Image Credit: World Rowing
Denmark
Denmark are returning to the Holland Beker for the first time in several years. Their senior quad has some solid experience, with Johan Poulsen having competed at various championship events. It’s unclear what stage of development this boat is currently in, so it will be interesting to compare them to the Dutch crews.
Belgium
This Belgian crew has trained consistently for several years, finishing in multiple championship A-finals. While their peak is planned for the U23 World Rowing Championships in Poland this summer, they have come to test themselves against the powerful Dutch. Most recently, they finished third at the U23 European Rowing Championships with a strong performance. You can expect some fire as young athletes—they will likely take the race to the Dutch early.
Netherlands
Coming straight from the European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, the Dutch quad will want to take full advantage of racing in their own backyard. This crew has made one change: Lennart van Lierop has taken Simon van Dorp’s seat, as Simon will focus on The Diamond Challenge Sculls. Despite the switch, this is still a crew expected to perform very strongly. They will pack quickly after the race, as they are due to race at Henley Royal Regatta next week.
Prediction
Whilst we can expect some intense sprints from other crews, the Dutch should be a cut above the rest here as they’ve already shown so much over the last years. We mustn’t forget they will have their eyes on Henley Royal Regatta, so they won’t peak this weekend, but I wouldn’t expect that to hold them back.
