Stan Niesten is the Dutch cross country champion with a thirty centimeter lead

During the Warandeloop in Tilburg the Beverwijker second behind the Serbian Elzan Bibic, but he was the first Dutchman. “Michiel Foppen seemed to be my biggest competitor, but he had canceled in advance. That was not unfavorable,” says Niesten.

Despite Foppen’s absence, two other runners emerged as title contenders during the race. “Filmon Tesfu and Stan Schipperen ran very strong. I didn’t have my best day and was already very tired beforehand. I didn’t have the legs I had in preparation.”

Final sprint for the title

Niesten let it come to a final sprint. In the end, he was the first Dutchman to cross the finish line with a minimum lead of thirty centimeters. “I almost fell off a few times. My advantage was the distance of ten kilometers. After eight kilometers the pace dropped. That allowed me to recover. At the end I sprinted just a bit ahead of the rest, so I won the Dutch title.”

Last summer, Niesten was already the best in the ten kilometers on the track. With the impressive performances, the North Hollander hopes to secure his place for the European Championship next month in Turin. “I handed over my business card and actually expect a call from the national coach or the Athletics Union tomorrow. I hope to hear that I can go to the European championship in Turin.”

The European Championship cross starts on December 11 in Turin, Italy.