World time trial champion to build towards Rio 2016 with expanding Dutch squad
World time trial champion Ellen van Dijk has signed a three-year contract with the Boels-Dolmans team, in a deal that will take her through to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016. The 26-year-old Dutchwoman enjoyed her best season to date in 2013, and finished in third place in the both International Cycling Union (UCI) rankings and the World Cup.
Van Dijk has spent the last five years at Specialized-lululemon, having joined the team’s previous incarnation, Columbia-HTC, in 2009, where her power against the clock has been channeled into the development of a far more complete rider.
This year saw her win the Boels Ladies Tour, the Lotto-Belisol Tour, Gracia-Orlova and the Energiewacht Toer, as well as take second in both the Ronde van Drenthe and Ronde van Vlaanderen World Cup races. She then went on to be the powerhouse of Specialized-lululemon’s successful defence of the World team time trial championship in Florence, Italy, before dominating the individual event two days later.
“By attracting Ellen we are on the right path to putting together a top team, and we continue to work on performance with the ultimate goal of the Olympic Games 2016 in the coming years,” said Steven Rooks, directeur sportif of Boels-Dolmans.
Van Dijk will take on a co-leadership role at her new team, alongside British champion Lizzie Armitstead.
Following the retirement of Dutch rouleurs Adrie Visser and Martine Bras, Boels-Dolmans has already signed former US champion Megan Guarnier from Rabobak-Liv-Giant, Luxembourg champion Christine Majerus from the folding Sengers Ladies team, Polish time trial champion Katarzyna Pawlowska from GSD Gestion-Kallisto and Dutchwoman Janneke Ensing.
Along with Armitstead and compatriot Emma Trott, Dutchwomen Nina Kessler and Marieke van Wanroij, Belgian Jessie Daams and German Romy Kasper remain from the team’s 2013 line up.