The Dutch national championships could be taken abroad in the hopes of attracting superstars like Tom Dumoulin and Steven Kruijswijk.
Jumbo-Visma team manager Richard Plugge has approached the Royal Dutch Cycling Union (KNWU) in the hopes of taking the race elsewhere to offer a route suited to the climbers.
The Netherlands is famed for its flat geography, with 25 per cent of the country either at or below sea level, which means race often swings in favour of the sprinters.
>>> Watch: Amsterdam tunnel turned into cycling highway during transport strike
Plugge, boss of Dutch WorldTour team Jumbo-Visma, told cycling news site Wielerflits: “An occasional sprint nationals is fine, but not year after year.
“That’s why I’m in favour of the championships on a selective course and as far as I’m concerned it can be held abroad.
“Riders like Steven Kruijswijk now have no chance of a Dutch championship.”
The Dutch governing body for cycling is seriously considering the proposal.
General director of the KNWU Thorwald Veneberg told newspaper AD: “We already talked to the teams last year about how we can try to make the Dutch championship attractive for riders and teams.
“A nationals in the mountains in Austria or Germany, where you can climb a lot is one of the ideas.
“Race organiser Golazo thought it was a wild and interesting idea. We too find it interesting, but for now and in the coming years we will have our hands full for the Dutch championships.”
>>> Nairo Quintana: I’m the Movistar leader for the Tour de France
Money is one of the biggest barriers to moving the Dutch nationals abroad, according to Veneberg, as home companies are less likely to invest in a championship held outside of the country.
Cross-discipline star Mathieu van der Poel won the 2018 nationals, beating Danny van Poppel and Ramon Sinkeldam in a bunch sprint from a reduced peloton.
The 2019 event will be held in Ede in the centre of the county.
Jumbo-Visma rider Kruijswijk and Sunweb’s Tom Dumoulin are both skipping the race because of the unchallenging parcours.
Star sprinter Dylan Groenewegen will also miss the nationals because it does not fit in with his Tour de France preparation.
Alex is the digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter and now as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output.
Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) and joining CW in 2018, Alex has covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.
Away from journalism, Alex is a national level time triallist, avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
-
BikeExchange interested in Tom Dumoulin for 2023 'if he wants to carry on with GC ambitions'
Dumoulin will be free at the end of 2022, when his contract with Jumbo-Visma runs out
By Ryan Dabbs •
-
Joss Lowden is finally about to turn full-time pro aged 34, but for women cyclists it's rarely that simple
A move to Andorra is on the cards, as well as some family planning before Paris 2024
By Jonny Long •
-
Tom Dumoulin to Team BikeExchange for 2022?
L'Equipe reports Giant bikes could be instrumental in taking Dutch star from Jumbo-Visma
By Richard Windsor •
-
Tom Dumoulin still plans to continue cycling career next year
The Dutch star was knocked from his bike by a driver, which spoiled his World Championship ambitions
By Alex Ballinger •
-
'It was a difficult road to get here': Tom Dumoulin marks return to cycling with Olympics silver
'He took a deep dive and chose Tokyo as a trigger to push that career forward'
By Jonny Long •
-
'I'm comfortable in my own skin again': Tom Dumoulin takes 'beautiful' victory in Dutch national time trial
The former time trial world champion won by over 20 seconds on the next man Sebastien Langeveld
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Tom Dumoulin thinks he's 'quite close' to where he needs to be after comeback at Tour de Suisse
The 2017 Giro d'Italia winner looked strong in the opening Tour de Suisse time trial
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
'Maybe I'll chase the GC at Grand Tours again,' says Tom Dumoulin as he makes comeback at Tour de Suisse
Tom Dumoulin makes his return to racing at the 2021 Tour de Suisse
By Jonny Long •
-
Tom Dumoulin: 'In recent years I have become a little lost'
The former world time trial champion says the Olympics are "project in which I can lose myself completely"
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Tom Dumoulin will return to racing next month after taking a break from cycling career
It was unclear if Dumoulin would ever return to competition, but Jumbo-Visma have confirmed their Dutch Grand Tour is back
By Alex Ballinger •
