I will have to make hard decisions in my new function. It will be impossible to make friends with everyone. Everything starts with good agreements and transparency about the people and tactics you want to bring. We will talk it through well in advance: this will be your task, which you may or may not agree with. If you don't fulfill that task, you won't be there the following year, so to speak. Honesty is going to be an important focus."

Read more below the photo.

Laurens ten Dam in an NOS broadcast

Ten Dam wants to challenge Kopecky and co again

"We will have a lot of conversations, you know," Ten Dam announces. The past year will undoubtedly be included because almost everything that went wrong at TeamNL could go wrong. "In theory, I will visit everyone. And if necessary, a second time as well. In December, I will go to Spain to talk and ensure everyone is on the same page. I will indicate in which races I will be in the team car and what role I see for someone at a championship. It will certainly not be the case that we see each other for the first time at Schiphol Airport and then fly straight to Rwanda (where the World Championships will be held in 2025, ed.)."

With a strong team spirit, Ten Dam wants to be competitive again. Especially Lotte Kopecky, who became world champion in the last two years. "The intention is to make it difficult for her. Lotte and the other foreigners, of course. But of course, if we will do everything right in the future and Lotte does win, then she deserves it."

Read also

Van Empel and co, watch out! These two are eager to shake up Dutch cyclo-cross supremacy this winter

Sven Nys cheers: why heavily protected Thibau flies on "innovative" lime-green bike (with chain issues)

Bad news for cyclo-cross fans: Van Anrooij has to end season after surgery, Van Aert returns later than expected