Taco van der Hoorn won a race for the first time since his return to the cycling peloton on Wednesday. The Dutchman from Intermarché-Wanty was the best in the Elfstedenrace, a race of almost 200 kilometers with start and finish in Leeuwarden.
Van der Hoorn returned to racing in August after being out of action for 16 months following a crash in the 2023 Tour of Flanders, which left him with a concussion and him struggling with severe headaches and concentration problems for months.
Here were even fears for the end of his career, but in Friesland the thirty-year-old Van der Hoorn could cheer again. With more than 4 kilometers to go, the South Hollander chose to attack, as he has often done in the past. In the 2022 Tour de France, he was also close to a victory.
Because the pursuers did not cooperate, the rider born in Rotterdam but raised in De Zilk was able to stay ahead and book his eighth victory. Behind him, his compatriot Jelte Krijnsen came second, ahead of the Frenchman Christophe Laporte.
“This is definitely good,” Van der Hoorn responded. “I was already very happy that I could ride a bike again, but winning is of course something I could only dream of for a long time. This is a very special moment.”
Van der Hoorn previously won stages in the Giro d’Italia, the Benelux Tour and the BinckBank Tour. His last victory dates from early June 2022 when he won the Brussels Cycling Classic.
