New Zealander Tim Corswell has been introduced as the new national coach for Belgian track cycling: “More young people need to connect the road and the road”

Tim Corswell and Kenny Dicketele.

Tim Corswell and Kenny Dicketele. © Belka

More Belgian cyclists in sports. Hope to get more medals. Also prevent talented young people from quickly leaving the track and putting everything on the road. This will be a big challenge for New Zealand player Tim Corswell. On the edge of the international Belgian track crowd at the Flemish Cycling Center, the brand new track national coach, along with right-arm man Kenny de Kettle, introduced himself on Saturday. “Why do I choose Belgium? Not all possibilities are used here.

The name is not new. At the end of last year it became clear that the Belgian Cycling Federation had said goodbye to Peter Peters. He will be followed by a duo: Kenny de Kettle, who recently retired, and, Tim Corswell, a little higher up the ranks. Corswell hails from New Zealand, aged fifty, was once an Olympic-sized pistol, has been a pistol coach for more than twenty years and landed in Belgium three weeks ago. With the letters of the nobles. He led New Zealand to the Olympics in Beijing, London and Rio. It sounded like “a country with only five million people.” “But we picked up Olympic medals in team sprint and team pursuit, which explains a lot with good organization, planning and structure.

New Zealand is an example of Belgium. This is not a bad idea for Carswell. After last year’s Olympics – “always the time to push coaches” – he had many options. If he chooses Belgium, it’s because he sees opportunities here. “You’re a huge cyclist,” it sounds. “There is no shortage of credit. Only juniors should see how much talent there is. However, they often choose the road very quickly with certainty. I want to help reverse that wave. Look Abroad: How Many Good Proponents Have Not Connected A Successful Life On The Road? Someone like Kanna is a great example. Or in your own country: Lotte Kopecky. Piste and road can reinforce each other. That is what I want to teach those young people. You can’t give them big money on the slopes. But the chance for a rainbow jersey or Olympic medal. That too should be an incentive.

Playing in Paris

Corswell has a contract until the 2024 Olympics in Paris. It would be very disappointing if the 2028 Games in Los Angeles were not almost automatically extended. “I’ve been looking for something for a long time..” But the Games in Paris will be the first criterion. In Tokyo, Belgium was represented in large numbers with a total of four riders: team race and omnium, both men and women. That number should already be higher in Paris. “Team race and omnium are paramount,” Carswell said. “Belgium has been strong for many years. But we like to work in team effort. It also has a wider base and can attract more and more riders.

The spearhead of this new Belgian dynamic will undoubtedly be Lotte Kobe. Carswell has already had his first conversations with her. The new national coach is not afraid that he will become less focused on the track and more focused on the road after his recent victories as world champion in points race. “No. Lotte will be at the Nations Cup in Glasgow next week. Lotte is already working on the Games in Paris. After D’Hour Kobeki’s new partner in the team race, sprinter Nicky de Lock and men’s riders Robbie Guys, Lindsay de Wilder and Fabio van den Bosche, other key players are Shari Bosuit. The first big meeting for the new couple de Cottele-Corswell will be the European Championship track cycle race to be held in Munich in August.

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