The Dutch sporting year was marked by a power struggle between Johan Cruyff and other directors at Ajax, a cyclist in barbed wire, a soccer coach in a crisis region, mixed fortunes on the ice rink and an unexpected gold in baseball.
January
The year begins with the death at the age of 73 of Coen Moulijn, the legendary left winger in the Feyenoord team that won the European Cup in 1970, becoming the first Dutch club to win the competition.
Former cycling team leader Peter Post dies. In the seventies and eighties his riders won dozens of classics and Tour stages.
At the European Skating Championship, the Netherlands must do without the injured Sven Kramer. The Russian Ivan Skobrev and the Czech Martina Sablíkova grab the titles.
The Australian Open, the first grand slam of tennis, is won by Belgian Kim Clijsters and the Serb Novak Djokovic.
February
At the World Skating Championships Ireen Wüst wins the ladies' title. Among the men, Skobrev is victorious again.
Ruud Gullit is enthusiastically welcomed as coach of Terek Grozny in Chechnya, which has a dubious reputation in the field of human rights.
March
An uneasy marriage is on the rocks: Bayern Munich and their coach Louis van Gaal break up after the headstrong 'Von Gaal 'clashes with the equally determined Bavarian directors.
April
Turner Epke Zonderland becomes European champion on the High Bar in Berlin. The performance earns him the Dutch title of Sportsman of the Year.
The Belgians dominate the cycling classics: Nick Nuyens wins the Tour of Flanders, Johan Vansummeren wins Paris-Roubai and Philippe Gilbert the Amstel Gold Race, the Walloon Arrow and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
May
The Dutch Premier League has an unprecedented climax: the final day sees the top two, Ajax and FC Twente, play each other in the championship decider. Ajax win the match and are champions again after a gap of seven years.
Barcelona win the Champions League Final against Manchester United. It's the last game before retirement for United's Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.
The Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt is killed in a crash in the Giro d'Italia. Alberto Contador, who is in the news in 2011 through a lengthy doping case, wins the Giro.
June
Rafael Nadal and Li Na win the Roland Garros tennis tournament, but the Dutch are mere extras in Paris.
Ruud Gullit fails to inspire Terek Grozny to great heights, and is relieved of his duties by wealthy owner Ramzan Kadyrov.
July
The domination of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal seems to be over. Novak Djokovic wins the Wimbledon men's title. The women's title is won by the Czech Petra Kvítova.
The Tour de France offers some hope for older athletes: Cadel Evans, a 34-year-old Australian, brings the yellow jersey to Paris. The only notable Dutch performance is by Johnny Hoogerland. He is knocked off the road by a French TV car and falls into a barbed wire fence but continues the Tour with 33 stitches in his leg. The images are seen the world over.
The Netherlands takes two titles at the World Swimming Championships: Inge Dekker wins the 50 metres butterfly, and is also part of the relay team that wins the gold.
August
The Dutch soccer team is finally the best in the world according to the FIFA world rankings in mid-August.
The men's hockey team take second place at the European Championships. The women go one better and win for the eighth time.
September
At the World Athletics Championships Jamaican Usain Bolt shows human traits. 'Lightning Bolt' makes a false start in the 100 metres, and is disqualified. His revenge is sweet: he wins the 200 metres and helps Jamaica to the 4x100 relay title and a world record.
The Dutch national team qualifies for the European Football Championship, a year before the tournament begins. Meanwhile, Spain regains first place in the FIFA world rankings.
Novak Djokovic wins his third Grand Slam, the US Open. Samantha Stosur is the best woman.
October
But it's not football players or skaters who produce the greatest Dutch sports performance of 2011. The Netherlands unexpectedly reigns supreme in baseball. The Orange team, with lots of Antillean players, makes it to the final of the World Championships in Panama and beats Cuba, hitherto considered invincible.
November
The power struggle at Ajax comes to a head. The troubles in the Amsterdam ArenA could fill a whole article, so here are the main points: club icon Johan Cruyff take a seat on the Board. His vision clashes with that of other directors. After repeatedly trying to get his sympathizers into influential positions, Cruyff learns that his nemesis Louis van Gaal has been appointed without his knowledge as general manager. The Cruyff camp goes to court, and a judgement is awaited in 2012.
The Dutch basketball team beat Belgium 32-26 in Shaoxing, China, to win the world championships for the eighth time.
December
Ajax fail to qualify for the knockout phase of the Champions League following a suspicious result in Croatia. Olympique Lyon have to turn around a goal difference of nine to deny Ajax. The Amsterdam club lose 3-0 to Real Madrid, and Dinamo Zagreb concede six goals to Olympique Lyon in the second half, after a half-time score of 1-1.
AZ goes into the winter break as leader of the Dutch Premier League, just one point ahead of PSV.
Still to come...
2012 could be another memorable year for Dutch sport, with the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, and the Euro 2012 football tournament in Poland/Ukraine heading the list of events. RNW's Theo Tamis will be travelling with the Dutch team, and his exclusive reports will be featured on this website.
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