Carlijn's first Jeugdtour

After three years of absence, not only many riders are riding their first Jeugdtour Assen. Carlijn Haan is also here for the first time. Carlijn is 24 and was inspired by her father, who is also a jury member, to become a jury member too. She successfully completed the training in 2019. This week she is working for the first time in a multi-day event.

“There is much more to it than other competitions I have done before,” she says from the Muur van Emmen. “It is new to me that we now also have to keep track of rankings and pay attention to who is riding in which jerseys.”

Many jury members have been coming to the Jeugdtour Assen for years. So they know the tricks of the trade. This experience is very important for the organization, but very instructive for Carlijn as well.

“I like that we are with the same team all week. We alternate the tasks, so every day is different. The job as a commissaire is a great way to experience this sport. I have great colleagues on the jury and we have the opportunity to work in different disciplines.”

Now for the first time in a youth multi-day event. Carlijn also rides a bike herself, but has never had the ambition to compete. “No, I like being closely involved in this way. That is very different from standing by the side as a spectator and experiencing everything. For example, I did a lot of track competitions last year.”

Her first Jeugdtour has pleased her at least so far. “I notice that everyone who has been to the Jeugdtour before has their own story about previous editions. This competition is different from other youth competitions. There are more nationalities and I notice that the participants like to come here to compete for the prizes.”