Atmosphere is great at Baloise Trek Lions: Ronhaar, Van der Haar and Huybs on racing together and having fun

Team manager and team boss Sven Nys recently gave a glimpse into the workings of Baloise Trek Lions. The team of the Belgian ex-cyclo-crosser is having a very good winter, with many different riders achieving victories at the highest level: Thibau Nys, Lars van der Haar, Pim Ronhaar, Joris Nieuwenhuis and Lucinda Brand all won World Cup races. According to Nys, the secret was the Wednesday training sessions in Lichtaart. IDLProCycling.com asked some of the team's protagonists about the atmosphere!

"This is the most successful season we have had," the 47-year-old Nys further stated in the sort of year-end article. "You can feel that we are more of a family than a team. In Lichtaart, we come together on Wednesdays. Then we drink coffee, train and also spend time together after training." When we go to Ronhaar's camper after the World Cup race in Hulst - and not just to talk about the incident with Wout van Aert - the Dutchman confirms that the atmosphere within the team is pleasant. "Although I must say that we have not seen each other on Wednesday for a long time now. It is, after all, a rather busy period."

Ronhaar, Van der Haar and Huybs on Wednesday training sessions

Ronhaar continues: "Just like here in Hulst, you see that we can work well together," he says, referring to the second (Nieuwenhuis), third (Van der Haar) and fourth (himself) places for the team in Hulst. "All three of us do our part in leading and try to keep the pace high together, so that no one else can catch up. That's a nice way to race." This sentiment is also echoed by 'veteran' Van der Haar. "It's kind of strange to race against your teammates in that way. In the end, you all want to finish as high as possible and grab those podium places. But on the other hand, it's also very nice to ride together. You tend to take over a bit quicker than usual."

"The atmosphere is very good. And it's true that it makes everything a bit easier than when you hate each other," Van der Haar emphasizes with a laugh. The Dutch rider is especially flattering towards his teammates, who are mostly his compatriots. "Joris has been riding really strong in recent weeks. He races in a typical Joris way: stoic and almost without mistakes. I think it's very impressive what he shows. He has ridden a lot during the busy Christmas period, but is continuously incredibly strong. Pim is also having a strong season."

Ward Huybs, in turn, is known as one of the top talents within the brigade. The now 21-year-old Flemish rider has repeatedly managed to compete as an outsider among 'the big boys'. For instance, he finished seventh in Heusden-Zolder and ninth in Diegem. After the latter race, he spoke to this website and explained what it's like to be part of the Baloise Trek Lions team. "The atmosphere within the team is certainly an important factor. Every Wednesday, when it's possible, we all come together. It's always very enjoyable."