Jeroen Vanbelleghem wanted to become a commentator from an early age: “Neighbors thought: there is something wrong with that boy”

Interview The Giro d’Italia is just around the corner, so many cycling enthusiasts will temporarily have two roommates during this first big tour of the year. Because in addition to the race, the Eurosport commentary duo of Jeroen Vanbelleghem and Karsten Kroon also speak often enough about everyday themes. To get to know the familiar voice better, spoke CyclingFlits expanded with the Belgian commentator.

Has commentating always been a dream?
“It’s been a long time for me. I was a big sports fan as a child. Football in particular was my first love for sports. I was sixteen when Tom Boonen became world champion, and he was really a god in Flanders then. I did participate in that at the time, he was really my idol.”

“At the age of fifteen I was already writing out the results of football or cycling matches, and then I would go with my brother to play football after the matches or cycle laps around the neighborhood and provide commentary. People on the street probably thought there was something wrong with me. He has something, or there is something about that boy. I even placed the results between my brake cables so that I could see the participants and comment while cycling.”

Is it possible to enjoy the race while commenting?
“Absolute! I am primarily a racing fan. So the night of the Tour of Flanders, for example, I can never sleep well. That is simply the most beautiful day of the year for me. And Paris-Roubaix is ​​also a day that I spend almost every minute working on it. Those are the races you grew up with and you take that with you.”

“So that’s really my passion. This is the case for the Flemish classics, but actually also during the Giro. You notice that a lot of people are working on it because we at Eurosport have the rights, and then you are excited that the Giro is starting again. So it’s a combination actually. Commenting is just as important as keeping the passion.”

“But in the event of a crash like in Dwars door Vlaanderen, I’m done with it for a while. After that race I also came home and immediately saw my wife: oops, she is not in a good mood. I think such a crash is a great shame for the race, because many top riders were involved for the rest of the spring. Just like with the crash in the Tour of the Basque Country where all those big names were involved. That’s especially disappointing as a racing enthusiast, but I always feel like commenting afterwards.”

At Eurosport you often work from home or from the studio. As a fan of the race, isn’t it more fun to comment on the spot?
“I used to think so. Before I had children, I was sometimes jealous of colleagues from other channels who were on site. Then I thought it was a shame. Now that I have a family with two children, I am happy to be able to comment from home.”

“But when my children are older and we have less to worry about, or when I no longer have to be there every day and they can do more on their own, then that feeling might flare up again. That I think: I would like to be there someday.”

Where do you comment from during this Giro d’Italia?
“There are about ten stages that we do from the office in Hilversum. We do the rest from home, to keep family life somewhat manageable. Karsten also has three children, so I think it is better for both of us this way.”

You already mentioned him. During the Giro you comment with Karsten Kroon, but that is not the case during all races.
“I like that variety. Karsten is more about telling stories. He can arrive in the morning and say, oh, is this today’s course? But that is tolerated and I think that is right, because he compensates for it with great tactical insight. I think that of all the co-commentators, together with Michael Boogerd, he reads the race the best.”

“Bobbie Traksel tells a lot more about what’s going on outside the race. So what happens behind the scenes at the UCI, or what teams are working on in terms of equipment. Bobbie also knows a lot about the course through good preparation. Karsten does that more on the spot.”

“During the Tour de Romandie I commented together with Erik Breukink. He’s a super calm guy who tells stories about the past at his own pace. I have a lot of respect and awe for that, because he is perhaps the co-commentator with the best list of honors with us.”

If you comment from home, do you speak to each other before the broadcast?
“We have a test broadcast for a stage. So then we check whether everything is correct and whether we can be heard. The first time we commented from home, we tried to video call each other at the same time. But we stopped that after two minutes.”

“We do text if we’re going to get a cup of coffee, for example. But sometimes Mr. Karsten Kroon is so in his own world that he forgets to say it when he goes to the toilet. Then I have to smell that he is gone for a while, because then I ask a question and I don’t get an answer right away. Then he comes back and sees my message and then he says ‘Oops, sorry Jeroen. Completely forgot to report.”

Vanbelleghem works together with Karsten Kroon during the Giro d’Italia – photo: Cor Vos

Will you be commentating on the entire Giro this year, from start to finish?
“We have decided together with Eurosport to no longer comment on all broadcasts in their entirety. So in many stages the first two hours are done by Jan Hermsen with a co-commentator. We noticed that after a long day of commentating you are just a lot less sharp in the final.”

“On the one hand, I think it’s a shame that we no longer always do the entire broadcast, because then you could just use all your preparation. But there are also days when we beat the entire race ourselves.”

What was your preparation for the Giro d’Italia like?
“That’s a job that takes several days. I am already preparing for the course and I keep an eye on the latest cycling news via various sites. The selections came in this last week and then you are automatically preparing for the Giro, but from now on that will become more and more every day.”

“During the Giro, I am also constantly preparing around the broadcast. In the evening I am busy looking for tourist information for the next day’s stage, because that is quite important for a long stage. That’s what I enjoy doing the most, so sometimes I really have to say to myself: I’m going to stop now.”

Do you actually do that preparation together with Karsten Kroon?
“No. Our preparation is completely different. Karsten does his own thing. We sometimes speak to each other, but that is more about personal things, about how we are doing, for example. Last week I became a father for the second time. So that’s what we’re talking about. I’m busy with that, even at the moment! So that’s not ideal planning with the Giro coming up, at least not for my wife. It doesn’t matter to me,” laughs Vanbelleghem.

This year the Giro d’Italia can again be followed completely and exclusively in the Netherlands via Eurosport and discovery+. In addition, there is a preview prior to the broadcasts and an extensive review after the finish Head over Headstudio with analyzes by former cyclists Bobbie Traksel and Jip van den Bos.