'Could have ended very badly' - XDS-Astana's dutch duo reflect on Tour of Holland stage chaos

XDS-Astana riders Mike Teunissen and Cees Bol both described life-threatening situations on stage 3 of the NIBC Tour of Holland that prompted the peloton's collective decision to stop racing.

"There were a few moments that could have ended very badly, and we drew the line there," said Bol to Wielerflits. "The most crucial moment was during a steep descent on a narrow track, where a large pickup truck with a trailer drove straight toward the peloton. It was a close call for the front of the peloton. It could have ended very differently."

Teunissen, a Limburg native, described how the safety issues were apparent from the beginning of the day. "There was a lot of traffic. It just wasn't well organised, so it was only a matter of time before something went wrong. We all decided to take action in advance, rather than have three people lying under a car and then say, 'Oh, how unsafe this is,'" Teunissen said to In de Leiderstrui.

According to race organisers, one particular incident involved "an oncoming car that, after being stopped twice, still decided to ignore the stop sign of the motorbike escorts," ultimately leading to the riders' refusal to continue.

The danger was amplified by the technical nature of the Limburg course. "We're riding down a hill at 60, 70 kilometres per hour, and you expect that hill to be clear. But then you come around that bend and you're driving straight towards a car," said Teunissen. "If you keep doing that here for another two hours, something is bound to go wrong."

Both riders indicated that safety concerns had been building throughout the race after multiple near-misses. "It happened several times, and after three times it was the last straw for everyone," Teunissen added. "I've never experienced anything like this before, to be honest."

Beyond the chaos and cancellation of stage 3, both riders expressed support for the event organisers and the fact that their home stage race returned for the first time since 2004.

"The organisation is putting on a really great race and there is a very high level of goodwill in the peloton," said Teunissen.

Meanwhile, Bol added, "I am very happy that the Tour of Holland could be organised and hopefully that will also be possible in the future. It is a very nice initiative."

Looking ahead to the weekend's remaining two stages in Drenthe and Arnhem, the riders are optimistic about improved safety conditions. "In Drenthe, it's very different from here. It's less densely populated, and the roads are different. So I'm less concerned about the weekend," said Bol.

Teunissen echoed this sentiment, concluding, "I hope it will be a lot calmer in Drenthe and hopefully they will get it sorted out in Arnhem on Sunday."