Marlen Reusser transfer: Hit or Miss? | SD Worx departure works miracles for time trial World Champion?

At the end of 2024 Team SD Worx - ProTime lost DemI Vollering, Niamh Fisher-Black and Marlen Reusser, who all had stellar 2025 seasons. The Swiss rider hasn't, in any way, fallen behind Vollering and has seen her very best level in 2025 where realistically only a handful of riders had a year comparable to the 34-year old.

Reusser was already one of the world's best and in 2023 had a stellar year with stage wins at the Tour de France Femmes, Itzulia Women (GC), Tour de Suisse (GC), Gent Wevelgem and European Championships... But in 2024 a battle with long covid left her far from the level she had been used to and she ended her season in June. A hellish year for the veteran, and fears of her downgrade in the cycling world were realistic as with 33 years of age she could be matched more easily be the younger generations who emerge younger and younger by the year at the top level of the sport.

SD Worx also had an oversaturation problem. Unlike UAE in the men's field, the calendar in the women's peloton is simply not large enough to accomodate many different egos in one team, but honestly it seemed inevitable for these to be clashes as the team had Vollering, Reusser, Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes, Blanka Kata Vas, Niamh Fisher-Black and Mischa Bredewold within their team. Simply too many leaders and although some specialize in different races, the individual ambitions can't be ignored.

Reusser moved to Movistar on a three-year deal and her climbing abilities soon became apparent again. But the Swiss rider looked like a stronger climber than she has ever been before, not having the best start to the season but turning up the gas by the time the riders reached May. A rider that is significantly heavier then her climber rivals, and with time trial abilities that surpass them, Reusser gave the image of a male Miguel Indurain. A rider type that is extremely dangerous and has the ability to win a lot outside the mountains too.

She finished the Vuelta Femenina in second place only behind DemI Vollering, but thriving even on the steep climbs where it didn't seem logic that she could ride as strongly. But her form was there, and soon after she would go on to win the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas (ahead of Elisa Longo Borghini) and the Tour de Suisse Women (ahead of Vollering), winning mountain stages, time trials, hilly days, etc. A Swiss national time trial title added to her confidence ahead of the Giro Donne where she entered with another victory in the Bergamo time trial.

The Italian Grand Tour was won by Elisa Longo Borghini but the Italian needed her absolute best level and a lot of psychological strength as Reusser looked incredibly strong throughout the whole week, and finished the race only within seconds of her Italian rival. At the Tour de France Femmes she could've done the same, but found herself with a stomach bug and abandoned on the first day of the race.

However Reusser did not end her season there, month and a half later she would put on a bib number once again in Rwanda and the Kigali World Championships time trial were almost a playing ground for her. Reusser won her first rainbow jersey, but it was barely any news as she was the woman to beat and beat Aanna van der Breggen by a whole 51 seconds in the hilly course. In the road race she looked incredibly strong but a tactical blunder by the favourites saw them resign with a second result.

However in the space of only a few days she made the trip to France and just like Remco Evenepoel, she rode the time trial with another dominant win added to her palmarès. It was her fourth European title in the discipline.

SD Worx had enough leaders in 2024 to feed itself as the top team still in 2025, whilst its departing riders went on to become world-best leaders in other teams. Reusser's move to Movistar brought out her absolute best level and the transfer was a hit.