A year ago, Nathan van Hooydonck was forced to abruptly end his cycling career at the age of 27 due to heart problems revealed following a car accident which ofait fcost himfor life. A returnaite furature which does notoflet pprevented from remaining closely connected and involved with his team of heart Visma | Lease a Bikenotably as a reception employee for VIP guests during competitions. After a season in reception, the Belgian is ready to take a new step and take on a new role within the Dutch team, this time as an employee of the commercial department! “I am someone who wants to continue to challenge myself in business“, he declared in the press release published by his team.
Video – When Vingegaard spoke about the Van Hooydonck accident
“I feel safe here, it’s special”
“A job in the Team Visma sales team | Lease a Bike is the ideal step in my evolution“, continues Nathan van Hooydonck. “Richard Plugge and sales director Sander Kruis suggested it to me in November last year, but I wasn’t ready at the time. We talked about it again after the last Tour de France. We then developed a plan in which I had the opportunity to discover the sales department and its working methods. From partnerships and merchandise to communication. My scope of interest is broad, so I’m waiting to see what suits me best. Then we can decide exactly what role I will fill. But I love talking to existing and new partners. As a team, we really have a great story and I love creating value for our partners through our team. I like personal contact, so I like to visit new potential partners“.
An opportunity for retraining for which he was very grateful. “I feel a strong connection with Team Visma | Lease a Bike. I feel safe here. If you perform well as a rider, you are still valuable to a team, and they will do anything to keep you. Once you stop, these abilities disappear. That’s why I’m grateful to the team, and especially to Richard and Sander, for also seeing the value in me as a person. They look beyond just runner Nathan van Hooydonck, and that’s special“, he concluded.
