A new life
In the final stages of his time at Motorola, Hennie meets Marianne Hetterscheid (1947, full name Maria Hendrika). Marianne has no interest in sports, cycling does not appeal to her. After a turbulent period, she has finally got things back on track, plans to start a beauty salon, and has no intention of starting a new relationship. Nevertheless, there is a quick connection between the two. Marianne: ‘At first, I thought: what am I doing with a man who has been an Olympic and world champion in a sport I know nothing about.’ Slowly but surely, that cyclist draws her into this new world. ‘I can easily adapt to new situations. That’s something I learned from my upbringing.’ She worked for years as a secretary and administrator at her father’s knitwear factory in Arnhem, married a man in education, and wanted - after the marriage failed - to fulfill her childhood dream - owning a beauty salon - until she entered into a relationship with Hennie. This culminates in a marriage on June 21, 2000, which - how could it be otherwise - takes place in Denekamp.
Hennie and Marianne in their house in Enschede
She now feels at home in the cycling world. Being by Hennie Kuiper’s side makes the situation easier. ‘With Hennie, you can go anywhere. Everyone likes him. Sometimes I find him almost too nice, he exaggerates. He does a lot for others. He visits the sick and is genuinely concerned.’ Hennie Kuiper is synonymous with sports. ‘He is interested in all sports,’ Marianne says, ‘but when it comes to cycling, his eyes really light up. He has tremendous willpower, still participates in sports, and has also gotten me into sports.’
In the Tour of 1998, Hennie Kuiper engages in an animated conversation with Crown Prince Willem-Alexander at the start of the eleventh stage in Luchon.
Mobile skybox
Kuiper starts a sports consultancy firm with two partners after his career as a team director, former professional footballer Gerard Somer and Geert Jan Bittink, called KSB - advisors in sponsorship. But even before the collaboration begins, it becomes clear that Hennie actually only wants to work in cycling. Because the agreement states that he can leave the sports consultancy firm if something in cycling is offered to him that he finds interesting. This happens quite soon when Rabobank starts a major cycling sponsorship project in 1996, with a large professional team as the centerpiece. It offers the bank the opportunity to introduce the mobile skybox, or guest cars in which important relationships are treated to a day of real Tour de France. Preferably driven by a past great. In 1996, Kuiper is not yet available, but that changes from 1997 onwards. Hennie turns out to be perfect for that job. He knows the course like the back of his hand, enlightens the guests about the secrets of the Tour, and has an endless supply of anecdotes at his disposal. Who wouldn’t want to be chauffeured around by such a lovable figure from the past?
In the beginning, he is busy with it for thirty days a year, a number that is expanded to eighty in later years. Hennie says in 2017: ‘That period with Rabobank has enriched my life. I have met many interesting people from whom I have learned a lot.’ He also organizes tours and clinics for large groups of readers of regional newspapers, not limiting himself only to the Twente press. ‘With Hennie to l’Alpe d’Huez’ becomes a well-known concept. He even enters the Guinness Book of Records with it. And just as Ine was his support in his years as a professional cyclist in the past, Marianne is now his anchor point in his current activities, where she also plays a role. Because don’t think that Hennie has rested on his laurels. Kuiper is busy with clinics, tours, lectures, and commercial activities. He was, is, and remains a charming, friendly but very busy guy. Marianne: ‘You can be a little more proud of everything you have achieved,’ she has said more than once.
Museum
A museum dedicated to his career was opened in 2017. This museum, named Hennie Kuiper Native, provides a good impression in word and image of the cycling life of this top athlete from Twente. Jan Goossink and Hans Stokkelaar are the driving forces behind this museum. Hennie Kuiper Native is part of Erve Kuiper, Hennie’s birthplace. It is located next to the farm managed by cousin Erik and his Hermien. It is a wonderful experience to walk through the rich history of one of the greatest cyclists in Dutch cycling history and at the same time have a view downstairs on the beautiful cows of cousin Erik, who is also a celebrated champion ice cream maker.
Despite his Olympic, world, and national titles, Hennie Kuiper has long been considered a leading rider in stage races. His victory in the Tour of Switzerland and his impressive performances in the Tour de France are illustrative of this. In his second career starting from 1981, he demonstrated that he also belongs to the world’s elite in classics. Throughout his racing career, he finished in the top ten an impressive 51 times in major one-day races. He achieved this in races such as Omloop Het Volk, Milan-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders, Gent-Wevelgem, Amstel Gold Race, Paris-Roubaix, Fleche Wallonne, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Rund um den Henninger Turm, Zurich Championship, Bordeaux-Paris, Paris-Brussels, Paris-Tours (Grand Prix d’Automne), and the Tour of Lombardy.
HENNIE’S RESULTS All top ten finishes by Hennie in various classics
Category A (total: 23)
| Milan-Sanremo (1) | 85: 1 |
| Tour of Flanders (4) | 77: 10, 79: 7, 81: 1, 85: 3 |
| Paris-Roubaix (8) | 76: 4, 77: 10, 78: 6, 79: 3, 81: 6, 83: 1, 84: 9, 85: 8 |
| Liege-Bastogne-Liege (5) | 74: 10, 76: 5, 78: 6, 80: 2, 83: 6 |
| Tour of Lombardy (5) | 79: 10, 80: 5, 81: 1, 82: 10, 83: 4 |
Category B (total: 22)
| Omloop Het Volk (1) | 76:2 |
| Gent-Wevelgem (2) | 79:10,80:8 |
| Amstel Gold Race (6) | 73:5,75:9,76:5,77:3,78:5,82:6 |
| Fleche Wallonne (4) | 78:6,79:9,80:7,82:5 |
| Bordeaux-Paris (1) | 85:5 |
| Paris-Brussels (5) | 75:7,76:2,77:6,80:4,82:8 |
| Paris-Tours (3) | 77:3,81:8,82:6 |
Category C (total :6)
| Rund um den Henninger Turm (3) | 78 :3 ,81 :9 ,87 :5 |
| Zurich Championship (3) | 73 :2 ,74 :9 ,84 :10 |
Total
| Category A | 23 |
| Category B | 22 |
| Category C | 6 |
Total :51
The class of cyclist Hennie Kuiper is not evident from a streamlined position or stylish pedaling. The rider Hennie Kuiper had other qualities. He undeniably had a lot of talent; otherwise you don’t build such an impressive list of achievements. Hennie undoubtedly possessed an enormous engine capacity that allowed him to keep going where others faltered. Perhaps the best compliment comes from Roger De Vlaeminck - no mean cyclist - at the DAF team reunion in 2005: ‘On his good days Hennie Kuiper may have been stronger than Eddy Merckx.’ But he lacked a sprint which automatically limits the length of his palmares. It’s not the number of victories that command respect but rather their quality. It’s other elements that stamp cyclist Kuiper as a rider of undeniable class - perseverance and determination. In those elements Hennie Kuiper is the undisputed champion - Champion Determination.
At the start of Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2009, Hennie Kuiper proves to be a perfect host on behalf of Rabobank. Together with Mart Smeets, he gives an admirer two priceless photos.
In September 1997, the KNWU replaces women's national coach Piet Hoekstra with Hennie Kuiper. Hoekstra is removed after a protest letter from five riders. Kuiper takes over the team in preparation for the World Championship in San Sebastian and instructs Chantal Beltman and Meike de Bruijn here. However, Debby Mansveld will be the best Dutch rider in Donostia. She finishes eighth.
The shield in the showers of the Vélodrome André Pétrieux on Avenue du Parc des Sports in Roubaix is the silent witness of the ultimate kilometers of perseverance of Hennie Kuiper, Champion of Willpower.
In April 2017, the permanent exhibition 'Hennie Kuiper Native' will be opened in Denekamp in the farmhouse where Hennie Kuiper spent his childhood. Now, among other things, a library has been set up where Hennie, Joop Zoetemelk, and Jan Janssen will reminisce about bygone times during the festive opening.