Een verhaal van vallen en opstaan. Dylan Groenewegen is sinds zijn schorsing - na de val van Fabio Jakobsen in de Ronde van Polen - op zoek geweest naar zichzelf, én naar zijn beste vorm. Onze reporter Sammy Neyrinck volgde de Nederlander richting zijn deugddoende tweede plaats in de...
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There's a video interview in Dutch.
Google translated article:
Following in the footsteps of Dylan Groenewegen: "The fact that Jakobsen is getting back to best form has helped me"
A story of trial and error. Since his suspension - after the fall of Fabio Jakobsen in the Tour of Poland - Dylan Groenewegen has been looking for himself, and for his best form. Our reporter Sammy Neyrinck followed the Dutchman towards his satisfying second place in the sprint classic Brugge-De Panne. "I finally feel like my old self again," said a relieved Groenewegen after the race.
Sammy Neyrinck stayed for the Minerva Classic Brugge-De Panne in the wake of top sprinter Dylan Groenewegen. The Dutchman started the season hesitantly, but again - as usual - delivered a pure power sprint in De Panne. He came just a few millimeters short to beat winner Tim Merlier.
"I suspect Merlier used thicker tires," Groenewegen joked to Sammy Neyrinck afterwards.
Groenewegen's smile spoke volumes. A satisfying result after a period full of uncertainty. Since his suspension - after the horror crash with Fabio Jakobsen in the Tour of Poland - the BikeExchange top sprinter has not yet reached his best form. Until now.
"Sprinting has been difficult for me for a long time," Groenewegen explains. "I've had a hard time being one with myself in a bunch sprint for a long time."
"I no longer dared to take the risks necessary to win and invariably brake when others did not. Everyone sprinted the same when I returned to the peloton, only I had changed. You immediately noticed that in my results."
"I am still my own biggest opponent. Yet I finally feel like I am old again. I will never forget the moment in Poland with Fabio, but I have learned to give it a place. happy and helped me a lot too."
"Fun on the bike again"
Groenewegen changed jerseys this summer. This season he no longer rides in the yellow of Jumbo-Visma, but in the sky blue of BikeExchange. That switch heralded a new start for the fast man from the Netherlands.
"I want to show who I was before my suspension. I lost the fun on my bike last year. But this season I'm looking forward to it again."
"Last year I didn't enjoy optimal preparation either. Then I could accept it if I didn't finish on the highest scaffold. This year the cards are different. I am 100% again and want to prove to myself that I can still do it ."
"Bruges-De Panne was a very nice and important race for me. The top of the sprinters are at the start here. It was an ideal test."
"I'm happy that people can see me as a top sprinter after today," Groenewegen said, visibly relieved after his second place.