| Team | CCC-Liv Team |
|---|---|
| Birthdate: | May 13, 1987 |
| What is your specialty on the team? | All-rounder on Road, Cyclocross |
| Hometown: | Babyloniënbroek, The Nederlands |
| What is your biggest cycling achievement? | Olympic Gold, Beijing 2008 points race & London 2012 road race |
| What is your professional goal for 2019? | Reach my personal best level & enjoy racing with the team. |
| What do you love about cycling? | The freedom of riding in all of its aspects & the love of the game in competition. |
| Why do you love riding for Liv? | Liv is a brand that shows the beauty of cycling for all kind of riders/people. With the team, we have the opportunity to ride the best bikes on the market, but the brand goes beyond that. It's about sharing the passion for cycling. |
| What is your favorite place to travel? | As a professional cyclist, I get to ride my bike all over the world. I like it to explore different area's on the bike and for that reason, I have many favorite places to go. Italy is a country I love for a different kind of reason and it never bores me: the roads, the picturesque towns, the atmosphere, the food, etc. |
| What is your favorite food? | As I mentioned above I like Italian food, but actually, I'm happy to try different foods. As a typical Dutch, I miss good bread when I'm on the road for a long time. |
| Who is(are) your favorite riding partner(s)? | I like to train in a small group of motivated riders who just ride and do what has to be done. The time flies by in good company. |
| "When I'm not riding my bike, I'm ______!" | Resting before/after a ride, fueling before/after a ride, preparing for a ride... Well, that's mainly it, but to spend quality time with family and friends is also important for me to keep the balance. |
| What are the top 3 things on your "bucket list"? | I don't really have a bucket list... For me, it's most important to live in the moment and enjoy the little things in life. |
| Who taught you how to ride a bike/ got you into the sport of cycling? | My dad started cycling when he was 30 and so he inspired my brother and me to ride as well. I'm thankful for this first step and all the things my parents have done to support me. |
| Have you taught anyone how to ride a bike or introduced someone to the sport? | As a professional cyclist, I sometimes get to hear stories from people who are motivated or inspired by my story or races. That's always beautiful to hear, although I don't really see myself as inspirational or a role model. Of course, I'm thankful when with what I do can help people find encouragement or joy in life. That gives me a lot of satisfaction. |
| How do you plan to pass on your love of cycling in 2019 and beyond? | Besides trying to reach my best level and going for results, I hope I can share my passion for cycling with other people. Cycling has brought me so much in life, I would really like to give something back with it as well. |
| Words you live by... | “Success is not final, failure not fatal; it's the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill |
