With continued good results, he came into the picture of the former Dutch national coach Egon van Kessel.

As he became older, van Kessel invited Ruijgh to compete against foreign opponents of his age, which are also among the best in their country.

Ruijgh did not disappoint, winning the highly regarded World Cup Giro della Lunigiana in 2004.

After the Dutch National Road Race Championships in Beek, he broke his hand while training behind a scooter.

In 2011, Ruijgh had a great year; he helped team-mate Pim Ligthart win the Dutch National Road Race Championships in Ootmarsum, finishing 6th himself.

In 2012 he missed the Tour de France because of a knee injury and also had to quit the Vuelta a España; tests diagnosed a parasite in his stomach.