Ellen van Dijk confirms retirement: “The only ones left are Marianne Vos and Anna van der Breggen”

Ellen van Dijk has confirmed she will retire at the end of the 2025 season, closing a career that has spanned nearly two decades, crossed generations, and enjoyed supreme success in the time trial discipline. The 38-year-old Dutch rider made the announcement on De Avondetappe, reflecting not with regret or sadness, but with happiness.

“Last year, I had decided to continue for one more year and then stop. Last spring, things were still going well and I was still having a lot of fun. I was constantly doubting myself. I love cycling, I love training, I love living for the sport, and I think time trials are the most beautiful thing there is.”

Van Dijk, who famously won the Tour of Flanders in 2014 and claimed her first world time trial title in Florence back in 2013, didn’t just maintain form into her thirties, she got better. She won additional rainbow jerseys in 2021 and 2022, in Bruges and Wollongong respectively, each time showing she remained the benchmark in her discipline. That consistency across eras has made her one of the most respected riders in the women’s peloton.

In October 2023, she gave birth to her baby boy, Faas. That milestone, coupled with a fast and impressive return to racing in 2024, only added to her legacy. But even for a rider so deeply committed to the sport, the time to step away has finally come. “A whole new generation has emerged. Of my generation, the only ones left are Marianne Vos and Anna van der Breggen.”