Rigard van Klooster
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Linschoten, the Netherlands
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rigardus Antonius "Rigard" van Klooster |
| Born | April 6, 1989 Linschoten, the Netherlands |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Track |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | Sprint |
Rigardus Antonius "Rigard" van Klooster (born April 6, 1989 in Linschoten) is a former Dutch track racing cyclist and speed skater.
Speed skating
Rigard van Klooster started his sports career with speed skating. He started with speed skating when he was very young, started competing in 2002,[1] and won his first national junior championship in 2006 as a B-junior.[2] Since the season 2007–2008, Van Klooster skated for Gewest Noord-Holland/Utrecht and was a trainee at the APPM-team since the 2008–2009 season. As an elite athlete, Van Klooster competed in 2010 and 2011 at both the Dutch Allround Championships and the Dutch Single Distance Championships. He finished 17th overall at the 2010 KNSB Dutch Allround Championships and 22nd overall at the 2011 KNSB Dutch Allround Championships.
Track cycling
- 2011
A wingate test in early 2011 showed that van Klooster had the potential for track cycling. After some track cycling sessions, the KNWU offered van Klooster a place in the development team and a room in Papendal, near the velodrome in Apeldoorn. Van Klooster took the offer and quit speed skating. He rode in his first international competition at the Trois Jours d'Aigle, where he finished 13th. Two weeks after riding the two days of Wien, Van Klooster became the Dutch national sprint champion for amateurs in December. Later that month, after getting an elite license, he placed 4th in the 1 km time trial at the Dutch national track championships and 7th in both the keirin and the sprint.
- 2012
Van Klooster competed in the International Track Grand Prix of Alkmaar, Perth, Colorado Springs, Cottbus and Vienna.[3][4][5][6] In Vienna, he won bronze in the team sprint.[7] Based on his results, he qualified for the 2012 European Track Championships where he finished 6th in the team sprint (together with Hylke van Grieken and Matthijs Büchli) and 12th in the keirin.[8] At the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classic in Glasgow he competed in the keirin. He finished twice in third place and did not reach the second round.[9][10][11]
