"It's a very good development for women's cycling" - Annemiek van Vleuten excited about the women's peloton heading in to 2025
Cycling
Wielerflits recently spoke with Annemiek van Vleuten about
the significant developments in women's cycling, including Demi Vollering's
move to FDJ-SUEZ and Anna van der Breggen's return to the sport. Van Vleuten,
who retired from professional cycling in 2023, is set to begin a new role as a
performance mentor for the Belgian WorldTour women’s team Fenix-Deceuninck in
2025.
"I'm really looking forward to it. It's a very good
development for women's cycling," Van Vleuten shared. The 42-year-old
multiple world champion and Olympic gold medallist expressed her enthusiasm for
the increasing competitiveness among teams.
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“It also touches my heart,” Van Vleuten continued,
elaborating on the broader implications of these changes. “It was one of the
motivations why I once signed with Movistar. I felt, we have to keep it
interesting. It is more fun if we spread the quality over several teams. Then
you have several teams with a plan.”
Van Vleuten is particularly optimistic about how these
shifts will elevate the sport. “That is really the case with this development,
it is fantastic,” she enthused. “Also with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who is
returning as a road cyclist at Visma | Lease a Bike. She is also really going
to be a classification rider. It is also fantastic that Anna van der Breggen is
returning. They will raise the level. As a bench sitter we are lucky.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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- exactly, he had an amazing season, but with these overstatements they don‘t do him good.Ketterechts08-11-2026
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