Tour de France Femmes podium finisher Pauliena Rooijakkers announces pregnancy and a racing break
Cycling
The women's peloton will have to make do without one of its star climbers in 2026. The third rider of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, Pauliena Rooijakkers, will step away from racing for a foreseeable future to fully focus on more joyous moments in her life - welcoming her first child - as she announces pregnancy.
Naturally, this means that the 33-year-old Dutchwoman will have a forced break from racing, although a return is expected during 2027 with new drive and motivation. Next year, she'll still wear the UAE Team ADQ colours.
"In recent years, the level of women’s cycling has risen enormously," the climber states in a press release. "It is a sport that demands more and more from the body, and as athletes, we sometimes face difficult moments regarding health and well-being. Over the past few months, with the support of the team, I have worked hard on myself to regain my balance, well-being, and peace of mind."
Read also
"This pregnancy came as a surprise, but as a woman, it makes me incredibly happy. For me, it is also a positive sign and a confirmation that my body is healthy again. These are completely new emotions for me, and I probably still need time to fully realize everything that is currently happening. But I can truly say that I feel deeply happy and grateful, knowing that a baby will soon be part of our lives."
Pauliena will be back before we realize it
Despite this "forced" absence, Rooijakkers is already looking ahead to her return to the peloton. As a top-10 finisher at both Tour de France Femmes and Giro d'Italia Women in 2025, she definitely feels as though there's more to achieve in the sport even if personal life is taking a priority at the moment.
"Now I want to fully enjoy this new chapter in my life, but I also feel that I have even more to offer in cycling. The plan is to return after my pregnancy. Even over the past few months, I have cycled almost every day and followed all the team’s races on TV," she declares.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses 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.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling forRafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - 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
- People see what they want to. I am actually the opposite of your accusation, probably more of a rebel than most of you who don’t get the big picture. The difference is, I don’t go moaning publicly about the consequences of my transgressions, I understand the need for rules and I take my OWN responsibility when deciding to ignore or break them or doing so involuntarily. I will also not hesitate to state my case or argue vehemently when relevant, sometimes it works, sometimes it makes things worse but that’s the price to pay for principles and having character.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
Loading
1 Comments