This is why Van der Haar fears Ronhaar the most at the National Championships and Pieterse will have a surprising challenger

Let's start with the women, who will start on Sunday afternoon at 1:40 pm. Title defender Puck Pieterse seems to be in top form just in time to defend her red-white-and-blue jersey. After a slow return to cyclo-cross, she won her first race of this winter on Boxing Day in Gavere. She clearly overcame a hurdle, as she also triumphed in Diegem, Hulst, and Zonhoven. Four out of four in the last four - that's quite a feat. "I had a long mountain bike season and then took two weeks off. After that, I started racing quite quickly again and felt I had to get back into it. I also knew it would take a while to get into form. I just consistently did my thing and it's paying off now," Pieterse said to this website.

Past results, even in 2024, are not a guarantee for future results. Therefore, the 21-year-old rider from Fenix-Deceuninck remains cautious towards the National Championships. "To win such a championship, you have to be one hundred percent, and preferably one hundred and ten percent. We'll see what the National Championships bring. I haven't seen the course yet, but I've heard it includes a bit of everything. It's going to be fun and I hope I can continue this trend. I have to defend my jersey, so that brings extra pressure. It would be great if Lucinda and Ceylin are strong at the start, then we'll have a good battle."

Pieterse is referring to the physical complaints of Lucinda Brand and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado. The former broke her nose in Zonhoven, while the latter even skipped that race due to back problems. Therefore, in addition to the big names, we are also looking for other challengers, should Brand and Alvarado not be at their best... And this brings Inge van der Heijden into the picture. The 24-year-old rider from Crelan-Corendon is definitely in prime form, even if she's been somewhat overshadowed by the performances of Van Empel and Pieterse lately. "I'm feeling incredibly fit right now and that's making a lot of things go right. I've been improving on tougher courses, though I sometimes struggle to maintain the pace till the end," Van der Heijden acknowledges.

Since Boxing Day (Gavere), she has finished on the podium four times in six cyclo-cross races. In Zonhoven, she even came second. This offers perspective towards the National Championships. "The way things stand now, maybe. I definitely don't rule out my chances at the moment. With small steps, I'm getting closer and if I can keep this up, I can really look back on a superb season," she says happily. "It's going to freeze more, so that should make for a fairly fast course, which should suit me. The competition in the Netherlands is fierce with so many talented riders, so it will be a surprise if I can compete for the podium. I'm extremely happy that my form is good and then we'll see where it leads."

If Brand and Alvarado do show up in form, podium places will be scarce. If not, then Annemarie Worst is also a contender for a medal. The issue is that Worst's legs aren't as dynamic as, say, Van der Heijden's. "I'm really looking forward to the National Championships, especially since it's one of the few cyclo-cross races in the Netherlands. If it goes well, that's an extra bonus. A medal would certainly make up for part of my season, although everything really needs to fall into place for that to happen. But I'm just going to see how it all unfolds."

In the men's category, the situation is pretty straightforward. Baloise Trek Lions are bringing Lars van der Haar, Joris Nieuwenhuis and Pim Ronhaar to Hoogeveen and with Van der Poel's absence, the podium seems almost certain. But the question is, in what order? Van der Haar won in 2022 and 2023, but he's feeling serious competition for the title on Sunday. "Pim is in great shape. He's in top condition and has a good flow going. Lately, he's been winning especially in the first round. He can really push deep there. It's one of his weapons. That's why he can often keep up with Mathieu (Van der Poel, ed.) or Wout (van Aert, ed.) in the opening rounds. It gives him a significant lead over the others. In the past, his pace might have dropped, but not anymore. He's riding incredibly strong. Hats off to what he's doing."

"There's a good chance that the National Championships will be a battle between him, Joris, and me," Van der Haar continues. "At least on paper, because someone could always have a bad day or encounter bad luck. I, of course, really want to retain my champion's jersey. I also expect that in the first half of the race, a few other guys will be riding with us. You have to be careful they don't mess up your race. What Pim is showing at the moment means he's going to be strong on the courses where I'm also strong. As for Joris, he consistently rides stoically, strong, and well at a high pace. So, I can't really say much more. It all comes down to how we feel on the day. Hopefully, it'll be as exciting as we expect."

Nieuwenhuis indicates that the three Baloise Lions don't really talk much about the National Championships among themselves. "No, not really. Everyone knows that it's likely going to be between the three of us. We'll see who's the best on that day, and they'll get to wear the red-white-and-blue for the whole year. The next day, we're all flying to Spain together, so this race will be like any other, except this time we're competing against each other,' says the man who won in Boom and Val di Sole this year.

Nieuwenhuis indicates in advance that the three Baloise lions do not talk much to each other about the NK. 'No, not necessarily. Everyone knows that the three of us will probably have to duke it out. We are going to see who is the best on that day,who gets to wear red-white-blue all year. The next day the three of us fly to Spain, so this will be a race like any other,only now we're riding against each other," said the man, whose wins this year include Boom and Val di Sole.

Listening closely, one name seems to be the most feared by Van der Haar: Pim Ronhaar. The 22-year-old rider won this year in Dendermonde and Dublin and impressed over the Christmas period by competing with the best. In the last nine races, he finished in the top four seven times. "I'm heading to the National Championships in good form. I have a shot at the title. But there are two other guys who also have a chance. Of course, I'm talking about Joris and Lars, teammates from the same team. It's going to be a tough Championship race. I haven't really seen the course yet, so I don't know what it's like. But I can say that I'm doing well and going to Hoogeveen in good form."

"It's a bit strange to have to battle it out with teammates, but that also makes it a bit easier," he says, responding to the suggestion that it might turn into a Baloise celebration. "It's likely going to be the three of us against each other, but usually, someone else also competes for the title or a podium spot. Realistically, we are the three guys who will be fighting for the title. If the course is tough, everyone will find their rightful place. Winning the jersey would be great, but finishing second won't make or break my season."

A notable comment, but not so surprising after his explanation: "In the recent races, I haven't been focusing on the National Championships. Nor on the World Championships. I take it race by race, which keeps me mentally fresh. Working specifically towards a championship also takes a lot of mental energy. So I tried to minimize that as much as possible," says Ronhaar, who after Zonhoven is now really looking forward to the battle at the National Championships. 'The three of us are going to ride at a very high level and we'll fight for it. We wish each other the best. If I make it to the podium, I'll be happy. A title would be great, but if I don't win it, I'll be just as happy."