On Sunday afternoon, Pim Ronhaar impressively won his first World Cup cyclo-cross race in the elite category. The young Dutchman dominated the muddy sections of Dendermonde, securing a victory with a significant margin over his teammate and fellow countryman Lars van der Haar, who finished second, completing a celebration for Baloise Trek Lions. IDLProCycling.com caught up with the 22-year-old victor for a one-on-one conversation following his triumph!
"This victory means a lot to me, especially after the Koppenberg," the winner reflected immediately after his slump in the iconic race. "I felt so incredibly bad there. After dealing with that setback, I focused on quickly shifting my mindset towards the European Championship, although it was quite challenging. I had just three days to mentally regroup for the EK. In that race, I managed to perform well," Ronhaar shared, recalling his fourth-place finish at the European Championship in Pontchâteau, where Van der Haar passed him in the final stretch.
Following the European Championship, there appeared to be some tension between Van der Haar and Ronhaar, with the latter expressing his hope that he would be granted the bronze medal. However, both protagonists confirmed in a conversation with IDLProCycling.com that there is no such tension. "There was just some miscommunication during the Championship. We cleared it up afterwards over a hamburger," said 'veteran' Van der Haar in Dendermonde, where he played a team role in support of Ronhaar, who echoed similar sentiments shortly after. "After the Championship, we had a burger and a beer together. There's absolutely nothing wrong, Lars is my best friend. Last night, we even shared the same room again. We have no problems at all," the Frisian affirmed, dispelling all doubts.
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Van der Haar and Ronhaar in Dendermonde
Alright, back to the race in Dendermonde. Near Antwerp, Ronhaar made his move at the best possible moment, breaking away from Toon Vandebosch and Laurens Sweeck, the two Flemish riders from Crelan-Corendon who were with Ronhaar in the lead group at the time. "I never expected to be that strong. Additionally, most of the guys also raced in Niel yesterday. Of course, that was their own choice, and as they say, the winner is always right," Ronhaar aptly described.
"I had no expectations today, mainly because my performance has been so inconsistent lately. Fortunately, I felt great right from the start. I managed to hold back for three or four laps and then launched my attack. And that turned out to be the right approach. At one point, I found myself next to Toon at the material post, and it seemed like the right moment. And it was. I suddenly pulled away, gaining a substantial lead. I really pushed hard on the sections that suited me best and took rest where needed. That was probably the key to today's success, I think. It was a good strategy."
"But I do surprise myself a bit with this victory," he adds, reflecting one last time on the unexpected nature of his triumph. "At the European Championship, I already had a strong race, so I definitely had to keep hope for these competitions. I just restrained myself initially and then did my own thing. Along the way, I could tell from Sven (Nys, ed.) and Eric (Braes, ed.) that things were going well."
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Ronhaar after the European Cyclo-Cross Championship, where he finished fourth
In the penultimate lap, Van der Haar broke away from Vandebosch and Sweeck, leaving the 'Terrier of Woudenberg' to finish second behind the soloist Ronhaar. Whether Van der Haar could have caught up with the ten-years-younger Ronhaar if he had started his chase earlier is doubtful. "On this circuit, you really had to do your own thing. Sure, if Lars had gone earlier, he might have caught up with me. However, I didn’t make any mistakes in the last lap."
After a strong performance at the European Championship, Ronhaar also rode impressively in the muddy race in Dendermonde. "It's quite possible that my confidence got a boost at the Championship," he responds when asked about the mental aspect. The mental side of racing can often be a challenge for the promising, yet sometimes inconsistent rider. "I’m certain that I need to race more with my head. I saw confirmation of this in Dendermonde. When I do, I can compete for the podium or a strong finish. Of course, bad races aren’t good for confidence, especially when you have a race like the European Championship just three days later. However, you just have to stay positive, and the rest will follow."
Precisely on the birthday of Thibau Nys, who was not present in Dendermonde, the team of Sven Nys had a double celebration: Ronhaar in first place, Van der Haar in second. As Van der Haar hinted in his interview, there was an element of team strategy and cooperation. The 32-year-old from Utrecht occasionally eased off when he inadvertently took the lead, compelling the Crelan riders to take over. "It's great that Lars then caught up with Laurens and Toon and eventually passed them, although I didn’t see much of it myself," says Ronhaar. "It all happened about half a minute behind me. On a course like this, you can slow down others, but I think it was mainly about riding at your own pace. Lars finished second, so it's very likely that he went all-in only in the penultimate or last lap. But hey: Baloise Trek Lions finishing one and two, what could be better?"
The victory in Dendermonde doesn't change Ronhaar’s planned schedule. Earlier in the conversation he mentioned that skipping the race in Niel might have aided his victory and he now plans to continue racing 'single weekends'. "I’m not going to do double weekends for the time being. As it looks now, I'll stick to one cyclo-cross per week."
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Pim Ronhaar and Thibau Nys
Ronhaar, who began his athletic career in triathlon, ventured into road racing last year, aiming to be a serious contender in the races. He made a notable impact: finishing second in his first race, the GP Vermarc, behind Stan Van Tricht, and then making a big splash in the Flèche du Sud, a 2.2 race in Luxembourg, where he clinched both the prologue and the overall win. These successes have led to speculation about his future focus on road cycling. "I've been excelling on the road. We're in constant touch with Trek's other team, Lidl-Trek. I'm looking to enhance my road racing skills. Last year, I really dedicated myself to this preparation, which paid off with great results. I'm confident that employing more tactical thinking in races will lead to even more successes," he reiterated his approach.
"Cyclo-cross remains my absolute favorite," he openly expresses his love for the sport. "There may be times, like after the European Cyclo-Cross Championship, when I need to take a short break. But for now, it's important to savor this victory and the current season. We'll see what the future brings."
Lastly, the team spirit at Baloise Trek Lions seems to be great. Watching the team's interactions and morale is uplifting. "It's an incredibly enjoyable team to be part of, not to mention it's one of the top cyclo-cross teams," Ronhaar comments on the team's atmosphere. "I couldn't imagine being with a better team. We mesh well, and I'm in daily contact with everyone – Lars, Thibau, David, Joris. It feels more like being part of a close-knit group of friends than just a cycling team. We all aim to win, and this season we're achieving just that!"