On the week of the last Amstel Gold Race and before the Ardennes classics, we had the opportunity to have a chat with Laurens Ten Dam (Zuidwolde, 1980). Laurens is well known for training very hard and giving his everything when he races. If you aren’t aware of that, just have a look at his Strava rides or wacht out how he performs and ends up in a mountain or a TT stage. He also likes nature, camping and enjoying life with his family.
You were born and raised in the North of The Netherlands, so why do you live in Maastricht?
On September 2001 I came here for the first time, and wow, already 13 years have passed since then, I came for the high school and college, a friend of mine lived here. On that time I lived here for 4 years. Then I moved to Belgium for 2 years with my girlfriend on that time, my wife nowadays. But she didn’t like to live there, and I prefer Maastricht too. We decided that we preferred the quality of living above the money. We searched for a house here, we like the old ones, and we were lucky and found one built on 1936, we bought it in 2007 and it’s our place. I really like living here in Maastricht.
What about training in this region? Do you believe that Limburg is appropiate for a pro rider?
For training is perfect. For example, yesterday I did 2800 climbing meters, riding down to the Ardennes and back, if you want to do the short and steep climbs is here and if you want longer climbs you can go to the Ardennes. The only thing we miss here is 30 mins climbs. For that, we have to go to Girona or somewhere else. For training camps, we usually go to Mojacar, and it’s a bit boring for me… here I can do very different things, even riding the mountain bike, it’s never boring to train here. You have some other pro riders in the area, plus good and quiet roads.
Last weekend I went for three days to reckon the stages of the Tour de France, 400 kms from here, riding a lot of altitude meters and then coming back home, and you can do that, it’s not that far.
Yeah, for training, you can asks also the guys in Girona how often do they go into the Pyrenees, with the snow and things like that. And apart from pure training I do a lot of racing, what is also a great way of training. As I said, I believe that this area is one of the best for training.
Last year for example I did a good Tour de France with training here and on May I also went for 10 days to France, and that was enough to achieve a good form.
Regarding the training camps, you mentioned that you usually got to Mojacar in Spain.
Yes, that’s right. And I must say that for me, after home, the best place for training is Mallorca, if the weather is good, it’s a really nice area, people know the cyclists and know about cycling, they are used to them, it’s a green island, you have mountains, food it’s great… I would prefer the team to go to Mallorca rather than Mojacar, but it’s not my decission.
Foto © cobblesandhills.com
What are your next plans?
In a few weeks I am going to California and I will stay there for 3 weeks, to race the Angem Tour of California there, and then training in altitude, near Lake Tahoe, and I am looking forward for that, cause it’s a National Park so I can do fishing and training and everything.
After that, I will come home for one week, then I will race in Switzerland, also in the mountains in altitude, and after that I will be ready for Le Tour de France.
Tell us about your favourite climbs.
I like Tourmalet. It’s one of the climbs where history has been made, and I always feel something special when I ride there. I like the climbs where history is written. I also like Galibier and the Stelvio. Since 2012 I also like the steep ones in La Vuelta like the stage won by Cataldo, with the finish line in Pajares-Cuitu Negro. Basically, I like the long climbs.
If you have to choose one of the three grand tours… what’s your choice? Giro, Tour, or Vuelta?
Ah, it’s really difficult. At Le Tour you always want to be there because it’s the biggest race in cycling, but once you’re there… there’s so much stress and blah blah blah. La Vuelta for instance is really relaxed, and I have had good results there. The Giro, well, it’s also history, and in Italy, but I only raced once there, even though I have sweet memories from the Giro too. It’s hard to decide, Giro usually implies bad weather, and I’m not so good on those conditions and that’s why La Vuelta and Le Tour suit me the best. But yeah, Le Tour is the biggest race so if you ask me which one I would like to win, I’d go for Le Tour so I could be a legend hahaha, but about racing feelings, La Vuelta is more enjoyable.
This year the gap between Tour and Vuelta is shorter, less than one month.
I prefer it like this year, 3 and a half weeks rather than like last year with a 4 and a half weeks gap, at least for me it’s easier to be able to keep the form. Last year I did an small race in Norway and after that many criterium races. My plan this year is to race Le Tour, 2 weeks of criteriums, then to Mallorca for training but travelling with my wife and kid, and after that I’ll be ready for La Vuelta.
Which was the problem last year at Le Tour? You were doing very well in the GC and then on the last week…
Well, I crashed in the time trial and then my legs were gone and I don’t know why. You can see it like this… you’re running for 1.5 hours and then someone hits you in the shoulder, you fell of or you stop, and then you can’t run anymore or at least at the same pace anymore. And I was trying and fighting, but I didn’t have the same power. But I am very proud I did it so well for the first two weeks, riding at the same level of Purito, Valverde, Alberto and Froome, and I was even surprised of myself. I hope I can do the same this year, but you can’t never know how the body will respond. And I remember Purito and Valverde saying ‘chapeau’ to me last year. The last week was not that good but I’m still proud of my performance.
Any target of GC place for this year in Le Tour or La Vuelta?
First of all we have to see within the team, and discuss the plans for Bauke and Robert.
And for the rest of your career?
Considering I’m 33 years old, the most important for me is to be happy with what I’m doing, being happy in my normal life, with my wife and with my kid, and I don’t think that placing 4th or 14th at a big race can make a big difference. I just want to be the best I can, racing the best I can.
What about Strava?, you are a dedicated user, you have many followers and it seems like you have fun by using this tool.
Yes, it’s a nice tool, good and useful for training too. Yesterday for example I did the same training like Thursday last year before the Amstel Gold Race, so I can see the times on every climb and compare them. Yesterday I rode St. Nicholas climb faster than last year, so I was happy, but later on the day I remembered that last year there were road works on St. Nicholas so then I thought, ok, it must be roughly the same time. Strava It’s also good for the intervals trainings. I’m not very much into the watts, but more on the times since I think that they tell you more about how fast you are.
But it’s nice, some other pro riders used it like Thibaut Pinot, Taramae, Niki Terpstra and some others, so we can compare. Some guys say that I train too much, with often very long rides, but it’s ok and I think it’s good for me. We compare our rides, Niki does long rides too, many. Regarding data sharing, I don’t mind to share my wattage, heart beat and other details, there’s nothing to be hide.
A recurrent question about you. We all remember your crash on the descent of the Col d’Agnes at Le Tour de France 2011, and how you continued on the race.
It’s what I am and it’s Le Tour de France, you want to finish and I had worked hard for that in 2011, a lot of training, and all I had was a cut lip, my wife even told me ”you don’t quit Le Tour for a lifted lip”. So I decided to continue and I was very happy for being in the Champs Elysees that year and finishing the race. After that, for two years I couldn’t see that picture of me after the crash with the bandage over my mouth, and now for example, even a famous dutch artist made a painting of that and I put it on my living room wall. Now I know myself because of hard working and not quiting.