Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, the Dutch champion, has announced that 2025 will be her final year in the professional peloton. At 35, she’s preparing for her last season, after a career that has spanned over a decade, much of it spent with Team SD Worx-Protime. Despite a challenging 2024, which included both personal and professional hurdles, she remains determined to make her final year a memorable one.
Speaking to her team’s website, Van den Broek-Blaak expressed her excitement for the year ahead: “2025 will be my last year of racing. It will be my eleventh year with this team. I sorted out for myself whether I still wanted to cycle. Last season was difficult for me. I had some setbacks to deal with, and that, combined with motherhood, made it difficult. It didn’t turn out to be the season I was hoping for, but it has been a realistic year.”
Van den Broek-Blaak’s 2024 season saw her return to the peloton after taking time off for the birth of her child. Despite facing challenges, she managed to secure her third Dutch national road title in June, a victory that brought a sense of validation. “Becoming Dutch champion as a mother, it is an absolute highlight in my career. I can cycle my last year in red-white-blue, a career couldn’t end more beautifully.”
Reflecting on how she balances motherhood with her career, she added: “I am proud of how my husband Lars van den Broek and I manage this together. It is not natural to combine top sport with motherhood. Winning is extra special since Noa arrived. But it was also a difficult year. Because I was out during my pregnancy, and afterwards through some injuries, I also had a lot of time for myself. Normally, as a top athlete, you just race along and stay in that tunnel.”
The team’s sports manager, Danny Stam, praised Van den Broek-Blaak’s perseverance and her positive contributions throughout the year, despite the challenges. “It is clear that Chantal is not done with cycling yet. I am confident that we can enjoy her again next year. It is nice to have her in the team in red-white-and-blue as Dutch champion. Last year, she had a lot of injuries and illnesses. Hopefully she will have few setbacks in 2025 so that she can show off the champion’s jersey in full again.”
Looking ahead to the coming season, Van den Broek-Blaak remains realistic but optimistic: “I feel I can still teach Team SD Worx-Protime a lot in my final year. The performance drive is there. Whether I will really be able to stop on a high, I don’t know yet. But that winner’s mentality is part of who I am. I will train hard and do everything I can to get everything out of it one more time. I want to contest finals. If I can’t win anymore, I will also be at peace with passing the baton.”
