The second in a two-part series, Euro Peloton had the opportunity to interview Hennie Kuiper, one of the most prominent cyclists from the 70’s and 80’s. In the interview, Kuiper spoke about his time in cycling compared to today, some of his favorite active riders, and the doping situation in the sport of cycling.
EP: How do you see the sport of cycling today compared with your era?
HK: “It’s like when you look at a car from 50 years ago, and so it is the same in cycling. In the past we ate meat and cheese before riding, today they eat carb-heavy food. The equipment and roads are more organized. You can have great equipment now because there is more money. In my day, there was very little money involved.”
EU: Race radios and other cutting edge technologies weren’t available to you when you were a rider. How do you feel about these new technologies?
HK: “When you are a pro, you should have the benefit of the high tech products. Maybe when you are young you shouldn’t have the radio, but as a pro you deserve it. A lot of riders from my generation don’t like the radios and want them eliminated. Today everything is so organized, the coaches tell the riders what to do. During my day, we made the race out on the road. The great champions, Merckx, Coppi, no one told them what to do. They made the race themselves. It would be good to see the sport go back to having the riders make their own decisions about when they attack.”
EU: Are there any riders today that you particularly admire?
“Someone like Danilo di Luca I admire. He didn’t use a radio in last year’s Giro and he won the whole thing, so he proved it can still be done today. That is special though, because he (di Luca) knows the race routes in the Giro very well. In Paris-Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders, he would probably need to use a radio. Thomas Dekker too is a great rider, but he needs three or four more years to improve. At the moment it looks like he can build a fantastic career, but for now he must concentrate on getting better. Plus, to win the Tour de France is not for everyone. It takes a very special rider to do so. You must be complete. Your team must be complete. Everything must be 100% for one rider, then you can hope for victory”
EU: The sport of cycling is under attack by many inside and outside the sport for doping related scandals. What is your opinion about the current situation facing cycling?
“There is nothing wrong in cycling, it is a beautiful sport. Sure, in the 90’s it went bad with Festina and the EPO problem, but cycling is the whole world in small. You have winners and losers, scared people, good and bad, all kinds of different people. I will never say that the peloton will be clean, because the world will never be clean. You will always have bad people, murdersome people, that is just how it is. For me, the doping issue is overdone. OK, there should be controls, but not all the time talking about doping. The sport is changing, we need people who can handle the problem. Maybe that is one of the problems. People have to be ready to deal with the problem. Today, it seems some people want only to create problems, and that is what I hate.”
EU: What is it like riding day to day with the same people, as you did throughout your career?
“I had a lot of friends in the peloton. Cycling is a big family you know, so when you are not normal or you don’t act correct, there is no spot for you in the peloton. Because you see everyone every day, you must respect everyone and race with integrity or you will not be in the sport for long. Sure you have people you like more than others, but no enemies.”
EU: Was there ever any time for fooling around while you were a pro?
“Sometimes my mechanic would set up my bike the wrong way, causing me to be uncomfortable on the bike. During one Tour de France, on the last stage, I went through a feed zone to pick up my food, and the musette bag I received was full of rocks! I laughed, it was OK.”
EU: Who in your opinion is the best rider in the history of cycling?
“I didn’t ride with Fausto Coppi, but he must have been the best, but only if you eliminate Eddy Merckx. Merckx was always on the front. In a small criterium, a Classic, a stage race, in the world’s. He was a leader, and I love him for that. But it’s like discussing apples and pears, they were all great. Sean Kelly was one of the top ten Classics riders of all-time, but you have to remember that he didn’t win his first classic until his sixth year as a professional. It was at the Tour of Lombardy. I know because I was there, we were sprinting against each other. Francesco Moser too was amazing. He came to Roubaix and beat all the Belgians three times in a row. That was amazing, no? Tafi too was a hero and a fighter. And that is what cycling really is. You don’t always have to win the bike race, but you must give maximum effort to be considered a true champion.”
EU: Which race was your all-time favorite to ride in?
Euro Peloton would like to thank Mr. Kuiper for taking the time to share his views on a sport he dominated for more than ten years. He is a shining example of a true professional, and an exceptional person.
EP: How do you see the sport of cycling today compared with your era?
HK: “It’s like when you look at a car from 50 years ago, and so it is the same in cycling. In the past we ate meat and cheese before riding, today they eat carb-heavy food. The equipment and roads are more organized. You can have great equipment now because there is more money. In my day, there was very little money involved.”
EU: Race radios and other cutting edge technologies weren’t available to you when you were a rider. How do you feel about these new technologies?
HK: “When you are a pro, you should have the benefit of the high tech products. Maybe when you are young you shouldn’t have the radio, but as a pro you deserve it. A lot of riders from my generation don’t like the radios and want them eliminated. Today everything is so organized, the coaches tell the riders what to do. During my day, we made the race out on the road. The great champions, Merckx, Coppi, no one told them what to do. They made the race themselves. It would be good to see the sport go back to having the riders make their own decisions about when they attack.”
EU: Are there any riders today that you particularly admire?
“Someone like Danilo di Luca I admire. He didn’t use a radio in last year’s Giro and he won the whole thing, so he proved it can still be done today. That is special though, because he (di Luca) knows the race routes in the Giro very well. In Paris-Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders, he would probably need to use a radio. Thomas Dekker too is a great rider, but he needs three or four more years to improve. At the moment it looks like he can build a fantastic career, but for now he must concentrate on getting better. Plus, to win the Tour de France is not for everyone. It takes a very special rider to do so. You must be complete. Your team must be complete. Everything must be 100% for one rider, then you can hope for victory”
EU: The sport of cycling is under attack by many inside and outside the sport for doping related scandals. What is your opinion about the current situation facing cycling?
“There is nothing wrong in cycling, it is a beautiful sport. Sure, in the 90’s it went bad with Festina and the EPO problem, but cycling is the whole world in small. You have winners and losers, scared people, good and bad, all kinds of different people. I will never say that the peloton will be clean, because the world will never be clean. You will always have bad people, murdersome people, that is just how it is. For me, the doping issue is overdone. OK, there should be controls, but not all the time talking about doping. The sport is changing, we need people who can handle the problem. Maybe that is one of the problems. People have to be ready to deal with the problem. Today, it seems some people want only to create problems, and that is what I hate.”
EU: What is it like riding day to day with the same people, as you did throughout your career?
“I had a lot of friends in the peloton. Cycling is a big family you know, so when you are not normal or you don’t act correct, there is no spot for you in the peloton. Because you see everyone every day, you must respect everyone and race with integrity or you will not be in the sport for long. Sure you have people you like more than others, but no enemies.”
EU: Was there ever any time for fooling around while you were a pro?
“Sometimes my mechanic would set up my bike the wrong way, causing me to be uncomfortable on the bike. During one Tour de France, on the last stage, I went through a feed zone to pick up my food, and the musette bag I received was full of rocks! I laughed, it was OK.”
EU: Who in your opinion is the best rider in the history of cycling?
“I didn’t ride with Fausto Coppi, but he must have been the best, but only if you eliminate Eddy Merckx. Merckx was always on the front. In a small criterium, a Classic, a stage race, in the world’s. He was a leader, and I love him for that. But it’s like discussing apples and pears, they were all great. Sean Kelly was one of the top ten Classics riders of all-time, but you have to remember that he didn’t win his first classic until his sixth year as a professional. It was at the Tour of Lombardy. I know because I was there, we were sprinting against each other. Francesco Moser too was amazing. He came to Roubaix and beat all the Belgians three times in a row. That was amazing, no? Tafi too was a hero and a fighter. And that is what cycling really is. You don’t always have to win the bike race, but you must give maximum effort to be considered a true champion.”
EU: Which race was your all-time favorite to ride in?
HK: "Paris-Roubaix was my favorite race, made for me. I was nine times in the top ten. It was a hard race, you suffered long, you never gave up, and for me, that was good. I could survive and I never gave up."
Euro Peloton would like to thank Mr. Kuiper for taking the time to share his views on a sport he dominated for more than ten years. He is a shining example of a true professional, and an exceptional person.
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