Soccer? You didn’t have to call Kas about that back in the day. He preferred to hop on his bike and ride laps through the woods with his father. He enjoyed that and it was a great way to burn off his energy. But there was room for more. As a teenager, he would ride with the adults on Sundays because he couldn’t go fast enough. He is now a top-level mountain biker, a career he combines with working at Vencomatic Group.
Where the route began
As a mechanical engineering student, Kas was looking for a great internship. His requirements? Close to home and flexible working hours. He explains: “I think commuting is a waste of time, so I was looking for a place close to home. I was already familiar with Vencomatic Group because I used to go mountain biking with Cor van de Ven. Although the industry didn’t necessarily sound glamorous, I still scheduled an interview with Sander (Vencomatic Group internship coordinator) at Fontys Meet & Match.” And apparently, it was a good interview; he chose Vencomatic Group as his internship company. Naturally, he combined it with elite sports.
A passion for cycling
Everything he did had to revolve around cycling. Kas enthusiastically shares his passion: “Actually, I never planned to focus so intensely on cycling or to become a top-level mountain biker. But I really enjoyed it, and that’s just how it turned out.” Even though mountain biking isn’t a huge sport, he’s fully committed to it. “I’ve really grown, especially during the pandemic. You weren’t allowed to do much of anything, but you could still exercise (while maintaining distance). So I started cycling a lot more, because I had the time and enjoyed it. Suddenly I could keep up with the best, got scouted, and could really compete.” He is now working hard on his athletic career with a professional trainer, and Kas is proud of that. “Now I have a real team, sponsors, and cool international competitions that I compete in.” Vencomatic Group also sponsors Kas, providing a van that allows him to travel safely for many miles to competitions.
Balancing elite sports with a job
After he graduated, he had more time for competitive sports. But not working isn’t an option for Kas. So he started looking for a job that wasn’t too demanding and that offered the flexibility to balance work with mountain biking. Kas: “After my internship, I ended up staying here. And I really like it. There’s always something to do in the R&D department, so there’s always work.” It’s set up to be flexible for both sides. “About a month in advance, I let them know how many hours I’m available to work. Based on that, they determine which tasks and assignments I can take on. About two weeks before the new month, we coordinate which days I’ll be coming in.” Of course, combining elite sports with work doesn’t always go smoothly. As Kas explains: “Sometimes it is difficult. When everything goes well, that’s great. But sometimes unforeseen things happen, like parts breaking on my bike. Then I have to spend my evenings on repairs. So sometimes you do hit a wall, but it’s also a matter of coordinating well with my trainer and work.”
What a typical week looks like
On Mondays, Kas spends half the day working and half the day training. Monday evenings are set aside for getting his bike in top shape. Tuesday is a sports day: he starts the morning with strength training and then gets on his bike. Wednesday is also dedicated to mountain biking: a tough training session is on the schedule. He usually doesn’t work on this day, because he also needs time to recover and prepare. Kas talks about the rest of the week: “Thursday is my rest day, so I can go to work. On Friday, I work for half a day, after which I do some light strength training and hop on the bike for a bit.” Relaxing over the weekend? Not a chance! Kas continues: if there’s no race, he does interval training. Both Saturday and Sunday.
Proud and ambitious
When Kas looks back on how things went, he feels a sense of pride. “I’m really happy that I finished my bachelor’s degree in 4.5 years—even with such a strong focus on cycling. I’ve also learned along the way how to communicate with different people. Sometimes it can be hard to explain to everyone where my priorities lie, so you just keep getting better and better at it.” He has big ambitions in the world of mountain biking. He mentions his goal of competing in the World Championships, and of course every elite athlete’s dream: the Olympic Games.
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