December began with seventh- and eighth-place finishes at Zilvermeercross and Spa-Francorchamps, respectively, for Team Giant-Alpecin’s Lars van der Haar, followed by strong third places at Scheldecross, Heusden-Zolder and Diegem and fifth place in Namur.

“December had a difficult start but a strong finish,” said van der Haar. “I got sick during a short training session on Mallorca, and then I returned to training too early, so I had a bit of a relapse. I’m currently moving toward the desired level, and I’m satisfied with the way I finished the month. My aim is to hold on to that level, and I hope to even improve a bit further. 

“January will be an important month, with both the national and world championships, and I hope to add another jersey to my collection. My goal is to finish the World Cup strongly, ideally with another victory.

“I’m happy with what I’ve shown so far this season. The world championships course suits me, and I hope to perform well there, as I am really looking forward to it.”
 

JANUARY RACE CALENDAR LARS VAN DER HAAR
01/01/2016 - Baal, Belgium
10/01/2016 - National Championships: Hellendoorn, the Netherlands
17/01/2016 - Lignières-en-Berry, France
23/01/2016 - Rucphen, the Netherlands
24/01/2016 - Hoogerheide, the Netherlands
31/01/2016 - World Championships: Zolder, Belgium