Austrian cyclist Laura Stigger has been announced as the latest addition to Team SD Worx-Protime for the 2025 season. The 24-year-old, known for her success in mountain bike cross-country, has signed a one-year contract, allowing her to continue her mountain biking commitments at the Specialized Factory Racing Team while exploring her road cycling potential.
Stigger first made her mark in road cycling at the 2018 World Road Cycling Championships in Innsbruck, where she won the junior world title in her hometown. “It was super special to immediately take the world title in my own region at my first real introduction to the road,” she said, calling the experience “a wonderful memory.”
Since then, her focus has been mountain biking, but she expressed excitement about developing her road career. “I think I am more of a puncher type, although I have yet to discover that myself,” she said. “I hope to make important strides in both road cycling and mountain biking by combining both disciplines.”
(Laura Stigger is in the light blue on the middle-left of the back row)
Danny Stam, sports manager of Team SD Worx-Protime, praised Stigger’s versatility and the growing trend of combining cycling disciplines. “Mountain biking and road cycling are quite complementary,” Stam said. “Mountain bikers are usually quite strong in the mountains and can release their power well there. Laura will combine both disciplines, and we are pleased she will do this with us.”
Stam believes Stigger will thrive in climbing-focused races such as the Ardennes Classics. He noted that her participation in a training camp with the team last year reinforced their decision to bring her onboard. “It went very well, and that’s why we took the decision to give her this chance,” he added.
Stigger also shared her connection with Anna van der Breggen, a former world champion and now part of the team’s management. “Anna invited me to go for a ride together and told me I should try road cycling,” Stigger recalled. “The fact that it has finally happened a few years later is exciting. I look forward to now riding alongside her in the same team.”
Stam described Stigger as “a great reinforcement” for the team, which will begin their 2025 preparations this week with a teambuilding session.
