The world of DAF and Willy van Doorne
DAF is a new name in the professional peloton in 1979. The driving force behind the cycling project of the Dutch car factory is director Willy van Doorne. The golden DAF era, which began in 1958 with the introduction of the automatic, innovative Variomatic system, came to an end in 1973 due to the energy crisis. The company was faced with huge inventories on one hand and had to invest in the development of new types on the other. This exceeded the financial capacity of the conglomerate.
Swedish Volvo came to the rescue and gradually acquired a majority of the shares. DAF became Volvo. ‘Afterwards, we continued independently with trucks, DAF Trucks,’ says Willy van Doorne in his villa in Schilde near Antwerp. ‘We were looking for a way to draw attention to our trucks.’ At the end of the seventies, DAF chose cycling as a publicity medium. This had everything to do with Van Doorne’s interest. He has been a cycling fan from a young age. ‘I had to convince the other family members. Cycling suits us. It is a very popular sport that resonates with the interest of people in the factory, mechanics, drivers, dealers, and people in roadside restaurants.’
Van Doorne hires Fred De Bruyne as team manager. ‘We couldn’t immediately form the team we had in mind. We had to make do with riders who didn’t have ongoing contracts.’ Nevertheless, the DAF team was successful in 1979. Especially Limburger Jo Maas scored for the team in the Tour. He won the stage to Brussels and finished seventh in the overall classification. This upward trend was not continued in 1980. The DAF director decided to build a team that could really compete at the top. ‘I wanted Hennie Kuiper to join us. Hennie already had a huge reputation, not only in the Netherlands but also because of his successes in the Tour de France, also in France. And for us, it was very important to make a mark in France.’
Willy van Doorne asks De Bruyne to try to get Hennie to sit at the table. But when the DAF director shows up at Kuiper’s room on the rest day of the Tour, Hennie is not at the table but resting on bed. The director stretches out on the second bed in the room and in this somewhat unusual position, negotiations take place between the men. DAF boss Van Doorne is a man after Hennie’s heart. There is an instant connection between the two men from the moment they start talking. It quickly leads to a - temporary - contract. They henceforth refer to it as the ‘Treaty of the Bed in Morzine’. This ‘treaty’ was not initially put on paper. The men sealed their verbal agreements with a handshake. Hennie sets two conditions. ‘I wanted, if I were to win the Tour after all, to give Peugeot the opportunity to extend my contract. I was second in the general classification at that time.’ A Tour winner automatically means publicity and Hennie feels obligated to give this publicity to Peugeot as a sponsor if it comes to that point. Van Doorne agrees. And of course, there is also room made for José De Cauwer, Kuiper’s partner in BV.
Van Doorne has clear plans for the team: Hennie should be the main man for stage races. When in autumn Roger De Vlaeminck leaves Boule d’Or team amid disputes, the DAF director sees it as a golden opportunity. He calls Hennie, tells him about the plan to sign De Vlaeminck and then says: ‘I think it’s good for you to attract him. Then we’ll take him to the Tour as a decoy and you won’t be so stressed.’
Monsieur Paris-Roubaix, as De Vlaeminck has been called since his fourth victory in Hell of North, is at odds with his old employer Boule d’Or and eagerly accepts the offer from friendly Van Doorne. Kuiper calls it ‘a tactical masterstroke’ by his sponsor director. He also has great respect for Roger De Vlaeminck and therefore agrees with Van Doorne’s proposal. But De Vlaeminck in the Tour? Hennie has doubts about it. Nevertheless, Van Doorne believes he can persuade De Vlaeminck to ride in the Tour. He invites him to Parkhotel in Lokeren early in 1981. When guests are already waiting, Roger De Vlaeminck enters the restaurant. Even before ordering food, De Vlaeminck says: ‘I’m not going to Tour, right?!’ Kuiper: ‘It was as if he sensed it.’ Even Van Doorne fails to persuade Roger. Months before all this unfolds, there is a significant change in structure within BV Kuiper-De Cauwer due to their transition to DAF.
On September 25, 1980, José De Cauwer’s phone rings at home in Temse on his birthday. Hennie is on the line with a surprising question: ‘José, would you like to become assistant team manager next season?’ The question catches De Cauwer off guard. José wants to work towards a peak one last time in his career, his final year as a rider. And now comes this question. ‘I thought about it for a moment and then I answered: “It’s okay.”’
Metamorphosis
Only a few members of the DAF team are aware of the metamorphosis of the rider-De Cauwer into the team leader-De Cauwer. He officially becomes the assistant to Fred De Bruyne, former top cyclist, who has also gained fame as a reporter. In practice, De Bruyne will mainly serve as the public face, while the cycling technical and tactical decisions will be primarily made by De Cauwer. During the first team meeting, Van Doorne steps forward and says, ‘Guys, we have a new assistant team leader; someone who will focus entirely on cycling itself.’ Everyone looks eagerly at the door, who will come in now? José: ‘And then the DAF director points at me and says: “José De Cauwer.” Laughter erupts in the group. José? That will be fun. He is a joker. Now every day will be a party.’ However, the team leader-De Cauwer turns out to be completely different from the rider-De Cauwer. The DAF riders will soon find that out.
One of the first group training sessions is in Beveren. It’s raining heavily that day, not exactly pleasant weather. Kuiper approaches his buddy. ‘Hey José, we’re not going to cycle today, are we?’ But the newly appointed team leader immediately responds: ‘We are going to cycle.’ ‘But you didn’t want to cycle in the rain before and now you should?’ De Cauwer explains: ‘Hennie, we have paid for and arranged everything for this training. We are going to cycle.’ And again: ‘But you can’t do that.’ ‘Yes, we are. We will do a team time trial: the older riders against the younger ones. And full throttle. Well, that worked. My image as a joker was immediately gone. They now knew they were dealing with a team leader.’ For Kuiper, the DAF formation feels like a warm bath, especially after his experiences at Raleigh. ‘It’s unbelievable: women were allowed on training camps. The atmosphere was great and the team was thriving.’ At Post, women were considered poison. They distracted, tempted riders into sex, and that harmed their form, that was the mantra in cycling for a long time.
In Aartselaar, the DAF team for the year 1981 is presented and the five Dutch riders of DAF - Cote d'Or - Gazelle are portrayed separately. From left to right: Wim Breukink from Gazelle, Willy van Doorne from DAF, Gerrie van Gerwen, Adrie van der Poel, Hennie Stamsnijder, Hennie Kuiper, Hans Langerijs, and the director of the local establishment. Team manager Fred De Bruyne especially laughs very hard at his own jokes.
Roger De Vlaeminck and Hennie Kuiper understand each other. Fred De Bruyne sees a sunny future during the first training camp in Valbonne on the Mediterranean Sea
Training ride of the DAF team in 1981 near Valbonne. In the front row: Guy Nulens and Luc Colijn. Second row: Hennie Kuiper and Roger De Vlaeminck. Riding behind Kuiper is Adrie van der Poel, who in turn has Ronan De Meyer in his wheel.
Relaxation at the start of the Tour de France 1981 in Nice. Hennie Kuiper plays a game of pétanque on the beach with the local population
Before the start of the Amstel Gold Race 1981, the DAF riders pinned the race numbers on each other on the sidewalk of the Stadsschouwburg in Heerlen. Hennie Kuiper is helped by René Martens, who is helped by Luc Colijn, who is helped by William Tackaert.
Hennie Kuiper is waiting for a new wheel, while in front of him Ludo Delcroix is already being assisted by his team manager
The transition from successful Grand Tour rider to successful Classics king is also visible in the Tour de France of 1981, although Hennie Kuiper continues to take his profession seriously. It radiates from his face.
Hennie Kuiper also struggles on l’Alpe d’Huez. The victory goes to Peter Winnen this day. Hennie finishes 25th in the stage. To the left of Hennie: Johan van der Velde. In the background, Joaquim Agostinho is pedaling with Eddy Schepers to his left.
The face of Hennie Kuiper looks stormy, but 'sports director De Bruyne, Fred' - as stated on accreditation 203 - will surely tell him and point it all out.