“It’s the most important race of the year,” says Danny van Poppel when he talks about the Tour of Holland (14 to 19 October). With a twinkle in his eye, of course. However, this view is not that far-fetched, at least from the 32-year-old’s personal perspective. After all, Danny is not only travelling to a race in his home country as Dutch champion, but also as captain of Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe.
The first point in particular is a rarity. Since Danny’s first championship honour in the elite class in June, no race above UCI category .2 has been held in the Netherlands. Alongside the Amstel Gold Race (1.UWT) and the Volta NXT Classic (1.1), the Tour of Holland (2.1), which celebrates its premiere this year, is one of only three races in the cycling-mad country in which WorldTeams are eligible to compete.
Danny van Poppel after the stage in Kassel
© Getty Images
Last start in the Netherlands at the Vuelta
“It’s been hard to organise races in the Netherlands in the last couple of years,” says Danny. “There are many at a lower level, but at professional level there are not.” The official requirements are high. In the current season, for example, three out of five .1-races were cancelled due to a NATO summit in The Hague, because the two-day event meant that there were no motorbike police available for most of the year to provide the necessary security for the races.
As a result, the last time Danny was able to ride in front of his home crowd was in 2022, with the exception of his championship-winning race. Which fits the picture: It wasn’t a Dutch race in the true sense of the word, but the Gran Partida of the Vuelta in and around Utrecht. “We won two of the three stages back then with Sam Bennett,” recalls Danny, who was the leadout man.
That’s one of the best highlights in my career
“That’s own of the best highlights in my career. It’s a shame that I almost never can race in the Netherlands.” Apart from a few more national championships, it is necessary to look back to 2018 to find one of Danny’s starts on home soil. Back then, it was the first race of the short-lived Hammer Series in Limburg.
“I hope that the Tour of Holland will give the Dutch race organisers a boost,” says Danny. “That would be important for Dutch cycling.” The first step at least seems to have been taken, with the Tour following in the footsteps of the Ronde van Nederland, which was cancelled in 2004.
Danny Van Poppel
© Maximilian Fries / Red Bull Content Pool
That Danny could become the successor to his compatriot Erik Dekker, the last winner of the race to date, is not impossible, but not particularly likely either. Above all, Limburg’s hills and almost 20 kilometres of time trial, spread over a short prologue and another time trial, make the race more than just a sprinters’ tour.
“It will be very difficult for me to win the general classification, but never say never!” says Danny. “The goal is definitely to win a stage.” He has already celebrated three times this year. Victory in the national championships has been joined by two in the Tour of Hungary.
Close to home, the family comes to the track
On these occasions he has never worn the special jersey in red, white and blue. “It’s great to wear it at a race in my home country. I’m very motivated to present the jersey to the public. And I’m really up to win a stage in it!” The time trial, but also the first stage around Dordrecht, are not too far away from Danny’s birthplace Moergestel near Tilburg. “My family will be coming to visit me. Especially for my grandparents, it’s not so easy to see me when I’m travelling somewhere in the world.” Extra motivation for Danny at every turn.
Danny van Poppel
© Getty Images
And that’s exactly what it’s all about so close to the end of the year. “The form is still there, but in this part of the season it’s all about mentality,” he says. “I’m still very motivated and that will bring me really far in this race.”
I’m still very motivated and that will bring me really far in this race.
In addition to Danny, Jonas Koch, Tim van Dijke, Jan Tratnik and the Rookies Theodor August Clemmensen and Romet Pajur will be racing for Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe at the Tour of Holland.
Part of this story
Danny Van PoppelDanny van Poppel is a fast finisher with excellent positioning skills, known both as a capable sprinter and one of the top lead-out riders in the peloton.