# Laurens ten Dam

Laurens ten Dam (born 13 November 1980) is a Dutch cyclist, who competes in gravel cycling. He formerly competed professionally in road cycling between 2003 and 2019 for the Rabobank GS3, BankGiroLoterij, Unibet.com, LottoNL–Jumbo, Team Sunweb and CCC Team squads. During his road racing career, Ten Dam took two victories – stage wins at the 2006 Course de Solidarność et des Champions Olympiques and the 2008 Critérium International.

## Career

A native of the village of Zuidwolde in Groningen, Ten Dam started racing in 2000 with Rabobank Beloften. He remained with the team until 2003, before spending one season at both BankGiroLoterij in 2004 and Shimano–Memory Corp in 2005. He then spent two years with Unibet.com in 2006 and 2007, where he recorded a stage victory at the 2006 Course de Solidarność et des Champions Olympiques, and a top-ten overall finish at the 2007 Volta a Catalunya (ninth).

### Rabobank (2008–2015)

Ten Dam joined Rabobank for the 2008 season, and won a stage at the Critérium International. The following year, he won the mountains classification at the 2009 Tour de Romandie. After no victories in 2010, Ten Dam recorded top-ten finishes at the 2011 editions of the Tour Down Under (fifth), the Tour of California (sixth), and the Tour de Suisse (eighth). In 2012, Ten Dam finished 8th in the Vuelta a España, his best grand tour finish.
In the 2013 Tour de France, Ten Dam had an excellent first two weeks of the Tour, sitting 5th overall after the end of the second week with his teammate, Bauke Mollema 2nd overall. However, in the last week, Ten Dam struggled to stay with the general classification contenders making him slip out of the top ten, finishing 13th overall.
At the 2014 Tour de France, Ten Dam was selected to lead Belkin Pro Cycling with Mollema. Through the Vosges on stages 9 and 10 Ten Dam was already almost 8 minutes behind race leader, Vincenzo Nibali giving his leadership to Mollema. Ten Dam's form slowly improved as the race went through the Alps finishing 8th on stages 13 and 14. With his good form moving through the Pyrenees, Ten Dam managed to finish in the top 10 overall, finishing 9th.

### Team Giant–Alpecin (2016–2018)

In October 2015 it was announced that Ten Dam would join Team Giant–Alpecin on an initial one-year contract for 2016, after spending eight years with Rabobank and its other guises, combining racing in the United States with competing in Europe and a focus on supporting Warren Barguil and Tom Dumoulin through his climbing ability and tactical knowledge. He finished in tenth place overall at the 2016 Tour of California, but this was his only top-ten overall finish in three years with the team.

### Retirement from road racing

While riding for CCC Team, Ten Dam announced his retirement from road racing in July 2019, but moved into gravel cycling.
In May 2021, Ten Dam won the Gravel Locos race in Hico, Texas.

## Personal life

Ten Dam is married with two children. Since his retirement from road racing, Ten Dam is able to spend more time with his family and life has become less regimented. In 2021, Ten Dam started a podcast called the "Beter Worden Podcast" (English: Get Better) in which several aspects of improving on the bike are highlighted and discussed with a human movement scientist.

## Major results

Source:

### 1999

    3rd Overall Flèche du Sud

### 2003

    1st La Marmotte

### 2004

    9th Grote Prijs Stad Zottegem

### 2005

    3rd Overall Ster Elektrotoer
    3rd Omloop der Kempen
    4th Overall Tour of Belgium
    4th Overall Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt
    8th Overall Tour de Luxembourg
    8th Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
    9th Hel van het Mergelland

### 2006

    1st Mountains classification, Ster Elektrotoer
    5th Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
    7th Route Adélie de Vitré
    7th Polynormande
    9th Overall Course de la Solidarité Olympique
       1st Stage 2a (ITT)

### 2007

    5th Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise
    7th Overall Deutschland Tour
    9th Overall Volta a Catalunya

### 2008

    5th Overall Critérium International
       1st Stage 1
    10th Overall Tour de Suisse

### 2009

    1st Mountains classification, Tour de Romandie
    8th Overall Vuelta a Murcia

### 2010

    10th Overall Vuelta a Burgos

### 2011

    5th Overall Tour Down Under
    6th Overall Tour of California
    8th Overall Tour de Suisse
    10th Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León

### 2012

    1st Ridderronde Maastricht
    8th Overall Vuelta a España
    9th Brabantse Pijl

### 2013

    3rd Overall Tour du Haut Var
    8th Overall Tour of Norway

### 2014

    8th Overall Tour of California
    9th Overall Tour de France

### 2016

    10th Overall Tour of California

### 2021

    1st Gravel Locos 150
    2nd Unbound Gravel 200

### 2022

    4th Unbound Gravel 200

### 2023

    4th Unbound Gravel 200

### General classification results timeline

Grand Tour general classification results :
| Grand Tour | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Giro d'Italia | — | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | 35 | DNF |
| Tour de France | — | 21 | 60 | — | 58 | 28 | 13 | 9 | 92 | 73 | 67 | 51 | — |
| Vuelta a España | — | — | — | DNF | — | 8 | DNF | 44 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Major stage race general classification results |||||||||||||||
| Race | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Paris–Nice | — | 42 | — | — | DNF | 43 | — | — | — | 122 | — | — | 44 |
| Tirreno–Adriatico | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 80 | — | — | — | — |
| Volta a Catalunya | 9 | — | — | 28 | 12 | 77 | 60 | 62 | DNF | 80 | 16 | 65 | 31 |
| Tour of the Basque Country | 62 | 29 | — | 59 | — | — | 39 | — | — | — | 60 | DNF | — |
| Tour de Romandie | 30 | 59 | 42 | — | — | 39 | — | 24 | 63 | — | 37 | 36 | — |
| Critérium du Dauphiné | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | DNF | 86 |
| Tour de Suisse | 65 | 10 | — | DNF | 8 | 23 | — | 13 | 20 | 72 | — | — | — |
| Tour de Pologne | 18 | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |

### Classics results timeline

| Monument | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Milan–San Remo | — | — | — | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tour of Flanders | — | — | — | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Paris–Roubaix | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career | Did not contest during his career |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | — | — | 71 | — | DNF | — | 31 | 53 | 63 | 49 | — | 62 | — | — | — | DNF |
| Giro di Lombardia | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | — | DNF | 39 | DNF | DNF | — | — | DNF | — | 94 |
| Classic | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Strade Bianche | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | OTL | — |
| Amstel Gold Race | DNF | 101 | 41 | 43 | 50 | — | 52 | — | — | 44 | 51 | — | — | — | 94 | — |
| La Flèche Wallonne | — | — | 55 | — | 34 | — | 112 | 33 | 56 | 79 | 30 | 101 | — | — | 49 | — |
| Clásica de San Sebastián | — | — | — | 62 | — | — | 84 | 39 | 56 | — | 57 | — | DNF | 50 | — | — |
| Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | — | DNF | — | — | — | — | DNF | — | — | — |
| Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | — | 78 | — | — | — | — | 96 | — | — | — |

### Major championship results timeline

| Event | Event | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Olympic Games | Road race | NH | — | Not held | Not held | Not held | 64 | Not held | Not held | Not held | — | Not held | Not held | Not held | — | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| World Championships | Road race | — | — | — | — | DNF | — | — | — | — | 119 | DNF | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| National Championships | Road race | 25 | — | 84 | 35 | 6 | 38 | 32 | — | 36 | DNF | 18 | 40 | DNF | 47 | DNF | 58 | 73 |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |
| NH | Not held |
| OTL | Outside time limit |