Jeroen Boelen was attending the 2011 Crocodile Trophy in Queensland, Australia, to help his Team leader and owner Bart Brentjens win the title. In both 2009 and 2010 Brentjens was runner up to Swiss Urs Huber. A fever prevented Brentjens from starting, leaving Boelen in charge of affairs as the race started on a wet day in Cairns. MarathonMTB.com spoke to Boelen soon after the conclusion of the Croc Trophy, to see if race leadership was something he had in mind.
“Not in the beginning, no. The plan was to start together. So now that Bart was sick, I thought now we have a problem. I’ll be alone. The first two stages are very hard, with a lot of climbing. Urs is always strong in this kind of race, and I lost time.”
The first two days of the Croc Trophy were tumultuous, with unprecedented rainfalls, modified race routes, yet still a lot of climbing.
“After two days I thought I was riding for 2nd place, and maybe I would be riding for stage wins – so I had something to win this week. After four days, I felt myself become better and better. And this was the point that I thought maybe I can make it, and I can try to make it difficult for Urs.”
Stage two was hard. Lots of climbing, lots of rain. Boelen manages a smile. Photo: Regina Stanger
Making a race difficult for a race leader and previous winner is a gutsy effort, but that is what Boelen did.
“I attacked Urs a lot of times. One time it was good attacking in the longest stage, but it was brought back due to problems with a gate. Further into the race I made a new attack. It was good, and he could not follow. So I pushed it very hard and made a gap of seven minutes.”
The long stage, stage 6 of 189km from Mt Mulligan to Mt Mulgrave, had some logisitical problems. The depot cars got stranded in a river, meaning the front riders received no water or food after the second of five depots. So for about the last 120km, they had to run with what was in their pockets or in their bidons.
“We all had problems with the depots. I had a lot of food with me. Everyday I took more food than I thought I would normally need. I don’t want to run out of food in the race. So I took a lot with me. In that final, on that day, I had enough water to get to the finish. Not for normal use. I set targets, and every time I looked on my computer for a distance check, I would take a little drink. Every five kilometers, that’s when I would take a little bit of water. That’s the way I made it to the finish. Urs, I think he was drinking normally, so had nothing in the final. So it was lucky for me that I gained seven minutes in that way. And that’s also racing.”
That gap was decisive. Huber was unable to shake Boelen on Stage 7, and unleashed his rage on Stage 8, doing an 85km turn on the front of the bunch – daring another rider to attack. He rode until his nose bled. Unfortunately he did not start the next day, due to a fever.
Boelen has more recently come from a road cycling background. But that’s not how he started.
“I started Mountain Biking last season (2010) in competition. But I started Mountain Biking twenty years ago. My first bike was a mountain bike. We had to choose when we were racing in competitions, whether you get a licence for Mountain Biking, or a licence for Road Racing. It’s different now. But half a year later I bought a road bike, to get speed for the mountain bike. But I also liked the road, so I ended up there.”
So why change then?
“After ten years, I thought about going back to the mountain bike. But the opportunity was there to ride with a small professional team, so I took that. It was a new experience for me, and I rode five years as a professional on the road. But you ride so many of the same races, and it was no longer an adventure for me. So I said to myself, I’ll make a switch to the mountain bike, for new motivation and focus – and enjoy it!”
The Milka-Trek Team is an impressive outfit. Anyone who has seen their semi-trailer or vans and campervans at races would be impressed. Their roster is deep and varied. 2011 was Boelens first year on the team.
“I have a contract for one year, and Bart wanted to get me for two years. But I wanted to try for one year. That way I could show what I could do for the team, and what they were able to provide. They asked me in July if I would like to go further (into 2012) and I said yes.”
Boelen had no team mates, so had to cover aggresive riders himself. Photo: Regina Stanger
So where does a Crocodile Trophy Champion go from here? The race has far greater standing outside of the country it runs in. Heading home though, Boelen is going into the off-season, and ready to consider his 2012 plans.
“I’ll make my program after this race, and look at the calendar for next year. There are also the World Cup races and Marathon Series The Dutch races are very important for the team. When I race in Holland and get a good result, it’s good for the team. We have other Internatioanl riders for the International races. These races for me are an adventure, to go see what I can make of it and enjoy it. I’m in the Team for Dutch races and Stage Races like the ABSA Cape Epic and the Crocodile Trophy – that kind of race.”
The Croc has a unique set of challenges, especially for foreign riders. The support system that may be in place within their team at home is usually greatly scaled down or non-existent. After racing a hard stage, it’s quite a task to then clean your bike, your kit, your bottles, and prepare them for the next day – all while ensuring you are recovering properly. Boelen always appeared to be the consummate professional – looking after his equipment, and getting around the camp with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.
Jeroen Boelen - it's the details that matter.
“When you want to win, every detail makes the difference. If you make your bike very clean, you can see everything, and check to see if anything has happened to your equipment. With the bottles, I took normal bottled water every day. Maybe you can become a little bit ill from the camp water. So it was a precaution. In the last two days I used the normal water from the camp – and that was also fine, no problem. But I don’t want to make a mistake, and those kind of details kind. Using your own food, mueslie bars and gels that you have used the whole season – your body gets used to them. Every detail may make the difference to getting a good result.”