Lazare's first Jeugdtour

His mother discovered the EJCTA on Instagram last year, and Lazare said: “next year, I’ll be part of it!” And so, he was. The family looks back on a “memorable week.”

When I speak to Lazare on Friday after his final race, he is still a bit sad; he had really wanted to finish in the top 10 but just missed out. Nevertheless, he rode a very strong race, as his father shows me on his training app. He can certainly be very proud of himself for performing so well in his first international cycling tournament. Fortunately, a few days later, he can list quite a few positive takeaways from ‘Assen’.

“I learnt how to ride in a big peloton, and I felt comfortable more and more each day. I prefered the Time Trial and the Vamberg, I can’t wait to be in category 4 to climb it! I also really enjoyed the massage, it helped me for the Time Trial and made me feel well. I loved discovering Drenthe and meeting a lot of cyclists of my age from all over the world.”

“I feel satisfied about my performance for my very first Assen, I learnt a lot, I enjoyed, I miss it now. And I’ll come back stronger next year.”

But first, Lazare has a wonderful prospect: with one of the highest scores out of 1,450 students in the ‘Dictation of the Tour de France Femmes’ in Nice (La Dictée du Tour de France Féminin), he has been invited to the final stages in Nice this coming weekend. On the podium, he’ll surely meet some top female cyclists and enjoy the atmosphere.

It was great to get a glimpse into your week, Lazare, and good luck and lots of fun to everyone with all the upcoming cycling activities!

By Tieneke Verheijen