Visma | Lease a Bike sports director points to "growing pains" and positives after stage 3 cancellation at NIBC Tour of Holland

Visma | Lease a Bike, with Olav Kooij celebrating his birthday and Christophe Laporte leading the GC, had hoped for a great ride through South Limburg, but it wasn't to be. How is that possible? “Towards Gulpen, cars apparently rode through twice and ended up in the peloton, which almost caused a crash. Then several riders said: This is as far as we go,” explains Van Dongen.

"It's a real shame for the race, because from a sporting point of view, Limburg always provides a spectacle. I've been a team manager for 33 years, and I always look forward to races in Limburg, because they're always great races in which the strongest riders come to the fore. It doesn't feel good that this is now gone. For cycling, but actually for everyone in Limburg," says the team manager.

“But safety comes first, and it’s the right decision not to continue if the riders have had enough,” Van Dongen continues, speaking from experience. “I've seen stages canceled before, so this isn't the first time. But it's still a great pity. I'm confident that the next two days in other regions, more on circuits, will go well and that this race can be brought to a worthy conclusion.”

“For the future, we need to see if we can tap into other resources in this or other regions, where it is becoming increasingly difficult. Circuits are easier to secure and staff, making it easier to implement one-way traffic,” Van Dongen points out as a problem.

For that reason, the riders also decided that heading to Watersley, which was option B alongside complete cancellation, was not an option. "The riders questioned the safety of the local laps, because no one-way traffic was implemented there either. That makes it more difficult."

Van Dongen hopes that racing in Limburg will be possible again in the future. “Let's turn the negative into a positive, and I hope that will be the case. Politics plays a role, and hopefully, that will wake some people up; nevertheless, it remains a bitter day for this wonderful initiative. In any case, we will try to race and compete as much as possible over the next two days,” he promises on behalf of Visma | Lease a Bike.

All in all, the experienced sports director sees a lot of potential in the NIBC Tour of Holland, despite this setback. “I know how complex and difficult it is to organize a race. Again, I view this as a teething problem, but the organization has clearly demonstrated a willingness to accept and act on constructive criticism. From that position, steps can certainly be taken towards a bright future.”