Lotto–Intermarché Ladies have confirmed the signings of Maya Kingma and Giada Borghesi for the 2027 season, adding two riders with very different backgrounds to their Women’s ProTeam roster. Dutch former Olympic triathlete Kingma joins from Aromitalia Viviano on a contract through 2028, while Italian rider Borghesi moves from Human Powered Health on a one-year agreement.
The signings strengthen the Belgian team across both stage races and one-day events. Kingma, 31, has moved progressively towards professional cycling after an international triathlon career that included two Olympic appearances. Borghesi, 23, has already produced strong results in hilly Classics, although illness disrupted much of her 2026 campaign.
For Lotto–Intermarché, the recruitment reflects a desire to build beyond the team’s existing strengths in faster one-day races. Both riders have the potential to contribute on more demanding terrain, with the Ardennes Classics and stage races among their principal targets.
Maya Kingma targets stage race progression after Olympic triathlon career
Kingma’s route into professional cycling is unusual, but she arrives with considerable experience of training and competing at international level.
She represented the Netherlands in triathlon at the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games, finishing seventh in Paris in 2024. After more than a decade competing at the highest level of triathlon, she began shifting her focus towards road cycling and has already completed two editions of the Giro d’Italia Women.
Her 2026 season with Aromitalia Viviano offered further evidence of that progression. Kingma finished 24th overall at the Giro d’Italia Women, 29th at the Tour de Suisse Women and eighth at the Giro Toscana, where she also finished third on the third stage.
Those results have not yet placed her among the leading general classification contenders, but they demonstrate an ability to compete in major stage races despite her relatively recent transition into professional road cycling.
“After two Olympic Games and numerous World Championships, I felt ready for a new challenge,” Kingma said in the team’s announcement, translated from French.
She believes cycling offers greater variety through different race courses, teamwork and tactical possibilities. Her principal ambition is to improve in major stage races while developing the shorter, more explosive efforts required to become a complete road rider.
The change of discipline also brings some important differences. Triathlon rewards sustained individual effort, while road racing introduces positioning, team tactics and changes of pace that can decide a race long before the final climb.
Lotto–Intermarché believe Kingma has the physical qualities to develop into a competitive climber and general classification rider. Her two-year contract gives both parties time to build towards those objectives.
Giada Borghesi looks for a fresh start after illness-hit season
Borghesi arrives following three seasons with Human Powered Health, where she stepped up to the Women’s WorldTour in July 2024 after a promising first half of the year with BTC City Ljubljana Zhiraf Ambedo.
Her results that season included a stage victory at the Giro Mediterraneo Rosa, fourth at La Classique Morbihan and fourth at the Grand Prix Féminin de Chambéry. She also finished second at the Tour of Guangxi, narrowly missing out on a WorldTour victory.
The Italian continued to show promise in 2025, finishing third at La Classique Morbihan, fourth at the Gran Premio Ciudad de Eibar and fifth at the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic.
Those results established her as a rider capable of competing on selective terrain, particularly in races where repeated climbs and changes of pace reduce the size of the leading group.
However, 2026 proved considerably more difficult. A virus kept Borghesi away from racing for much of the season and prevented her from maintaining the momentum established during the previous two years.
She described it as the most difficult year of her life and believes the move to Lotto–Intermarché offers an opportunity to recover her previous level.
“I think this team is ideal for making my comeback and fulfilling my potential,” Borghesi said, translated from French.
Her ambitions centre on the major spring Classics. Borghesi has already competed at both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix Femmes, and is particularly interested in making her debut in the Ardennes Classics, where she believes the courses could suit her abilities.
Lotto–Intermarché strengthen their options for the Ardennes and stage races
Sports director Grace Verbeke sees the two signings as complementary additions to the squad.
Kingma is expected to develop in the Ardennes Classics and general classification races, with her endurance background providing a foundation for more demanding climbing events.
Borghesi offers a different profile, having already demonstrated her abilities in selective one-day races. Her experience on the Women’s WorldTour gives the team another rider capable of contributing when races become more difficult.
Verbeke acknowledged that illness and injuries have prevented Borghesi from fully demonstrating her abilities and said the team wants to give her the opportunity to rediscover that potential.
The arrivals also continue Lotto–Intermarché’s interest in athletes who have developed through other disciplines. Sandrine Tas, who switched from elite speed skating to professional cycling, has already established herself in the squad. She extended her agreement for 2027 after making rapid progress on the road.
The Belgian team has enjoyed a productive conclusion to 2026, including Linda Riedmann’s victory at Binche-Chimay-Binche and Tas’s stage win at the Eneco Tour Women.
Adding Kingma and Borghesi gives Lotto–Intermarché further options for races where climbing ability and endurance are more important than a conventional bunch sprint.
Kingma’s longer agreement allows time for continued development, while Borghesi’s one-year contract makes 2027 an immediate opportunity to rebuild her career after a difficult season. Both arrive with clear areas in which they want to improve, and the Belgian team believes their previous results provide a foundation for that progression.
