Lorena Wiebes has signed a three-year contract with Team SD Worx, strengthening what is already one of the most formidable line-ups in women’s cycling. With 17 victories so far this season, Wiebes is the most prolific rider in the peloton.
“Lorena is a pure sprint star. When it comes to pure speed, she is by far the best,” said sports manager Danny Stam. “Although we mainly focus on the tougher races and like to make the race, it’s also nice when you have a big chance in the sprint. With Demi Vollering, Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes, we have three world-class riders for the coming years who each excel in their own field.”
Team manager Erwin Janssen explained that the team’s objective is to remain number one in the UCI rankings. “In the flat sprints our current team lacks speed. We want to compete for victory in all areas. We now have three world-class riders complemented by experienced riders and some of the biggest talents in the peloton. Financially, the three top riders are on the same level in our team. Vollering, Kopecky and Wiebes have all consciously chosen the sporting line we have set out with our team.”
Stam also pointed to Kopecky’s progression in tougher races, highlighted by victories in the Tour of Flanders and Strade Bianche. “With Wiebes we go for the real bunch sprints, while Kopecky is played off in the somewhat tougher races. I also see in Wiebes the talent to develop further.
The strength of our team has always been that we have several top riders at the start. In addition, there are more and more races on the calendar in women’s cycling, which means we will be riding a double programme more often and will have to invest in that.”
Wiebes herself is excited about the move. “For years I have dreamed of being part of the world’s best UCI women’s team with several world-class riders who I can pull myself up by. In principle I would have liked to stay with my current team, but I got an offer from Team SD Worx with a lot of opportunities. I look back with pride on an instructive and very successful time with Team DSM. I will try to make it a successful remaining term of this season.”
