The Dutch Cycling Federation (KNWU) has become the second European federation to announce it will send a reduced squad to the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda due to budget restraints and the cost of the first-ever African World Championships.
Following Denmark's November announcement that the nation won't send an under-23 or junior team to the September event, the Netherlands will also forgo their youth squads and only send their elite men's and women's teams to Africa.
According to NOS, the KNWU made the decision based on 'financial reasons' after the Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF) ruled in December that road cycling, as a commercial sport, should be able to support itself with only a limited subsidy from the state.
As a result, the KNWU has had to cut back on its World Championships squad. The under-23 men's and women's teams, along the under-19 teams, will all be absent from the Rwandan World Championships. The federation's under-23 race programme will be cut altogether.
The Dutch youth teams enjoyed success at the 2024 Worlds, with Puck Pieterse and Senna Remijn scoring gold and bronze medals in the under-23 women's road race and junior men's road race.
On Monday, national under-23 coach Tom Veelers announced via social media that he had been forced to leave his position as a result of the decision.
"I really enjoyed my job as head coach of the under-23s. Unfortunately, it was only for one year," Veelers wrote.
"The cuts from the NOC*NSF also affect cycling and, unfortunately, that is the case with me as well.
"As of January 1, I am no longer the under-23 national coach because that programme is no longer supported by the KNWU. It's such a shame that the current and future group of young riders will suffer because of this. I have worked with a lot of passion and enthusiasm with this group and look back on the past season with pride!"
Speaking to NOS, Veelers called the move "a great shame" though noting that "more and more promising riders" were riding professionally or with the development squads of top teams.
"For youngsters, these are the most important races of the year," Veelers said. "Coincidentally, the World Championships in Rwanda and Canada in the next two years are extremely expensive operations.
"But for a guy like Wouter Toussaint, I think it's a shame. Wouter is a good climber, he proved himself last year in the Giro d'Italia Next Gen and the Peace Race. He could have done well in Rwanda."
Martin Truijens, KNWU programme manager of talent development, said that the changed landscape of under-23 cycling – as noted by Veelers – was a factor in the decision to cut the programme.
"The way in which the cycling landscape at under-23 level, especially for men, is organised – with development teams linked to WorldTour teams – is an important factor in the decision-making," said Truijens.
"For juniors, the training structure is still largely arranged through the national associations, and the competition calendar includes a large number of Nations Cup competitions that are exclusively ridden by national teams. You want this crucial phase of the training to be guaranteed.
"Following nations that have already made the decision or have expressed their doubts, the Netherlands will not travel to Rwanda with the juniors for the time being. We simply do not have the resources at the moment to fill in the preparation phase with the quality we stand for. The junior selection will focus on the European Championships and the Nations Cup programme."
