The entire track cycling team supports Lisa van Belle after the death of her brother Bas: "This should help her"

After winning bronze in the madison event at the Paris Olympics with her track partner Maike van der Duin, Lisa van Belle was on cloud nine. But her joy was soon cruelly interrupted by the sudden death of her brother, Bas. Now, she is competing at the Track Cycling World Championships in Denmark.

National coach Nick Stöpler sees the World Championships as an opportunity for Van Belle to take a step forward mentally. "Lisa will compete in the madison with Marit (Raaijmakers, ed.)," Stöpler told De Telegraaf. "From the start, we’ve made it clear that it’s all about Lisa. This should help her. We haven’t put any pressure on her, and she took the time to decide if she wanted to participate here. We mostly asked if this would give her some relief—if it would allow her to focus on something other than what happened for a little while. That doesn’t mean the grief isn’t allowed to be there, but Lisa is a 20-year-old girl, and this could help her find joy again."

Normally, the 20-year-old track specialist would pair with Van der Duin, but she is absent due to injury. Van der Duin broke her ankle and also lost her father earlier this year. "For Maike, it’s now time to process everything. She herself indicated that she needs this, but of course, we miss her," said Stöpler.

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Maike van der Duin in action with Marit Raaijmakers at the 2023 Track Cycling World Championships

Van Schip removed from madison selection: "Not enough in terms of performance"

The national coach also touched on the case of Jan Willem van Schip regarding the Olympics. The Dutch rider will not participate in the madison event, as he has been replaced by Vincent Hoppezak. Van Schip delivered a headbutt in Paris and was subsequently disqualified. "It seemed like an intentional move, but I stand by my rider, and it was absolutely not deliberate. However, his performance wasn't enough, and we're heading into a new cycle for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles 2028." For this reason, Stöpler has chosen Hoppezak. "Vincent is a very good rider, and we want to give him a chance now."