"I regret all that" - Ellen van Dijk apologizes for criticizing Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig

Even though Ellen van Dijk is currently away from the peloton, taking time off for maternity leave, she still manages to make headlines, not for her own achievements, but for her opinionated remarks about Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig.

Van Dijk and Roxane Knetemann, who co-hosts the cycling podcast Wegkletsen, recently discussed the Danish rider, with van Dijk expressing criticism during the episode. “I find her such an annoying rider. She's always yelling and whining. I was good at that myself, but with her there is always such a fuss about it,” Knetemann said about Ludwig.

Van Dijk added, “She is a rider who never catches a breath of wind, she is always in the wheel, always waiting. People think she's fantastic in the media, but with the riders… Nobody likes her.”

As a popular sports personality in her country with a magnetic personality, Ludwig's fans were quick to come to her defence after van Dijk's comments. Recognising her mistake, van Dijk apologized for her behaviour during the latest episode of her podcast.

"I have received a lot of negative feedback from Denmark and I must say that I understand the anger of these people. I think I went too far and said things I shouldn't have said. I regret all that and I want to say undskyld," said the Dutchwoman.

She also informed this is not something Ludwig is not aware of, “She knows very well that I am not a fan of her as a runner, we regularly fight during the races," concluded van Dijk.