Next seasonTim Kerkhof will take a step back. The 22-year-old Dutchman has been forced to leave Roompot Oranje Peloton in favour of Destil-Piels. "The aim is to be a professional again in 2018," Kerkhof tells Wielerplits.

The Dutch U23 champion from2014 has not given up hope. "I'm full of morale. I had really hoped that there was a place for me somewhere in a professional team. However, I only got a reply from very few teams. My manager was hoping to get a place for me in Veranda's Willems-Crelan, but that turned turned out to be impossible. I already had a verbal agreement with Han Vaanhold, so I had something up the sleeve. And that's a very good plan. Maurits Lammertink also managed to get back as a pro via Jo Piels. "

Kerkhof also looks at the Dutch Topcompetition series. Winning this regularity classification gives professional contract with Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij which Kerkhof has just left. "For me, it would not feel strange. I've been there for two years and found it to my liking. For 2017, they chose their roster, and I was not among them. In their eyes I was not good enough, I guess. My spring was just very bad. Next year I can prove that I'm good enough. "

Despite his good spirits at the start of his new adventure, Kerkhof is frustrated that he will no longer be a pro. "My second half of the 2016 season was okay. In the second stage of the Tour des Fjord they caught me in the last kilometre. Otherwise I would have taken a solo win. Then it would perhaps have been very different. I am worthy of being professional, I guess, certainly in the second part of the season. But that is not so. The goal is to be back in 2018. Besides the Topcompetition, we will ride the Volta Limburg Classic, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad U27, the Czech Tour, a very nice program. There are enough pro races to show myself.”