Pim Ronhaar falls just short of his big goal: "I’ve felt better"

Pim Ronhaar had set his sights on the Dutch National Cyclo-cross Championships in Oisterwijk (the Netherlands) as a major goal, and with the week’s heavy rainfall, he was met with a course well-suited to his strengths. The powerful Dutchman put in a strong performance, but Tibor Del Grosso proved just a bit sharper in the final moments. A bitter pill for Ronhaar, who had very much hoped to wear the red, white, and blue jersey. Yet, as always, he graciously made time for the press after the race.

"I’ve felt better," Ronhaar admitted with a sigh. Even half an hour after the race, he was still struggling to process his emotions. "I don’t really feel much right now. I was simply beaten," said the Baloise Glowi Lions rider. His team did celebrate success elsewhere, with Thibau Nys winning the Belgian National Championship.

For much of the race, Ronhaar looked to be in contention. "I had a small gap, but in the end, he rode harder than I did," he said, referring to his fierce battle with Del Grosso. "You had to enter the final running section first, and Tibor got there ahead of me. We were running at the same pace, and when he got back on his bike, I already knew it was over."

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Ronhaar struggled to find peak form this winter

The fact that Del Grosso was a contender for the title came as no surprise to Ronhaar. "Considering that he finished second in Koksijde..." he said, referencing Del Grosso’s recent performance. Ronhaar acknowledged that Del Grosso had an edge that he himself lacked, which could be explained by a less-than-ideal preparation for the cyclo-cross season. "Finding peak form has been tough this winter because I don’t have a solid base. I try my best in every race, but there wasn’t much more in the cards today. I don’t know if I could have done anything differently — Tibor was just that little bit stronger."

So, what’s next? A trip to Benidorm on January 19? "Off to Spain," Ronhaar confirmed with a nod. "Good training, racing the World Cup, and preparing for the World Championships. We’ll aim to keep riding as well as we can and see what results come our way."

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