Merle van Benthem | Netherlands | Rio Olympics
November 2016
We caught up with Merle to see if the reality lived up to the dream and to take a closer look at the custom Meybo she took to South America …
Merle: Yeah definitely, I didn’t really know what to expect at the Olympics but it was better than I imagined.
15: Did you feel extra pressure on the gate because it’s the Olympics or does that pressure fade once you qualify? The excitement level must be off the charts?
Merle: I was so excited to race at the Olympics because at the end this is the race I thought about every time I was injured. It was my dream … but on race day I approached this race the way I always do for big races.
15: What did you think of the track when you finally got to ride it? The test event didn’t go to plan.
Merle: The track was definitely way better than when we first got to ride it at the test event. First couple laps on the rebuilt track I struggled a bit to get used to the green asphalt turns. Once I got used to it I thought the track was so much fun. One of the fastest tracks I’ve raced on.
“From winning races to all the hospital visits and from the fun times on trips to some break downs after injury, but everything finally paid off … I made the OLYMPIC TEAM!!!”
Merle: Everything about Rio was amazing.
15: Is Tokyo 2020 on your radar just yet or is it too far away to start thinking about?
Merle: Yeah, definitely. After a very disappointing result in Rio I’m determined to do better in Tokyo.
Frame: 2016 Meybo Holeshot custom XXL
Forks: BOX X Series
Bars: BOX One
Stem: BOX Impact
Grips: ODI BOX
Headset: BOX Two
Seat: BOX Echelon
Cranks: BOX Vector 175mm
Gearing: 49/18
Bottom Bracket: BOX Extremum Race Prep
Pedals: Shimano
Brake Caliper: BOX Eclipse V-Brake
Brake Leaver: BOX Genius
Front Hub: BOX 20mm
Rear Hub: SD Sniper
Rims: BOX Focus
Tyres: Tioga PowerBlock 1.75″
Plate: BOX Phase One #75
Frame: 2016 Meybo Holeshot custom XXL
Forks: BOX X Series
Bars: BOX One
Stem: BOX Impact
Grips: ODI BOX
Headset: BOX Two
Seat: BOX Echelon
Cranks: BOX Vector 175mm
Gearing: 49/18
Bottom Bracket: BOX Extremum Race Prep
Pedals: Shimano
Brake Caliper: BOX Eclipse V-Brake
Brake Leaver: BOX Genius
Front Hub: BOX 20mm
Rear Hub: SD Sniper
Rims: BOX Focus
Tyres: Tioga PowerBlock 1.75″
Plate: BOX Phase One #75
Merle: My Olympic bike is hanging underneath the SX hill at Papendal at the moment. I’m still riding it, only in good weather though.
15: Did the Dutch riders get to work with Meybo on how the bikes looked?
Merle: Not really, the guys at Meybo showed us the frame colours for the Olympics and it was love at first sight haha.
Merle: Just have fun racing your bike and focus on each race instead of only focusing on the Olympics, I made the mistake in 2012 to only focus on the London games and I can say that turned into a disaster.
15: What are your plans for 2017 season? Where will we see you get on the gate?
Merle: Well, first I want to recover well from all the injuries I’ve had. Once I’m in good shape again, I just want to race as many races as possible. The last couple years we have only been racing the important UCI point races to qualify ourselves for the Olympics, this year I just want to race a lot.
Photos: Merle van Benthem | Pro Gate Europe | Shimano | Fietscross Nieuws.com
