Team DSM have confirmed the signing of three of the most promising young riders in the Netherlands, with Daniek Hengeveld, Anna van der Meiden and Nienke Vinke all set to join the Women’s programme until the end of the 2024 season.
The team hopes the mix of road and track pedigree, combined with versatility across climbing, time trialling and stage racing, will strengthen their future roster.
At just 19, Hengeveld has spent the past two years developing with GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling, balancing road and track commitments. She made headlines in 2021 by winning the opening four-kilometre time trial at the Belgrade GP Woman Tour and securing national track titles.
This year, she set a Dutch national record in the individual pursuit before taking silver in both the omnium and points race at the U23 European Championships. Hengeveld sees her move to Team DSM as an opportunity to unlock her full potential, noting her strengths in time trialling and sustaining a high pace in the peloton.
Head coach Rudi Kemna praised her strong engine and classics potential, highlighting her proven ability to animate races from breakaways.
Van der Meiden, who burst onto the junior scene in 2021, quickly established herself as a rider for all terrains. She won both the time trial and road race at the Dutch National Championships and claimed GC podiums in hilly races such as Tour du Gévaudan Occitanie femmes and Bizkaikoloreak.
After a strong 2022 season with WV Schijndel, including 6th at Omloop van Noordwest Overijssel and 3rd at Omloop Borsele Juniors, she joins DSM with ambitions to continue her all-round development. She identifies climbing and time trialling as key strengths, with a long-term goal of winning a stage at the Giro.
Kemna described her as an explosive and driven talent, with the ability to perform across multiple terrains.
Vinke, still in her second junior season, has already built an impressive CV with AG Insurance NXTG U19. Her breakthrough came with GC top-fives at Tour du Gévaudan Occitanie femmes and Watersley Ladies Challenge in 2021, before she claimed silver at the Dutch National Championships.
In 2022, she added 4th at Omloop van Borsele and repeated her 5th place in Gévaudan, before taking a dominant double at the Dutch Nationals by winning both the time trial and road race.
Vinke hopes the move to DSM will give her a smooth transition to the elite ranks, with a focus on learning team racing dynamics.
Kemna called her a huge engine with versatility, noting her climbing, explosive power and time trial ability. He also emphasised the importance of giving her time to develop without pressure.
The trio will join Team DSM’s two-striped jersey next season, bringing a blend of raw power, technical skill and untapped potential. The team’s coaching staff are confident their development-focused environment will help each rider find their speciality while contributing to the squad’s ambitions in both classics and stage racing.
