Femke Markus will leave Team SD Worx-Protime at the end of the 2026 season and join Team Visma | Lease a Bike on a two-year contract, strengthening the Dutch team’s Classics squad for 2027 and 2028.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike confirmed the signing of Markus on 14 August, describing the 29-year-old as precisely the type of powerful and reliable rider it had been looking to add for the spring Classics.
The announcement confirms a move that had been expected since the end of July, when ProCyclingUK first reported that Femke Markus was set to leave SD Worx-Protime for Visma | Lease a Bike.
Markus will complete her fourth season with SD Worx-Protime before making the switch. She joined the team in 2023 and subsequently extended her SD Worx-Protime contract through the end of 2026, but this season has increasingly shown that she can offer more than a supporting role in the biggest one-day races.
“What appeals to me about Team Visma | Lease a Bike is the knowledge and expertise that are present within the team,” Markus said. “I am looking forward to learning from that and continuing to develop myself.”
Antwerp Port Epic victory underlined Markus’ Classics qualities
The strongest result of Markus’ 2026 season came at the Antwerp Port Epic Ladies, where she attacked with 26km remaining and rode alone to victory as SD Worx-Protime swept the podium.
ProCyclingUK’s report on Femke Markus’ solo Antwerp Port Epic victory detailed how she repeatedly raced aggressively across the cobbles and gravel before committing to the decisive move. Marta Lach finished second at 1:23, with Femke Gerritse completing the one-two-three.
It was a result that fitted Markus particularly well. She is at her best when positioning, wind, repeated accelerations and physical strength become as important as climbing or outright sprint speed, and those are precisely the characteristics Visma want to strengthen within their Classics group.
“I really love classics, echelons and tough races,” Markus said. “I am a bit of a powerhouse rider. I really enjoy it when a race becomes difficult and the strongest rider wins.”
Team manager Rutger Tijssen believes those qualities can immediately strengthen Visma’s spring campaign.
“Femke is a rider who perfectly fits the profile we were looking for within our classics squad,” he said. “In recent years, she has shown that she performs well in selective races and challenging conditions.”
Paris-Roubaix remains the race Markus most wants to win
Markus’ ambitions also line up neatly with the role Visma have identified for her.
Her favourite race is Paris-Roubaix Femmes, where she has already experienced how small the difference between a major result and disappointment can be. In 2023, Markus reached the Roubaix velodrome in the front group contesting victory before crashing during the closing stages as Alison Jackson went on to win from the surviving early breakaway.
ProCyclingUK’s report from the 2023 Paris-Roubaix Femmes covered the chaotic velodrome finish and Markus’ late crash.
“My favourite race is Paris-Roubaix, but I also get a lot of energy from races like Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Nokere Koerse and In Flanders Fields,” Markus said.
“I am always a little nervous before an echelon race, but once you are in it, it is such a great feeling. Riding on the limit, fighting for position and creating the race together is something I really enjoy. My biggest dream? To win Paris-Roubaix.”
Visma are not signing Markus solely to chase her own results, however. Both rider and team have emphasised her ability to function as a dependable part of a wider Classics structure.
“As a rider, I am above all a team player,” she said. “I want to win together with the team and always get the best out of myself.
“I would like to continue developing in the classics, but I also really enjoy being a reliable foundation within the team, someone the team can always count on.”
Visma believe Markus can still take another step
Although Markus will be 30 during her first season with Visma, the team believe there remains room for further development.
Tijssen highlighted both her existing Classics experience and the potential for Markus to progress within Visma’s performance environment, while Markus specifically pointed towards the team’s scientific approach and nutritional support as attractions.
“With support from The Athlete’s FoodCoach and an approach that is strongly based on science, I believe I can still take steps forward here,” she said.
That combination of development and an established role appears central to the deal. Markus does not need to arrive as an undisputed leader, but her ability to survive difficult races, work deep into finales and take opportunities of her own gives Visma another tactical option across the cobbled Classics.
ProCyclingUK’s SD Worx-Protime 2026 Women’s WorldTour team guide highlighted Markus as part of the considerable depth behind the team’s headline leaders. Her departure now takes some of that depth directly to another major Dutch WorldTour squad.
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Photo Credit: Getty
Femke follows Riejanne Markus into the Visma structure
There is also a family connection to the transfer.
Femke’s older sister Riejanne Markus raced for the Visma organisation from 2021 through 2024, developing into a major stage-racing and time trial presence before joining Lidl-Trek on a three-year deal from 2025.
Femke will follow her sister into the same structure but with a notably different sporting focus. Riejanne increasingly developed towards stage races and general classification ambitions, whereas Femke has been recruited explicitly to strengthen Visma’s ability to influence demanding one-day races.
For Tijssen, that means adding a rider whose value can be measured both through her own results and what she allows the rest of the team to do.
“Femke is a rider who has proven herself over several years in classics and races where the difference is made through strength and race intelligence,” he said. “We have seen that she performs well when the race is made hard and the conditions are challenging. That is something we can use well in the spring.”
After four seasons inside SD Worx-Protime’s powerful Classics structure, Markus will now take those qualities to one of their major rivals. The Antwerp Port Epic showed what she can do when given freedom to race for herself, while her new contract gives Team Visma | Lease a Bike two seasons to see whether that strength can translate into bigger results across the spring Classics.
