This Wednesday, October 2nd, Taco van der Hoorn won the Friesland Elfstedenrace solo, delivering a lesson in resilience, a year and a half after his serious crash in the Tour of Flanders, which kept him out of competition for sixteen months.
He triumphed solo, as usual, after leading for most of the 200-kilometer race. Just before halfway, a first group of around twenty riders broke away because of the wind, including Taco van der Hoorn and his teammates Huub Artz, Rune Herregodts, Gerben Thijssen, and Roel van Sintmaartensdijk.
The breakaway group was never caught by the peloton and fought for the victory in the final hour of the race. After a first attack, where he took the lead with four other riders, he left his fellow escapees behind with four kilometers to go, crossing the finish line solo. Roel van Sintmaartensdijk also finished in the top ten.
The Dutchman secured Intermarché-Wanty’s thirteenth victory of the season, eighteen months after his serious crash in the Tour of Flanders and only six weeks after his comeback.
Taco van der Hoorn: “From the moment I felt healthy again, more than 15 months after my crash in the 2023 Tour of Flanders, I started believing I could return to my previous level. In recent weeks, I raced with a good feeling and full of confidence, but I was waiting for a more selective race like today to show the real Taco van der Hoorn. Throughout the race, we at Intermarché-Wanty had a numerical advantage in the lead group. First, we had four teammates in a group of fifteen, then five in a group of twenty-four. In the final, we knew we had to attack alongside riders from Jayco-Alula and Visma-Lease a Bike, the two other well-represented teams. Eventually, I led with four other riders. The fact that there were two sprinters in the group didn’t intimidate me. With my good feeling and the tailwind in the final, I knew I had a chance to ride solo to the finish. My plan worked, and in the last 500 meters, I was able to celebrate. Crossing the finish line was a very special moment, which brought out a lot of emotions after this particularly long and difficult period. I’m incredibly happy with my successful comeback, a beautiful way to thank the team for their continued trust, and I plan to show myself in my last two races of the season: Paris-Tours and the Tour of Guangxi.”
