Eenkhoorn claims Dutch road race title on VAM-berg
Jumbo-Visma rider out-duels Hoole, Van der Hoorn wins bronze
Pascal Eenkhoorn (Jumbo-Visma) won the elite men's road race at the national championships of the Netherlands, playing off the team's strength in numbers to escape solo and win the 194.5-kilometre race that ended on the steep VAM-berg ascent.
Unlike the past two seasons where the COVID-19 pandemic forced the championships onto a closed circuit around the landfill hill, the race started in Westerbork and finished on a 14-kilometre loop that included 13 trips over the VAM-berg.
It was on the ninth lap that Jumbo-Visma put the hammer down, splitting the peloton and stacking the lead group with six riders.
On the penultimate lap, the leading group was down to 12 riders, and Daan Hoole (Trek-Segafredo) tried to get the jump on them, but Eenkhoorn was quick to respond.
The duo worked together as Jumbo-Visma shut down the chase, and Eenkhoorn proved the strongest on the VAM-berg. Van der Hoorn came in 12 seconds behind to claim the bronze medal.
"This is a dream come true. I was considered one of the favourites beforehand. To finish it off and go down in the history of Dutch cycling is really great", Eenkhoorn said. "I had good legs today and jumped from group to group. I ended up in the front group and jumped along when Daan attacked. That was a good move.
"Daan said that I had to do longer turns. It meant he was riding on his limit. Going into the last lap, I knew the situation was so good that the team could rely on me finishing it off."
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Laura Weislo is a Cyclingnews veteran of 20 years. Having joined in 2006, Laura extensively covered the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the years-long conflict between the UCI and the Tour de France organisers ASO over the creation of the WorldTour, and the downfall of Lance Armstrong and his lifetime ban for doping. As Managing Editor, Laura coordinates coverage for North American events and global news.
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