Sentjens explains Belgian decision

Rabobank rider Roy Sentjens has explained why he's Belgian after all. As the offspring of a Dutch father and Belgian mother, Sentjens has dual nationality and has been listed as Dutch since his days on Rabobank's junior squad, which was only open to riders from the Netherlands. From now on, though, he'll be known as a Belgian.

"I was thoroughly tired of all that business with my nationality," he said. "To Belgians I was a Dutchman and to the Dutch I was Belgian. Very annoying sometimes. My sporting performances were never mentioned, even when I won Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne [in 2003]."

Sentjens said he had been worried that Rabobank would have a problem with his change of nationality, "but neither manager De Rooij or the team leaders had a problem with it. 'Follow your feelings,' they said, so I did. I was born in Belgium, grew up in Hamont-Achel now live in Neerpelt and have a Flemish wife. That decided it, not the fact that there are more teams, more racers and more possibilities in Belgium."