Deep inside the final kilometer on the fifth stage of the Baloise Ladies Tour 2025, two yellow riders hit the front of a chaotic bunch. Veenhoven is leading out Fidanza. The Italian is delivered perfectly within 200 meters of the finish line, accelerates out of the wheel, and keeps all competitors behind her with a powerful sprint. A plan very well executed.

Just three days before, the roles were reversed. Fidanza helped her younger teammate find the perfect wheel, and Veenhoven ended up on top of the podium. A testament to the fact that two sprinters within the same team - and even the same race - do not always spell trouble.

“We’re really helping each other take the next step in our careers, because we push each other, which makes both of us better. Even last week during a training ride, we sprinted against each other multiple times and almost broke our power records,” Veenhoven says while sitting beside her teammate, who quickly agrees.

“It’s nice to work together with someone who gets the best out of you. And we both believe that the other one can win, which gives us even more motivation,” Fidanza adds.

While Veenhoven joined the team back in 2023 and has already made fast progress, she is still only 21 years old. That’s five years younger than Fidanza, whose career on the track has been nothing short of extraordinary, with more championship medals than most people dream of. She has also successfully translated her speed from the track into victories on the road, and her experience is helping the fast duo a lot, Veenhoven believes.

“I can be a bit nervous, but Martina is very calm in the race until the final, where she then communicates really well with me. She shouts what she wants, and that makes a difference. I could already see during the Baloise Ladies Tour how much that helped. On the stage I won, I told Martina on the second-to-last lap what I wanted, and we followed that plan.”

“The shouting is not personal; it’s only to get a good result,” Fidanza laughs, before explaining that it’s not only communication in the final kilometers that matters, but also the work beforehand.

“We study the course the day before the race, and then we discuss it with each other. We share with the other riders how we want to go into the finale, and by sharing ideas, we also make them better. The team really believes in improving the sprints and preparing thoroughly for them.”

Next year, the goal for each rider is clear: both want to win a stage on the WorldTour. A tough goal, given the fierce competition in the sprints, but also one that provides plenty of motivation during the winter.

“It’s not necessarily a bad season if we don’t achieve that goal, if we’re simply beaten by faster sprinters. But if we come close, if we make good plans, and if we build on what has already been established this season, we’re on the right path. We want to go into each sprint with a plan. Of course, you can never follow a plan 100 percent, as there are other riders in the race, but then we debrief with the sporting directors afterwards. It’s all part of the process,” Veenhoven concludes.

In 2025, Fidanza took three victories during the season, one more than Veenhoven. Both also added multiple podium finishes, making it a successful season in terms of both results and development.