Istanbul, Friday 5 October 2018 – When the 54th edition of the Presidential Tour of Turkey gets underway this Tuesday, a 29 year-old Dutchman, Jetse Bol, will be racing on Turkish roads for the fourth time.
Jetse Bol was a little known rider until the 2017 Vuelta a España. On stage seven he joined the breakaway, became race leader on the road, and came to within 29 seconds of taking the jersey, finishing the day in seventh place overall. It was an exhilerating return to the sport's highest level for a rider who, in his short career, has known highs and lows.
He took part in his first TUR in 2012, in his first year as a professional. But he had already spent four years with one of the sport's biggest development projects, the prestigious Rabobank Continentnal Team. There, he rode alongside household names like Tom Dumoulin, Rohan Dennis and Steven Kruijswijk.
In that first TUR, Jetse was part of Rabobank's sprint train. In a successful race for the team, Jetse contributed to wins by Theo Bos in stages one and eight.
But Rabobank's commitment to the sport was wavering, and the team became Belkin in 2013, and then Blanco a year later, the name reflecting the absence of a main sponsor.
“I spent three years with the Rabobank set up, but they were tough times and in the end I was left without a contract. It is just the way it is in cycling. So I spent a few years racing a lower level in Holland."
Jetse Bol spent two years with the Continental team, Cyclingteam Join's - De Rijke.
“It was really hard after dropping so many levels to get back in the professional peloton if you’re not winning anything big or racing at major stages. We had to spend our family savings on keeping riding, and after a spell with Cyclingteam Join's, I had to leave because the team were downsizing and they couldn’t afford the salaries any more.
“Then, through their team manager, I got in touch with a Spanish agent who introduced me to Manzana Postobón. There was an opportunity there. The only thing was, I had to learn Spanish. At the time I didn’t speak any, but I spent a whole year learning the language and all of a sudden, after two years in the wilderness, I was back in the pro peloton, with a Colombian professional team and racing in La Vuelta.'
On 1 August this year, Jeste moved from Manzana-Postobón to the Spanish Pro Continental team Burgos-BH.
"I left at quite a strange moment to move to Burgos-BH. I really enjoyed my time there but it became difficult for me for various reasons. Logistically, being based in Europe but riding for a Colombian team was a challenge.”
The TUR will reunite him with his former team mates including another foreign legionnaire, the Portuguese rider Ricardo Vilela.
“It will be great seeing them all again.'
His TUR experience means he knows the roads well. He will even revisit Marmaris where, in 2014, he finished the stage sixth.
“It’s definitely something I am looking forward to and it’s a beautiful country - I’ve always loved it there. I can’t wait to arrive back next week and get going.”
