What drives TALENT Cycling coaches to perform their function? What makes it so great to guide a cycling team? Every supervisor has his own motivation for this. For chairman Ed den Outer and trainer Stefan van Klink, it all started in 2012.
It was the summer of 2012 when Ed den Outer and Stefan van Klink got together in a nice discussion during the youth camp at cycling association Avanti. In the middle of the night while keeping watch. Stefan was still an active cyclist that year in his last year as a junior. Ed was involved with Avanti as a youth committee member and through his children who were also active as cyclists at the time.
It was a year for both Ed and Stefan to make choices. How to continue cycling? And why? What is so beautiful about the sport? That last question turned out to be an important one to answer. Ambition, drive and wanting to get the most out of yourself were important core values in this.
2012 was the year that Stefan decided to put his own cycling career aside to get started as a trainer. “Ed gave me some inspiration that night, that I can also realize my passion for cycling in a different way”. This led to a trainer career that started with the youth of cycling association Avanti, but soon shifted to TALENT Cycling (formerly SwaboLadies.nl).
“The question whether I miss racing myself is often asked. But I have always answered that question with no. I think the great thing about sports is that you can get the most out of yourself. The excitement on a match day and the road you walk there are great things to experience. As a cyclist I experienced that myself, I was in my own world and was mainly concerned with myself. But as a trainer I can share that experience. ”
“When I’m at a race now, I experience the race much more intensely than when I was driving myself. Now I am nervous about six riders instead of one. Together with the riders I will take the challenge to get the most out of it. We are going through the lows together and when there is success I am even more proud than when I achieved something myself. Sharing the joy together is the best thing there is. ”
It was not much later that Ed also decided to change course. After his children stopped cycling, Ed’s passion for the sport had not yet died out. Working with people who have the ambition to become the best inspired Ed to continue guiding cyclists.
“I had so much fun with the youth cyclists with whom I myself often went cycling on Saturday morning. A Daan Kool and Melissa Wijfje, the members with a mission. But also the riders and riders who had fun come first. They came five kilometers outside Alphen aan den Rijn and they had never been there by bicycle. Still, I wanted to help the riders who had a goal. ”
For example, Ed came into conversation with Hans Blom and he has been active in women’s cycling for 5 years now, now as chairman of TALENT Cycling. “I am very happy that I made this choice at the time, to continue with the top athletes. It suits me well. I am also happy that we provided Stefan with the environment to grow. Of course we are disappointed that he is leaving , but if you reason from Stefan you just have to be proud. ”
Our message is that you can also fulfill a passion for a sport in other ways. As an association, we strive not only to give riders a chance to develop further, but we also strive to let people grow within our association. That certainly also applies to our care takers, mechanics, team leaders and everyone involved with us. Together you make a difference and we continue to build on our dream.
Also motivated to help build our cycling dream? Please contact secretaris@talentcycling.nl at all times.