The arrival of Mathieu van der Poel turned Etten-Leur upside down on Sunday afternoon. The brand new world champion shows his rainbow jersey for the first time in the Netherlands during the Profwielerronde. The organization was willing to do a lot for that: the rider was flown in with a private jet.
After his sporting obligations, Van der Poel went to Marbella for a holiday in Spain. So it took some doing to get him to Brabant. That did not stop the organization: it was allowed to cost a bit. He was picked up in southern Spain and landed at Breda International Airport on Sunday morning. This way his vacation had to be shortened as little as possible.
Kopecky
The organization of the Profwielerronde annually attracts big names to the criterion. Lotte Kopecky also shows off the rainbow jersey she won in the road race at the World Cycling Championships in Glasgow last week. Furthermore, for example, Jasper Philipsen, Bauke Mollema and Fabio Jakobsen are on the program. Tour de France Femmes icons Demi Vollering and Annemiek van Vleuten could also be admired.
The talk of the day will mainly be about the iconic act of Van der Poel. He was the leader in the Scottish city of Glasgow after a tough race, but crashed. Despite everything, he crossed the line solo and took the world title battered. The fact that he fell again a week later at the mountain biking World Cup and had to give up, should not spoil the fun in Etten-Leur on Sunday.
Last time for speaker Kees
This edition is not only special because of the riders. It is also an extra special day for 77-year-old speaker Kees Maas. The iconic cycling speaker says goodbye at the place where he was born and raised: his Etten-Leur. From the Tour de France to the Giro and from the Vuelta to the Turn of the Kaai: his voice has been heard along just about every finish line in recent decades.
READ ALSO: Long career as a cycling speaker ends for Kees Maas in his Etten-Leur