Cyclist Gijs Schoonvelde from Koekange became champion of the Netherlands among the novices on the road on Saturday. De Drent, who earlier in the week already collected the national time trial title in Elspeet, beat Michiel Mouris with a tire thickness difference.
,,Not normal”, Schoonvelde reacted to his second red-white-blue jersey in one week. “The race was locked for a long time, we didn’t really get away. It was hot, but the conditions were the same for everyone. I got used to it a bit during the race and drank a lot. I started on three laps near the start and finish and got Michiel with me. After that it was just driving. During the sprint Michiel was in my wheel and I came back in his wheel. Then I went full and it became a close finish.”
No medals with pro and promises
In the juniors, Juul Nagengast from Beilen came second and Karst Hayma from Peize third. Roos Muller came third in the newcomer girls, a ranking that the Groningen also achieved at the NK time trial. With that, the Dutch Championship for under eighteen went better for the riders from the North than the national championship for professionals and promises, where the northerners stayed far away from the medals.