Trek Segafredo announced today that they have re-signed Ellen van Dijk for 2 more years. The women’s hour record holder’s contract was due to expire at the end of this season and after some deliberation, allegedly over the length of the new contract, the deal is now done. The Dutch star is now on her 4th season on the American team and forms an important role in almost every race she takes part in – covering the classics and stage races too.
“I’m super happy to stay here. I really feel at home with Trek-Segafredo and I wouldn’t want to continue my career with any other team. In fact, I couldn’t even imagine doing that. I’ve been a part of Trek-Segafredo since they started the women’s squad in 2019 and being here from the start makes me feel really part of it.”
Ellen van Dijk
For Ellen, the decision to stay was an easy one for the 35-year-old with the team feeling “like a family”. The team has supported Van Dijk in her time trial efforts and the hour record too.
Hour Record
Already a world champion on the track and the time trial, plus 4 world championships in the now defunct trade team time trial. She also has 4 European TT titles and a famous one in the road race last year in Trentino. A multiple national champion in the time trial, it was last year’s hour record that pretty much completed the set of efforts against the clock. Ridden in Grenchen, as is fashionable at the moment with Dan Bigham’s recent record, she set a new women’s hour record distance of 49.254km. The 50km barrier feels within touching distance and talk won’t die down of another attempt from Van Dijk to be the first woman to break it.
photo: Sean Hardy
“Of course, this year the team took another step forward with the Hour Record, which was such a special experience. The team and Trek put so much effort into that and I feel super grateful for everything they’ve done. I was really supported to the utmost and to know that is a very special feeling.
The whole experience really made it clear to me how much the team values its riders and its willingness to support us 100 per cent to achieve our biggest goals.”
Ellen van Dijk
One of the few gaps in Van Dijk’s palmares is an Olympic medal. This contract sees her continue past the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Ellen van Dijk missed out on the team in Tokyo, the strength of Van Vleuten and Van der Breggen in the time trial (and road race due to the quotas) meant no space for the multiple world champion. On a predicted flatter course in Paris, Van Dijk will be one of the major favourites against her current Swiss rival Marlen Reusser. Van Dijk also has ambitions to win Paris Roubaix, the new race is also a gap in her excellent career that includes the 2014 Tour of Flanders.
