When you are not riding a bicycle, what do you do?
“I am still in school, where I attend a course Industrial Design. I’m in the last grade. I hope to finish school this year and then concentrate on cycling.”

What is your favourite pro course?
“I think the Tour de France. I don’t really know why I prefer it over the Giro, for example, but I like the attention around it. It is the biggest race of the year.”

What is the best moment you have experienced on a bicycle?
“I’m tempted to say the uphill time trial of the Topcompetitie. Off the bike, it was a great joy, but on the bike I was mainly suffering. So I’ll go for the second stage of the Carpathian Couriers Race, a stage race in Poland. I was part of the breakaway all day long and I took the mountain jersey. Eventually, I also won the polka dot jersey. For me, that was a nice day on the bike.”

Which rider do you see as an example?
“I don’t have one in particular, but I like to watch attacking riders. I liked how Thibaut Pinot rode during the last Tour. I like to race in that manner.”

What music do you prefer to listen to during a time trial warm-up?
“I don’t actually do that. I don’t need music to concentrate on a pending time trial. For me, the focus is really on the warm-up.”

When you don’t watch cycling on TV, what do you like to watch?
“If there is no cycling, I mainly watch Netflix. I have already seen several series. I think La Casa de Papel was a nice one. I saw all three seasons. In winter I also like to switch on the television for a cyclocross race.”

What are your expectations for the upcoming season?
“I especially want to get better in the stage races. I would like to be able to go for the GC. I am a climber. For me, flat races are more troublesome. Certainly in the Netherlands there are many races with echelons in which I sometimes miss the right group. That is certainly a skill that needs to be improved.”