De Vries’ career path has been different from that of many other professional riders. She started cycling relatively late, but quickly discovered her talent for the sport. She now feels her development is far from over. “When I turned professional, I initially thought: ‘this is it, I’ve achieved my goal.’ But I’ve come to realise how much more I can still improve. This is the best place for me to get the most out of myself, because I receive the right support here and there is a lot of trust within the team,” says the 32-year-old rider.

Since joining Team Visma | Lease a Bike, De Vries has shown impressive development. She has grown into a key member of the team and has increasingly proven herself both as a domestique and as a general classification rider: “I have gained much more confidence in how I should approach things. I’ve learned to understand myself better, I have a clearer sense of what I need, and I’m more willing to make decisions based on that. Within the team I speak up more easily and I have really found my place.”

De Vries also clearly notices the difference in racing: “I understand the dynamics of the peloton much better. I try to stay calmer nowadays and especially save energy early in races. It doesn’t always work yet, but I’ve definitely made clear progress in that area.”

Team manager Rutger Tijssen is pleased with the development De Vries has shown within the team: “Femke has developed into a true professional athlete. Within the team we have provided her with all the support we can offer. At the same time, she also receives a lot of individual freedom. She is intelligent, knows what she wants, and is therefore able to truly thrive in this environment.”

The team still sees plenty of room for further growth for De Vries in the coming years. “This year she has already shown that she can climb with the best riders in races such as the UAE Tour. Femke is developing in a calm and stable way, with a strong focus on the process. We expect her to continue on this path and gradually close the gap to the world’s best general classification riders,” Tijssen said.

De Vries is also ambitious about her future with Team Visma | Lease a Bike: “I would love to support Pauline in the Tour de France Femmes and aim for a strong team result together. In addition, I hope to ride for a strong general classification in the Giro d’Italia. A podium in a Grand Tour is a major goal of mine. I would also really like to win a race myself. I have a lot of confidence that we can work towards those goals together.”