Marjolein van ’t Geloof, who has enjoyed a successful season with the British-based Hess Cycling Team, has her sights set on even greater ambitions. The 28-year-old rider from Dirksland, South Holland, who took a commendable 9th place in the La Picto-Charentaise, adding to her list of achievements this year.
Reflecting on her performance throughout the season with CyclingOnline.nl, van ’t Geloof mentioned that the early and middle parts of the season went very well. However, she faced challenges due to a parasite in her gut, which significantly affected her ability to race. “I really struggled with it, which meant I couldn’t race as much,” she revealed. Despite this setback, she expressed satisfaction with her overall performance this year.
One of the standout moments of van ’t Geloof’s season was her victory in the French stage race, the non-UCI Tour de Charente-Maritime. She not only won a stage but also claimed the overall classification. “It’s the first time in my career that I’ve won a multi-day race,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of opportunities this year at Hess, and I’m very happy with that.”
However, van ’t Geloof’s ambitions go beyond her current team. She has signed a two-year contract with a European ProTeam, although she remains tight-lipped about the name of the squad. “I’m really happy with this step forward. It was very important for me to make this move because at the continental level, you don’t race many big competitions next year,” she explained. Her main goal for the future is clear: “I want to be able to race in all the big races, like my main target, Paris-Roubaix. I’m disappointed I had to miss the Tour this year, but I knew that would be the case when I signed with Hess. In 2025, I want to be back racing the Tour.” With the ProTeam status set to be introduced for the first time in 2025 – the list of possible teams is only a handful.
Van ’t Geloof also shared that she switched trainers last year, now working with Abraham Stockman, a professional cyclist with TDT-Unibet. She described their relationship positively: “Abraham is a calm person, and that works well for me.” Balancing her training between various locations, including England, her home in Dirksland, and her apartment in Spain, van ’t Geloof has found that training in the heat has particularly suited her. “I think the change of trainer was a good move for me. I’m feeling much fitter now,” she added.
After returning to racing at the GP Beerens, where she finished 21st, van ’t Geloof went on to achieve fifth place in the Gooikse Pijl Oetingen. Looking ahead, she plans to race in France and hopes to conclude her season in October at Binche-Chimay-Binche. Following that, she intends to train in Spain before competing in the Dutch Track Championships in late December.
