Former rider and top coach to continue development of World champion Marianne Vos’ team
Rabobank has announced the arrival of Koos Moerenhout and Ruud Verhagen to its women’s team, replacing current directeurs sportif Jeroen Blijlevens and Eric van den Boom, as the former departs to work with the elite men. 38-year-old two-time Dutch champion Moerenhout retired from the professional peloton at the end of 2010 – having started and ended his career with Rabobank – and, although 40-year-old former teacher Verhagen was never a rider at the top level, he completed Topcoach5 training and was talent coach at the Regional Trainings Centrum in Limburg, Netherlands.
“I think the Rabobank team has followed the right path with its structure change,” said Moerenout. “I really want to be a part of it. And it feels like a great challenge to work at the women’s team with the best of the world, like Marianne Vos and Annemiek van Vleuten.
“Even if they are world top riders, I wasn’t finished learning as a 35-year-old rider either,” he added. “I hope I’m able to teach them a lot.”
Blijlevens had been working with World champion Vos since 2010, when he joined as directeur sportif of her Nederland Bloeit team, while van den Boom had been with her even longer. Verhagen is looking forward to making the step up to working with some of the best riders in the sport.
“I had the chance to develop as a coach within the RTC Limburg,” he said. “I was very happy working there, but on the other hand, I was ready to take the next step. With the transition to the best team in the world, a dream comes true. I hope to be able to usefully share my experience as a coach/sports director at the Rabobank Cycling Team.”
Vos herself is also delighted with the changes to the team’s staff, as she looks ahead to her first season as road World champion since 2007.
“We will achieve synergy with Koos’ practical experience and Ruud’s coaching skills,” she said. “That will lift our team to a higher level.”