Leo van Vliet has made a name for organising races – now he become Bonds coach. (Image credit: Leo van Vliet)
Leo van Vliet looks to be the most likely candidate to replace Egon van Kessel as the head coach of the Dutch men's cycling team. The Dutch cycling federation (KNWU) is looking for a personality in cycling, according to Dutch paper De Telegraaf.
53-year-old Van Vliet was with teams Raleigh, Kwantum Hallen and others after his active career. After that Van Vliet concentrated on organising races and events, including the Amstel Gold Race, the Ride for the Roses, Boogie's Extreme and the Amstel Curaçao Race.
De Telegraaf believes to be a good candidate because of his organisational as well as his motivating qualities. Other candidates include Maarten den Bakker, Leon van Bon and Michael Boogerd.
Steven de Jongh told De Telegraaf about the potential of Van Vliet's hiring. "He is supposed to resemble Gerrie Knetemann. He can also create a social atmosphere to lay the foundation for a good team work."
KNWU president Marcel Wintels emphasised that no decision has been made yet. "We first want to clear everything up with the leaving coach. Then we will look for a successor calmly."
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