Joris Nieuwenhuis moves away from World Tour to focus on CX and new Baloise - Trek Lions position

Joris Nieuwenhuis is a rider that, like several of his past rivals, has grown from Cyclocross and directly into the best races in the World at World Tour level. However, the Team DSM rider will be returning to his roots, having signed a contract with Baloise - Trek Lions.

“I've been riding more and more on the road in recent seasons. On a personal level, it felt like I was becoming more estranged from who I was. The risks on the road are not small due to the falls and high speeds," the Dutchman said in a press release. This year I gradually felt that I wanted to make the switch back to the field – my first love. I look forward to writing a great story at Baloise Trek.”

Nieuwenhuis has a past in the discipline, having been one of the best under-23 riders of the generation following Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. In the 2016-2017 season he won the under-23 World Cup, aswell as winning the World and the Dutch championships. In 2019 he made his move onto the road with DSM, having became an important leadout and classics rider, however never achieving the same type of results out on the road.

“I find it difficult to express a concrete ambition. Since I haven't contested an extensive cross calendar for three years, I first want to adjust to the cross rhythm again. Towards the end of the season I want to ride more in the picture and make the connection with the front ranks," he continued. "But halfway through the cyclocross season I will be able to make more concrete statements about that. We'll be looking at my schedule in more detail in the coming weeks. But the intention is to come into competition sometime at the end of October.”

Following the departure of Toon Aerts from the team, there was a spot and some budget remaining for Baloise - Trek Lions. Nieuwenhuis was a perfect fit for the team who look to remain competitive at the very best level at the men's Elite field.

“Joris Nieuwenhuis is a rider with a lot of cross potential. He has already proven that in the past," team manager Sven Nys said. "It will be a great challenge to guide Joris to a higher level in the field. Of course it is also secretly cool to see a rider make the switch from the road to the field. We welcome Joris into the field with open arms and look forward to a fruitful collaboration.”

The move also came as a result of the 26-year old's desires to continue his studies, which he will be combining with the cross season. “On a personal level, I attach great value to self-development. I would like to start a light study of philosophy. I also want to contribute to initiatives in my home region on a social level.

"In the summer I would like to combine the road program with the team with some gravel races. I like the gravel circuit and that seems like a nice challenge," he concluded.