The former cyclist says he considers it a privilege to have had the opportunity to comment on cycling races. In recent years, however, he has the feeling that he no longer has the time to talk to the riders in the peloton. According to Ducrot, there are now so many press people active around the cycling races that the riders hardly have time to talk to everyone. “I don’t fit in that crowd anymore,” he said. “Maybe I’m getting too old.”
After his active cycling career, he joined the NOS in 2004 as the successor of Erik Breukink. The now 64-year-old Ducrot stood out for his way of commenting, certainly during the years in which he reported on the Tour de France and other major cycling events.
Acknowledgment
Ducrot thanked the NOS in the broadcast on Sunday for the opportunity he was given as a commentator. In the broadcasts he mainly wanted to talk about his experiences as a cyclist. “I can tell from that rider. I’m not going to sit in the stands. I’ll leave that to the other press,” he said about his approach as a commentator. “I’m going to look at the peloton.”
Ducrot formed a commentator duo with Joris van den Berg in the last two weeks of this Tour. Stef Clement spent the first week with Van den Berg. Dijkstra said goodbye to the Tour a few years ago.
Mixed reactions
There is mixed reaction on Twitter to Maarten Ducrot’s announcement that he will stop as a commentator of cycling races at the NOS. Fans thank the former cyclist, but there is also a lot of criticism of him.
“How am I supposed to fall asleep during the #TourDeFrance and wake up just in time for the finish of the stage now that Maarten Ducrot is going to stop,” a tweeter wondered. “Hey hey, finally,” wrote another. “You have bored the Netherlands enough with your bullshit.” Twitterer Peter thinks that Ducrot should sit down at the kitchen table with his “cock stories.”
However, most reactions are positive. Ducrot gets a lot of compliments. “Without Maarten, the Tour will never be the same. Nice voice with wonderful humor”, a tweeter left at the message that Ducrot is quitting. “Are you playing left ball now?” a follower asks him. The term left balls originally came from cyclist Gerrie Knetemann. Ducrot said during the report of the last Tour stage that he “dusted off” that term. “I’m going to miss you. Thank you for your wonderful commentary and beautiful stories all the years,” let the follower know.