Football, cycling, Formula 1, hockey, skating, athletics, rugby: the true sports fan has plenty to enjoy every weekend. But what should we really stay home for? Our analysts Robbert and Hein look ahead to the sports weekend here.
Has the Giro already been decided?
Robbert: The Giro seems to have already been decided after the opening weekend. Tadej Pogačar may not take the 1st stage, but he does take the 2nd and saves time on his competitors, of which the 37-year-old (!) former Tour winner Geraint Thomas is the most important. Or are you still expecting tension, Hein?
Hein: No, this edition of the Giro is a playground for Pogi. The fact that he jokingly tried to stay ahead of the bunch sprint on Monday says it all. If nothing crazy happens in the coming weeks, the pink jersey seems to have already been forgiven.
Robbert: Mathieu would say: just make some progress. Amuse myself a little. I’m going to do that too. Tonight we will shiver again at the denouement in the Kitchen Champion Division at Groningen-Roda.
Will FC Groningen or Roda JC be promoted?
Hein: These are indeed the best weeks of the football season, now that the decisions are about to be made. Last week we had one surprise after another during the switching show on Friday evening. It was fun from the first second, until well after the final whistle in Kerkrade… And tonight the party starts again, it will be even more exciting in Groningen. And then the crazy play-offs still have to come!
Robbert: Every contender was overcome by promotional stress last Friday evening. Well, Willem II has found his way up. They will play in the Eredivisie again next year. And the championship is probably still waiting. To be honest, I thought the highlight of the evening was when the experienced Kerkrade stadium speaker Wim Frijns (73) ‘misspoke’. Suddenly the entire field in the Parkstad Limburg Stadium was full of home supporters, who were under the illusion that they had already been promoted. Tonight they can take the bus to the Euroborg in the rematch. A competition schedule that coincidentally features a ‘final’ between Grunn and Roda delivers! You’re not making that up, are you? Can not wait.
Hein: A draw in Groningen is enough for Roda to still be promoted. But what if they lose and still have to go into the play-offs? After being in the top 2 all season? With the crazy promotional parties in your own stadium in mind? Then it will be a very long bus ride from Groningen to Kerkrade… In other words, it will be delicious again tonight. And then the weekend has yet to start. Anything more to look forward to, Robbert?
Also read: Willem Vissers and Guus Peters about PSV book, the best of the century: “A little more relaxed than Ajax and Feyenoord”
Paris 2024 beckons
Robbert: In addition to the Giro, this weekend there is also the European Mountain Biking Championships in Cheile Grădiștei, Romania, with no fewer than 3 Dutch top athletes among the women: Puck Pieterse and the 2 Annes, Terpstra and Tauber. There are no Dutch among the participants among the elite men. Mathieu van der Poel is enjoying a well-deserved rest after the spring classics, while Milan Vader is increasingly focusing on road racing.
Hein: The Olympic Games are of course getting closer, although we don’t yet know what Mathieu’s program in Paris will look like. Who we will see are the relay ladies (4×100 and 4×400, yet without Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver) and the mixed relay team. The relay men have so far missed the battle, but can go to Paris through the back door. For more information about this complicated procedure, I refer readers to the NOS.
Robbert: I’ll stay ‘in Paris’ for a while, Hein. As a country we are quite good at the small Olympic sport of archery. Men’s team Sjef van den Berg, Steve Wijler and Rick van der Ven narrowly missed out on the medals in Tokyo with a 4th place, while the mixed doubles Wijler and Gaby Schloesser took a silver medal. So keep an eye on it. The Olympic wrestling qualifying tournament will also take place this weekend in Istanbul. In Greco-Roman, Marcel (87 kg) and Tyrone Sterkenburg (97 kg) will both be in action today. We should also follow those two closely.
Who will take places 3 and 15 in the Eredivisie?
Hein: Then I’ll go back to football, because the denouement is also approaching in the Eredivisie. The champion, number 2 and direct relegators are already known, but FC Twente and AZ are still engaged in an interesting battle for the important 3rd place. And what about the battle for place 15, between RKC Waalwijk and Excelsior? One of these clubs maintains itself immediately, the other has to enter the quicksand of the play-offs, it is quite a difference. In the last round it is PSV-RKC and Feyenoord-Excelsior, so it actually has to happen the day after tomorrow for both clubs (unless the PSV champions are still drunk by then). Switching will resume at 2:30 PM ESPN. 9 games at the same time, including Excelsior-Heracles and RKC-PEC Zwolle. This weekend will be one big party.
Robbert: There is less celebration for our tennis favorite Jannik Sinner, who had to drop out of his home tournament in Rome this week. Whether he will be ready in time for the next Grand Slam tournament Roland Garros remains to be seen. Carlos Alcaraz had also unsubscribed from Rome earlier. It was also no party for Max Verstappen in Miami, where he ‘only’ finished 2nd behind Lando Norris. But that will be an isolated incident. Such results sometimes occur.
Hein: And sometimes a 2nd place is simply the highest possible achievement. Just ask its competitors Pogi at the Giro…
(Photo: Luca Zennaro/EPA)
