Ellen van Dijk to begin season at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, will target Paris-Roubaix in April

Despite the women's cycling season having already commenced, Ellen van Dijk has been absent from the road competitions thus far. However, she will make her road season debut at the forthcoming Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

“In my first year, I really had nightmares, but last time it was a fantastic race,” van Dijk said while appearing on the podcast of cycling magazine Fiets. She was talking about Paris-Roubaix, which she has set as one of her targets.

She further added, “I notice that it is a race that I really like, although I don't think I will start if it rains again. But I want to be good again in the month of April.”

Tour de France Femmes is also part of Ellen van Dijk's racing schedule this season. However, the risk of injury during the race could pose a challenge, especially with the World Championship scheduled only a week later.“In the Tour, a time trial is included in the course. The advantage is that I don't go for classification and therefore don't have to drive completely empty in the Tour. It was a great spectacle last year.”

“I was a bit sceptical beforehand, but it was really an experience. I'm really looking forward to it, but on the other hand, it's also a very nervous race, with a lot of crashes as a result. That is difficult, a week before the World Championship,” concluded van Dijk.