Nooijen is happy to call herself a cyclist again. After a five-month absence, she made her comeback last week at the Dutch Time Trial Championships in Surhuisterveen, where, to her own surprise, she immediately won a medal. With a third place and a creditable performance in the road race, she gave herself confirmation that she is ready for the Giro.

"It's nice to start the season like this. In training I already noticed that I was doing well, but it's nice when it also comes out in the races. That gives a lot of confidence." She is looking forward to making her appearance in the Italian stage race for the second year. "I'm really up for it. I like being back on the road with the team and living like a pro, which I did miss in the past few months."

Nooijen had a very unfortunate start to 2025. During a training camp in January, she broke a vertebra in the middle of her back and had to miss the first part of the season. From her doctors and the medical staff at Team Visma | Lease a Bike, she was advised to give her body time to recover. "I followed that advice well", she says.

"As a top athlete you tend to move on quickly, but I really had the realization now: this is my back. I would like to use it in life after my cycling career as well. I wanted to do everything possible to make the recovery as good and healthy as possible. The first six weeks I was not allowed to ride a bike, but luckily I was allowed to walk. At the beginning of May, I got the message that I could start training again."

Nooijen indicates that rehabilitation has gone faster than predicted beforehand. According to her, this is partly due to her mindset. "I have a pretty positive attitude. I think that's why I am where I am now. Of course I was disappointed when it happened, but I also knew there was nothing I could do about it. I tried to look ahead and look for a spot on the horizon. In the end, the nationals turned out to be a good time to start again."

During her recovery, Nooijen received a lot of support from her teammates and colleagues. "Several staff members came to my house and the girls came by as well. They all sympathized with me and made me feel involved with the team. I really appreciated that." It was one of the reasons Nooijen recently decided to extend her contract for two years. "It feels like home. There is mutual trust and I am hungry to perform."

The Giro d'Italia Women kicks off with an individual time trial in and around Bergamo. Nooijen is curious to see what she can manage on the nearly 14-kilometer course. "That time trial is a real goal. I'm going full out and then we'll see what it's worth." According to her, it's mostly about gaining race rhythm. "My goal is to come out of the Giro stronger than I am going into it. I hope to lay a nice building block for the rest of the season."