There is nothing to it, Harrie Lavreysen also understands that. If the same one wins every time, then everyone will automatically cheer for the others. His opponent Nicholas Paul from Trinidad and Tobago should have received more applause if he had won, the Dutchman thinks. As a fan he did too. But Paul didn’t win.
Instead, it was again Lavreysen who showed himself to be the best on the track’s king number, the hand-to-hand combat called the sprint. For the fifth time in a row since 2019, he is undefeated at the global championship. Lavreysen is so dominant, he even makes the sport a bit boring, on his own. Or not? “I enjoy that. Of course I can’t lose,” says Lavreysen.
Actually, the most exciting moment in the tournament was already on Saturday, when the round of 16, in which only one heat was won, became particularly exciting against the Australian Matthew Glaetzer. Lavreysen won by 0.04 seconds. “During that ride I did not have the feeling that I was not in control, but when I looked back afterwards I thought: poh, that was not necessary.”
Direct competitors
After that it is business as usual for the Dutchman. Matthew Richardson from Australia (last year’s number 2), Scottish bronze medalist from Tokyo Jack Carlin and Nicholas Paul, the world record holder in the flying 200 metres, are all simply put aside in two rounds by Lavreysen. “I’ve had a lot of direct competitors in this tournament, and I’ve picked them all out.”
Read also: this report from Glasgow about Harrie Lavreysen, who can run the perfect preparation for the Olympic Games in Scotland
For the thirteenth time, Lavreysen may wear a gold medal at the medal ceremony on Monday evening and put on a rainbow jersey. In addition to the five sprint titles, he has also been unbeaten on the keirin since 2020, and the Netherlands has been the best in the team sprint five times at the last six World Cups, including last Friday.
For the time being, the tournament is proceeding as desired and planned for the 26-year-old Dutchman, who has come to Scotland with ambitions for three times gold (the keirin is Tuesday and Wednesday). This World Cup he will receive support from an old acquaintance: former national coach Hugo Haak, under whom the track cyclists won 26 titles between 2018 and 2021, including two Olympic gold medals for Lavreysen in Tokyo.
Haak is back this tournament after an earlier departure, on trial as assistant national coach, and in that role mainly working with Lavreysen. This collaboration came about partly at the request of the current world champion himself. “I just really enjoy working with him. We have been able to analyze images of my opponents together and thus prepare all my races well.” After the tournament, it will be decided whether Haak will stay on or not.
Dreaming of Paris
While the keirin still has to be ridden in the coming days, Lavreysen is already dreaming a bit about next year. Then the Olympic Games in Paris are on the program, and he also wants to win three gold medals there. He carefully records everything he does in this tournament in an excel sheet, so that he can draw up a perfect scenario for 2024, when the competition calendar is almost identical to that of this year.
Because Lavreysen is well aware of the fact that the rest of the field is chasing him. His opponent in the final, Nicholas Paul, says it keeps him motivated. “Harrie was better, but my goal is to end his dominance.”
“I think everyone is working on that. They have had the same goal for five years now,” says Lavreysen with a laugh. That is why he will start again from scratch for himself next year, he says. “I have to move that benchmark again.” Because so far he is still the best of them all. “When you go into the track and you know you are the fastest, that is just very nice.”
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