In a move that signifies a big jump for talent development, the Women’s Worldtour level Team DSM-Firmenich and the Continental GT KRUSH Rebellease have announced their collaboration. As per their joint press release, this alliance has been forged to scout and groom upcoming talented riders, creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem for both teams.
One of the notable advantages is the sharing of resources and knowledge. GT KRUSH Rebellease can harness the expertise and prowess of the Women’s WorldTeam. On the other side of this partnership, Team DSM-Firmenich will enjoy access to a more diverse talent pool, expanding its reach both nationally and internationally. The TALENT Cycling organisation that runs GT Krush also has an U19 team and so helps create a similar, but slightly different, pathway to the AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step team.
Hans Timmermans, the scouting coordinator at Team DSM-Firmenich, elaborated on this collaboration: “Our extensive dialogues with GT KRUSH Rebellease over the past months have convinced us to enhance our collaboration. Recognising the commendable efforts of Dutch clubs in nurturing young talent, we’re eager to contribute to this initiative. This certainly won’t be the last development partnership we form with ambitious teams, whether domestic or international.”
It’s worth noting that from the 2023 season, Women’s WorldTeams have the provision to incorporate a Development Team. This enables riders from the primary squad to compete alongside those from the Development Team, albeit not in the same races. However, this particular partnership isn’t of that nature. Because Development Teams can’t race in the same races as their parent team it would prevent GT KRUSH from taking part in the biggest races they regularly get invited to. As a result, we can still expect to see both DSM-Firmenich and GT KRUSH Rebel Lease in the same races in 2024.
GT KRUSH Rebellease has a history of producing riders who have seamlessly transitioned to the professional peloton. Some of these names include Daniek Hengeveld, who joined DSM-Firmenich, and others like Maike van der Duin (Canyon-SRAM), Nathalie Eklund (Israel Premier Tech-Roland), Teuntje Beekhuis (Jumbo-Visma), and Quinty Ton (Liv Racing TeqFind) have all have secured positions in Women’s WorldTour teams.
