The coaching of Johan Cruyff Institute reaches the Tour de France

May 27, 2016

The coaching of Johan Cruyff Institute reaches the Tour de France

Merijn Zeeman, alumnus of the Master in Coaching, is head coach at Team LottoNL-Jumbo and explains their preparations for The Tour

After the sponsor Rabobank left, we went through some uncertain years. We were very lucky we could count on the loyal support of a number of individuals and companies. We are now sure that under the guidance of Richard Plugge, we can work on Team LottoNL-Jumbo until 2018. How do we ensure that every team member goes through fire for their fellow teammates, and what’s the best way to be optimally prepared for races?

To quote the words of Johan Cruyff, “alone you can’t do anything, you must do it together”. We did a part of the preparations with the Airmobile Brigade. They know better than anyone how important it is to rely on each other – when you’re fighting for your life a strong team is crucial! We learned a lot; as a team we are much closer together.

The coaching of Johan Cruyff Institute reaches the Tour de France

Merijn Zeeman, talking with a teammate before the start of a stage

Team LottoNL-Jumbo works with a large team of experts and coaches, who work intensively with the riders. We analyze all opportunities for each race and what we want to achieve as a team. Additionally, we use all different kinds of angles, such as scientific knowledge and practical experience. Many coaches have been professional cyclists and know the drill. This provides intense discussions.

Master in English

Coaching Amsterdam

This 7-month program, in English, is based on Johan Cruyff’s vision of coaching as more than using tactical and technical knowledge. It is about yourself, the players and the staff, the team and the environment. We believe that you can only coach others if you know how to coach yourself.

Sign up now

All the races of the World Tour are important, but the Tour de France is by far the biggest and most complex event: the logistics is a huge puzzle, and all the training and preparation programs for each individual rider have to be figured out. And it all has to come together to produce the strongest team possible during the entire tour, which lasts three weeks. In June, our trainers, Louis Delahaije and Mathieu Heijboer, supervise a high altitude training camp which provides a strong base for high performances in July. After the camp, but before the Tour, we ride the Tour de Suisse in Switzerland, where the athletes have an opportunity to make a final effort to improve their performances as riders, and as a whole team.

The coaching of Johan Cruyff Institute reaches the Tour de France

Merijn Zeeman

As a coach, I always feel that drive to develop the team, the athletes, and also myself! That’s why I studied the Master in Coaching at the Johan Cruyff Institute. My biggest challenge is –and this applies to every coach– to check out everything for myself first, before I focus on others. For an optimal performance of the team, I believe it’s extremely important that there is a connection between all team members. That everybody feels comfortable and can be themselves, and that there is a safe environment where there is room for vulnerability. It is then that a coach can be sharp, critical and confrontational, in order to get the best out of the team and the individual athletes.

“My biggest challenge isand this applies to every coach to check out everything for myself first, before I focus on others”

Johan Cruyff put it very nicely and it is the main motto in coaching: “you can only coach others if you know how to coach yourself“. It hits the nail on the head! In that respect, I keep on learning every day and it’s my main motive to continue this work, with the passion that I feel for it. Inspiration drives my work. Working all together with a group of athletes and coaches towards a target, is there a more wonderful thing in the world?

Master in Dutch

Coaching Amsterdam

This program, in Dutch, is designed for those who are a coach or manager in sports, but it is also appropriate for (team) managers, staff members, leaders, counselors and HRM-consultants from other sectors.

Sing up now

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The Magazine