Interview Eva van Agt EN

 Interview Eva van Agt

Early in her sports career, she immediately crossed the Ocean. Not to do cycling, but to play hockey. A rushing pandemic made her discover cycling. Since 2022, Eva van Agt has been part of the pro peloton, where she both gains experience and achieves results. At the side of leading lady Marianne Vos, she rode her first full spring and pushed her limits. After a strong Spring, she wants to continue this strong form through the summer, where you can often expect to see her at the front when the roads go uphill. The Jumbo-Visma rider shares her experiences and ambitions in this interview.

You finished 9th in the Tour of the Basque Country last month. Did you surprise yourself there too?

Absolutely! I got the chance to see how far I could get, but because I had hardly trained on improving my threshold, I didn't have such high expectations for it myself. I thought my level would still be very far from the world's top, and compared to some of the world's top riders it is, but I was able to keep up better on the longer climbs than I had hoped beforehand. The week before in the Vuelta, I did a lot of work as a domestique. I had recovered well from this and it apparently gave me a physical boost

You also showed yourself in the classics. Which kind of races would you like to focus on the most?

At the moment I am trying to become as complete a rider as possible. Sprint races do not attract me, but as soon as it gets slightly hilly and tough, I like it. For now, I prefer to keep riding on as varied a terrain as possible. I don't yet know what suits me best. First I thought about tough races like Liège-Bastogne-Liège with some shorter climbs, but in Spain I discovered that maybe one day I could also handle the longer climbs if I focused on them.

What are your goals for later this season?

The team management also asked me this question in winter. Then I secretly thought: Goals? My goal has long been achieved - cycling with this star team. In fact, this was never a goal, but a dream. When I started racing last year, my goal was to one day become so good that I could join a team where my bike was sponsored. Initially, I especially loved training and thought it would be great to be able to do that semi-professionally. Since last year, I also enjoy racing enormously and I even get a salary on top: more than I ever dreamed of. Now that things are going pretty well, I dare to be more ambitious. I don't necessarily have concrete goals for this season. I want to keep pushing my physical limits in training, and get everything out of each race - "no regrets" as my team leader from last year used to say.

You are teammate of Marianne Vos. Do you look up to her?

Definitely - she gave me one of her green jerseys after the Vuelta and I almost wanted to ask if she could sign it ;) I always thought she was a fantastic rider, but since getting to know her personally, I have only gained more respect for her.

You took a big step forward in tough races this year. Did you prepare the season differently?

Last year I basically just did whatever and only started working with a trainer in May. Meanwhile, I have a trainer on the team who gives me great guidance. However, I think it is a combination of factors that make me perform better. For example, my body has become more accustomed to all the exertion which makes me digest tough races better. Thanks to our dietician, I further learned how ridiculously high the carbohydrates intake needs to be during a stage race, and experienced that this makes a big difference in terms of recovery. Also not to be underestimated is how much I was able to learn from my DS and teammates at Le Col-Wahoo last year, especially tactically, and how many opportunities I got there. I get to reap the benefits of that now and am obviously still developing in it. Finally, I put my studies a bit on hold, allowing me to take all the rest I need

Do you have certain things you always do before the race?

No different from others: pin my numbers, make "stem notes", drink coffee, sometimes do some foam rolling or stretching, argue with teammates about clothing choice, clean glasses, put on sunscreen, go to the toilet a few times ;)

Did you grow up in a cycling family?

My father and grandfather are big fans of the sport and passed on the passion to me.