Laurens Ten Dam became Gravel's first national coach for the Netherlands

Laurens Ten Dam will begin working at KNWU as Gravel National Coach. He is the first to hold this position in this relatively new but increasingly popular specialty. In the meantime, Ten Dam will continue playing gravel himself.

“I am very happy that the KNWU asked me to be national coach Gravel, and I am motivated to take Dutch clay courts to the next level,” says Ten Dam in a conversation with the Dutch Football Association. Algemeen DagbladWho published the news of his appointment. “It is a position where I can express my enthusiasm for the sport and work with athletes.”

Ten Dam was a road pro from 2004 to 2019. After the North Hollander ended that career, he continued his work as a gravel rider. He actually discovered that circuit a few years ago and is considered the founder of gravel racing in the Netherlands. In 2022 and 2023, Ten Dam placed fourth in Unboud Gravel, one of the world's largest and most prestigious gravel competitions in the United States. In 2021 he finished second in the 350 km race. Next year, in addition to his duties as national coach, he will continue racing himself.

KNWU: “We were looking for a coach from the clay court community”
The fact that Ten Dam has a long track record as a jockey plays a role in KNWU choosing him. “We were looking for a coach from the clay court community, with a lot of sporting experience,” says KNWU head coach Wilbert Broekhuizen. “Our best players are at the start of the tournament, so it's important to know what's going on,” he added. As a former road professional, Lorenz brings with him a wealth of experience, but he has also made his mark as a gravel biker.

In the coming years, Ten Dam will be tasked with making selections for tournaments and forming units from different groups. In addition, he aims to make the increasingly popular clay sport even greater in the Netherlands.