After a season full of setbacks and his contract with Lotto-Intermarché coming to an end, Taco van der Hoorn is uncertain whether he will be in the pro peloton in 2027, according to Weilerflits.
The 32-year-old made his reputation as one of the most aggressive riders in the bunch, and his breakaways paid off with a Giro d'Italia stage win in 2021 and a handful of one-day race victories.
However, he was sidelined for most of two seasons after a crash in the 2023 Tour of Flanders left him with severe concussion symptoms. He made his return late in 2024, going on to win the Elfstedenrace, but his last two years have been riddled with illness and injury, which can make contract negotiations difficult.
"At the moment, I actually have no idea what I'm going to do next year," Van der Hoorn said. "There is still a possibility that I will stay with my current team, but it is also possible that I will have to leave. There is also contact with other teams, but that is far from concrete at the moment. So it could go in any direction. It is quite possible that I will still be riding in the WorldTour next year, but it is also possible that I won't be able to find a team at all."
Teams have already had to file their paperwork, including rider contracts to the UCI for the coming season, but there is still time for riders out of contract to find teams before January. Van der Hoorn says his chances of finding a team are fifty-fifty.
"It could just turn out the right way, but it could also just not ... There are still a lot of good riders available on the market for many teams. That makes it difficult. I would really like to continue, because I still enjoy training, racing, and professional life immensely. The difficult thing is that you don't have it entirely in your own hands."
A litany of physical problems, including knee surgery in February and then compensatory pain in the other knee, ruined his spring. Then, just as he was getting back to his top form, another setback hit.
"In Poland, I was really good again. I was part of breakaways and noticed that I was starting to ride at my old level again. That was a huge relief. I regained the confidence that I could still fight for a win this year. And then I crashed again."
His fall in the Renewi Tour left him with a broken hand and elbow, but he still geared up for a return in October, closing out his season at the Eneco Tour.
"It wasn't easy mentally to get myself there again," he said. "But I wanted to try one more time. Of course, I felt the urge to prove myself. I wanted to show that I am still good enough."
Van der Hoorn believes he still has more to give to the sport, like controlling breakaways for a team leader, mentoring young riders or even taking up a completely different sport.
"Suppose it doesn't work out to stay in the WorldTour or as a pro on the road at all, then I could also take up gravel. There are no concrete plans for that yet, but it is something I aspire to. I just really still enjoy cycling and have a competitive mindset. Moreover, I could combine that well with finishing my studies."
Van der Hoorn studied exercise science and is currently pursuing a degree in psychology.
"I think that with my studies and ten years of experience as a pro, I have quite a strong CV to get started somewhere in sports. For example, as a trainer or mentoring young riders. But I don't have any concrete plans for that yet. If I don't manage to find a contract, it could just as easily be that I take a year off and focus entirely on my studies. I wouldn't mind that at all.
"If it ultimately doesn't work out, then so be it. For now, I still hope that I can continue my career as a professional cyclist. I am open to any adventure that comes my way."
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