Maaike Boogaard has begun her recovery process after undergoing surgery to address a long-standing health issue that has derailed the start of her 2025 season. The 26-year-old Dutch rider, who moved from AG Insurance-Soudal to VolkerWessels at the end of last year, had been battling unexplained fatigue and underperformance for months before finally receiving a diagnosis: iliac artery endofibrosis.
The condition, which restricts blood flow through a narrowed pelvic artery, is a common but serious issue for endurance athletes and has affected several cyclists at the top level. For Boogaard, the symptoms had been building quietly, with no immediate answer despite mounting frustration over her inability to produce power at race intensity.
Her only race days this season came early – at Nokere Koerse, Classic Brugge-De Panne, Gent-Wevelgem and the Tour of Flanders – before she stepped away to investigate what was holding her back.
“I wasn’t able to properly do my efforts anymore while struggling with vague symptoms,” she posted on Instagram two weeks ago. “Finally I got the answer I was looking for, a flow limitation of the iliac artery. No quick fixes but a surgery to solve the problem.”
The operation marks a major turning point in what had been a tough transition to her new team. After making the move to VolkerWessels with ambitions to step back into a leadership role, her season was stalled before it had properly begun.
Despite that, her attitude remains upbeat. In her latest post, sharing older clips of herself racing and riding, she added: “Can’t wait to be back enjoying this again.”
Boogaard has two pro wins to her name, the EPZ Omloop van Borsele in 2022 and last year’s Grand Prix d’Isbergues in France. While her 2025 campaign may be on pause, her return now has a clearer path. With her diagnosis and surgery behind her, the focus is on building back up, and getting back to doing what she loves.
