"As a little girl I dreamed of going to university" - Shirin van Anrooij on balancing cycling with her studies

Whilst Shirin van Anrooij continues to make his name on the road and in the mud of the cyclocross, the talented Dutchwoman is balancing her professional career with her university studies.

“I study psychology. I haven't been able to do much yet. I started at the university in Maastricht, but that was very difficult to combine," reveals the 21-year-old Lidl-Trek and Baloise - Trek Lions star in conversation with RIDE Magazine. "Now I do it online, which I like a lot less. However, next year I'm moving to Maastricht with my boyfriend and I want to try again. I enjoy being among the students much more.”

Although having a degree will obviously help van Anrooij in her post-cycling life, that's not actually why she is doing the course. “That's a bonus for the future, but I actually don't do it for that reason. As a little girl I dreamed of going to university," she explains. "I also really enjoy learning new things, so I thought it would be a shame not to do anything with it. I also have plenty of time and psychology really interests me.”

“I think it would be really nice to do some work later that will allow me to help other people. That will be more in the direction of sports psychology, because I already have experience as a top athlete myself," van Anrooij concludes. "I think you can really make a difference."