Lisa van Belle, the bronze medalist within the Madison on the Paris Olympic Video games final summer time, has signed with SD Worx-Protime with quick impact, the crew introduced on Thursday. The 21-year-old will debut with the crew within the upcoming Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es.
Final yr, Van Belle and Maike van der Duin prevailed in opposition to extra skilled groups within the Olympic Video games Madison, ending third behind Italy and Nice Britain, and the pair went on to assert the European title in the identical occasion in February.
Now, after solely a part of the season with the Continental crew Velopro-Alphamotorhomes, Van Belle will step immediately into the Girls’s WorldTour on the Vuelta Femenina on Sunday, now as a rival to Van der Duin, who can be competing with Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto within the Spanish stage race.
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“She can be thrown into the deep finish instantly,” Sports activities Director Danny Stam stated. “Typically it’s extra excellent to debut within the crew in a smaller race. Alternatively, there isn’t any excessive stress on our crew in Spain. For us, that is additionally all the time an intermediate stage of race. This manner Lisa can get acquainted with the crew and matches at a better degree with out strain.”
Stam had been following Van Belle’s outcomes and leapt on the alternative to signal her after Chantal Van den Broek-Blaak retired in February.
“The choice so as to add a rider is as a result of we have been commonly tight in our line-ups,” Stam stated. “That is partly as a result of Chantal Van den Broek-Blaak give up due to her being pregnant. Since Lisa is, in my eyes, a expertise for the longer term, we felt that the earlier now we have her beneath our wing, the higher. I’ve seen her working commonly on the velodrome. That is the place the potential of a very good bicycle owner stands out. She is a crew participant, but additionally an actual winner.
“I believe she will change into a lot stronger on the street. She had in her thoughts to ultimately make the change from observe to street. We now have expertise of that with Lotte Kopecky and prior to now additionally with Amy Pieters. We’re assured that Lisa can develop into a very good rider on the street.”
Van Belle referred to as the contract, which runs by the 2026 season, a ‘dream switch’ as a result of it’ll enable her to study the ropes on the street whereas nonetheless with the ability to maintain some targets on the observe.
“By way of observe biking, after all, this crew additionally has a wealth of expertise. Danny Stam has all the time mixed street and observe as a rider, whereas these days Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes additionally make that mixture very profitable. The crew due to this fact helps me in my observe ambitions,” Van Belle stated.
“I did not suppose I may switch to the highest street crew at this younger age. Particularly the boldness expressed in me by the crew administration strengthens me tremendously. Crew SD Worx-Protime has many skilled riders and a workers that is aware of easy methods to deliver abilities to the highest. I can study an enormous quantity right here.
“I believe it’s nice to trip within the colors of Crew SD Worx-Protime straight into the Vuelta. It’s a good option to instantly expertise the crew’s means of working and to get to know the riders and workers effectively. I’ll attempt to dedicate myself as greatest I can to the opposite riders within the crew and particularly to Anna van der Breggen. I’m satisfied that that is instantly a race from which I can come out stronger.”
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