Lars van der Haar feels for Pim Ronhaar after National Cyclo-cross Championships: "I even shouted at him to go full speed!"

The Dutch Cyclo-cross Championship has been a tough muddy battle for several years in a row. Lars van der Haar isn’t typically at his best in such conditions, but he always fights with everything he has. Two years ago, his effort earned him the red-white-and-blue jersey in a rain-soaked Zaltbommel. However, no such miracle occurred in Oisterwijk, where Van der Haar finished fourth—a result he accepted, as he explained to IDLProCycling.com with his trademark smile.

Sloshing through mud and trudging along—these aren’t situations where Van der Haar usually excels. "I didn’t really check the weather forecast, but of course, I knew it was going to be tough," he explained. "It was a beautiful course. It wasn’t ideal for me, but that’s cyclo-cross. In the past, I would’ve completely shut down, but now I just give my best every time."

"It was a great race, but it was very challenging," Van der Haar reflected after the event in Oisterwijk. "I had a good day, but there were three guys who were just a bit stronger. It’s disappointing to miss the podium, but if three others are better, then you have to be satisfied with that."

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Van der Haar would have loved to see Ronhaar win the National Championships

Lars van der Haar was rooting for his teammate Pim Ronhaar to claim the red-white-and-blue jersey. "I really feel for Pim. I even shouted at him during a section in the final lap to go full speed because he had a gap. The fact that Tibor managed to close that gap is seriously impressive. He surprised me a bit with how strong he was in that last lap," Van der Haar said.

The experienced rider, who has seen many talents come and go, praised Del Grosso as a top talent. "What Tibor did was very impressive. He rode cautiously, and I couldn’t tell if he was feeling great or not. But if you can close that gap in the last lap and beat Pim, that’s incredible. He’s a really nice guy but, of course, also a competitor."

Like many others, Van der Haar is heading to the Costa Blanca on Monday. "It’s always nice to train in the warmth again. I’m going with Pim, and we’ll do a week of easier endurance training before racing in Benidorm as part of the training. After a week like that, you never know if you’ll feel good or bad, so we’ll see."

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