Team LottoNL-Jumbo cycling have attended a team building exercise this week organised by the Dutch Royal Army’s ‘Red Berets’.
It is the start of a new venture which will see the cycling team and the Airmobile Brigade sharing knowledge with each other in the fields of training, nutrition and coaching.
Both parties recognise that athletes and soldiers need to possess stamina, physical power, mental tenability and leadership to perform optimally and the collaboration will help continual innovation and development.
Richard Plugge – Team LottoNL-Jumbo Managing Director – “We have a lot of respect for the raw reality in which the army needs to operate. We realize that sports, obviously, is a completely different dimension.”
“However, we will be useful for each other. We can learn from one other, we both possess extensive knowledge about physical and mental tenability in extreme conditions. The past days we have started our collaboration.”
“The entire team is present in Schaarsbergen, the Netherlands, for our teambuilding days at the Airmobile Brigade. These days, we will work on our TEAM values with the red berets: Together, Excellence, Accessible and Motivation.”
“Each day throughout the year we work on the development of the team. We do so by making sure all individual members reach their full potential via training, innovation and coaching.”
“This is something that corresponds closely to the army, where physical and mental fitness in combination with leadership are the decisive factors for the success of a group as well.”
General Mart de Kruif – “In order to win, Team LottoNL-Jumbo and the Army both have to make sure their people reach their full potential. Both are top sports!”
“We can learn from each other and become stronger. This way, we will also make the Netherlands stronger. Athletes are also an example to society. If they perform well, sports is boosted in society. We all benefit from that.”
