Cees Bol is the only Dutch cyclist with a Belgian fan club. It all started with the name of the born Zaankanter, who now lives in Alkmaar. In the Flemish dialect, that name literally means a ball of cheese. This caused hilarity and amazement among a group of Belgian friends.
Cees Bol, the only Dutch cyclist with a Belgian fan club – NH News
In Belgium, the friends were present at a race where the North Hollander also drove. After a few beers, a playful bet was made. “Who calls their son Cees if your last name is Bol? My friends challenged me to conduct an interview with him and then ask what his favorite cheese is,” says Patrick Engelen.
“I thought it was a serious interview at first, but soon realized it wasn’t”
And so it happened. Engelen did a hilarious interview and that formed the basis for the foundation of the Cees Bol fan club Toreke. “At first I thought it was a serious interview, but soon noticed that it wasn’t. A few months later I received a message from the same man that they had set up a fan club of mine. I didn’t see that coming,” says a radiant sphere.
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The fan club takes it seriously. With a wide arsenal of real Cees Bol merchandise, they follow the cyclist during various cycling races. They do this in a stickered, luxurious bus that of course features their hero.
“They wonder why we support a Dutchman and not a Belgian rider”
Wout van Aert
The story gets even better, because the men of the fan club come from the same region as the popular cyclist Wout van Aert. “Of course you also have people who don’t understand. They wonder why we support a Dutchman and not a Belgian rider,” says Mark Engelen.
Scheldeprijs
NH Sport accompanied the Cees Bol fan club Toreke for a day and that resulted in the above report. During the Scheldeprijs in Belgium they stood in several places along the course. After the race there was also a meeting with Cees Bol.