Luxury hotels, Italian training, and downhill lessons from Mohoric: Dutch cyclist Paasschens is being prepped for crucial role

Paasschens is nearing 30 but has limited WorldTour experience. He joined Lotto in 2022, though the team had just been relegated to the ProTour. Now, at Bahrain Victorious, he’s making his WorldTour debut. "It’s a very large staff with a lot of new faces. I didn’t yet know many of the riders personally, though Vlad (Van Mechelen, ed.) lives near me in Belgium. From the staff, I was familiar with Loïc Segaert, but otherwise, it’s all new, lots of new impressions."

Since 2019, Paasschens started his professional journey with Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen after making an impression as a U23 rider. Being interviewed in a luxury hotel is a bit different. "The organization here is maybe on a slightly larger scale. It’s a WorldTour team, of course. Although I also viewed Lotto-Dstny as a WorldTour-level organization. They always have been. Here, everything is very professional. It’s a well-oiled machine where everything runs smoothly."

"The interest was already there before the Vuelta a España. We were in talks," Paasschens says about his unexpected transfer. "I was also working on a contract extension with Lotto, as I was happy there. Then Bahrain Victorious came into the picture, and I thought long and hard about it. I’m 28 years old. If I want to do something spectacular, this was the moment. Opportunities like this don’t come twice — you have to take them or miss out."

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"It’s a completely new international experience, stepping out of my comfort zone," he says. Born in the Netherlands, Paasschens has lived in Belgium for most of his life. "This is a leap of faith, but I’ve landed well. The next two seasons will reveal how it turns out. I’m confident we can collaborate effectively and maybe even take me to the next level."

What role will Paasschens play at Bahrain Victorious? He's got a pretty good idea. "I hope to be a big asset to the team. It would be very extreme to think my personal ambitions will translate into individual results here. My primary goals are riding a Grand Tour and becoming a really good domestique at the WorldTour level."

Racing at the highest level all year is a new challenge in its own right. "Here, I get a full WorldTour program for the entire year. At Lotto, I had tasted that level at the Dauphiné and Paris-Nice, for example. But having a full calendar like this is something else. You race fewer events here and focus on specific blocks where you need to perform well. In between, you have time to train effectively, which helps improve. And then it's up to me to show that in the races. In a packed race schedule, it’s harder to use training to get better."

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Training has also changed dramatically for Paasschens. "Throughout my whole career, I’ve actually trained with Jasper Vaeck, who has a specific training approach. That made sure I was always good. Now I’m training with Michele Bartoli, an Italian who really does things the Italian way: in between zones, long blocks, and targeting fat-burning thresholds."

"I used to do a lot more five- or ten-minute efforts, sprints, and VO2 max work — much more intensive, with easier recovery between," he explains. "The new approach involves longer blocks at a higher pace, staying below the anaerobic threshold, so that you recover better. Then you can repeat the workload several days in a row, which can increase volume. If you do sprint efforts every day, you need to recover from those. The details are obviously different and it's hard to say if that's going to be better for me, but I feel good. This method should suit me, with the role I'm getting."

This new way of training does have an impact. "I believe in it, and the communication is also good. I’m curious how it will translate to races. Indeed, I can’t easily train with friends anymore, but most of my local cycling friends with whom I used to train now work during the week. They didn't have time anymore anyway. Fortunately, there are some pros nearby, and we have a group of four or five. On weekends, my friends are welcome to join as long as they let me do my thing."

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At Bahrain Victorious, Paasschens is expected to spend hours at the front, though there may be more to his role. "It’s hard to say what kind of domestique I’ll be. On one hand, I love pulling at the front all day. That’s probably what I like best. But, on the other hand, it’s also rewarding in terms of adrenaline and visibility to the outside world to position my leaders for the finale."

"The appreciation has always been great at Lotto. Every role in a team is recognized," Paasschens says. "In my career, I’ve always felt valued for my work, and if I can bring that same energy to the biggest races here as the first man, I’ll be satisfied. The Tim Declercq or Edoardo Affini of Bahrain Victorious? Yes, maybe a bit. I’ve never had specific role models, but I admire riders like Declercq, who spend entire days at the front."

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"I hope we, as a team, perform well collectively and achieve good results. Last season wasn’t great, but Bahrain Victorious has strong riders," Paasschens says about the team’s ambitions. "It’s up to us to deliver results. Good results and UCI points, those will quickly show you how good you are. I’m not worried about the WorldTour license for 2026. If we all stay relaxed, I’m sure we’ll find our rhythm, so that everyone has got that extra edge. And when that happens, results will follow."

How about for Paasschens personally? "For myself, I hope to feel good within the team because everything seems so normal, like being at a U23 training camp. You have team leaders here, but they aren’t above anyone else. Everyone is very friendly and calm, so I feel right at home. You can easily ask Matej Mohoric about something. We even do some downhill training sessions where he’ll give tips. A guy like that, along with Damiano Caruso, has loads of experience."