"I want to be more than just a sprinter. I need that challenge" - Lorena Wiebes wants to thrive in the classics

Out of the 10 most recent races Lorena Wiebes has started, she won 9. The European Champion is THE rider who has won the most in 2025 - men and women combined - and she 'hates losing'. Those are the words of the Gravel World Champion, who is women's cycling most dominating sprinter and is looking to also become a classics specialist to continue her evolution as a cyclist.

"I've won so many times, it almost seems like it's become normal. That's why I like that, in our team, we always take a little time after each victory to simply sit together and have a drink," Wiebes said to RIDE Magazine. 25 pro wins to her record this year, and these do not include her victories in the gravel including her title over Marianne Vos at the World Championships in the Netherlands. Simac Ladies Tour, Dutch national championships, Milano-Sanremo, Copenhagen Sprint, Gent Wevelgem, Classic Brugge-De Panne, Le Samyn... These are just some of the races she won this year, including many stages throughout the stage-races she competed in including the Tour de France Femmes. It's hard to have a more successful year, so she will turn that focus onto the classics now more and more.

"I want to be more than just a sprinter. I need that challenge. I think that's what will allow me to have a longer career in cycling," Wiebes added. She finished third at Paris-Roubaix Femmes this year, making it very viable that she can conquer it. But the switch is more than just enjoying those races. "If I focused solely on sprinting, I'd eventually reach my limit;" she believes. "Although, of course, I want to remain the number one sprinter. I hate losing. This year went very well, but next year, I'll have to start all over again."

"Sometimes people say that sprinting isn't that difficult. That you have to work much harder to climb well. But in the end, I also have to survive the other stages of a stage race to be able to win a sprint. And even in the Tour de France, I have to spend two days in the Alps if I want to win the green jersey," the Dutchwoman added. "We sprinters train just as hard as the climbers or the Classics specialists."