Van der Duin signs two-year contract with Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Team Visma | Lease a Bike has secured the services of Maike van der Duin for the next two seasons. The 24-year-old Dutch rider will join the women's team, where she is expected to play an important role in the further development of the sprint train around Nienke Veenhoven.
Van der Duin is looking forward to her new challenge in the yellow and black colours: "I grew up in Assen, where I first got on a road bike at the age of six. Together with my parents, I went to Rabo Dikke Banden Races, local kids’ bike races, close to my hometown. At first, I only watched and thought it was really cool. The next time I took part myself, then came more races, and from that moment on I was hooked."
"From our very first conversation, I also felt a great deal of trust from the team"
Over the past few years, the Dutch rider has built a reputation as a fast and versatile cyclist and sees Team Visma | Lease a Bike as the ideal environment to take the next step in her career. "I've seen many riders at Team Visma | Lease a Bike make significant steps in their development. That shows that the team is doing something right and makes it an attractive environment to be part of. From our very first conversation, I also felt a great deal of trust from the team. The fact that they truly believe in me and want to work together on my development ultimately made the difference for me."
Van der Duin is eager to use her experience and qualities to further strengthen the team's sprint train while continuing to develop as a rider herself. "My ambition mainly lies in the lead-out role. I want to specialise further in that area, gain more experience and, together with Nienke, build a strong sprint train. At the same time, I want to continue developing myself, race more and play an increasingly important role in finals."
"Maike brings speed, experience and race intelligence, and fits that ambition perfectly"
Team manager Rutger Tijssen is delighted with the arrival of Van der Duin and sees her as an important piece in the continued development of Team Visma | Lease a Bike's sprint train. "With Nienke, we have one of the biggest sprint talents in the peloton and over the coming years we want to continue building our sprint train around her. Maike brings speed, experience and race intelligence, and fits that ambition perfectly. We are convinced that she can be of great value in supporting our sprint project."
Furthermore, Tijssen is convinced that Van der Duin can continue to thrive within Team Visma | Lease a Bike: "As with any new collaboration, it will take time to get to know each other and become fully aligned. We see a huge amount of potential in Maike and have every confidence that she will become an important part of our sprint train in the years to come."
