Ellen van Dijk is back from what was practically a never-departure at Lidl-Trek. The 38-year-old multiple-time trial world champion is set to explore whether coaching is the right path for her at the American team. Next season, she will (for now) take a new rider under her wing, along with a rider from the development squad. She will also take on work as a commentator. She told WielerFlits about this.
Last summer, Van Dijk announced on De Avondetappe that she would retire from professional cycling at the end of the season. Ahead of the final stage of the Simac Ladies Tour, she was given a beautiful guard of honour. This usually happens at a rider’s last race, but Van Dijk was also seen afterwards at the GP de Wallonie and Chrono Nations. The classic French one-day individual time trial in late October was her very last race in a long career. As a specialist, she capped it with a victory, truly retiring on a high note.
The surprise was therefore great when, in mid-December during Lidl-Trek’s media day, we suddenly saw Van Dijk back on the group ride, wearing the kit and holding her racing shoes. “Haha, I’m still trying to get my training hours in,” she laughs. “It was quite strange to be there during training camp, because now I’m there with a different purpose. That doesn’t change the fact that I still really enjoy cycling. When I’m with the team in Spain, I do get a Pavlovian reaction: ‘time to train!”. But no, a comeback is not on the cards, haha!”
The guard of honour at the Simac Ladies Tour - photo: Fotopersbureau Cor Vos
Two athletes under her guidance
Still, Van Dijk is returning to her former employer, but now as a coach. “I’ve always thought this would be something I’d really enjoy. I also studied human movement sciences, always with the idea of doing something in this direction. I find it super interesting to see how someone can perform at their best. Coaching fits perfectly into that. Next year, I want to figure out what suits me best and what I enjoy most. That’s why I’m starting with this relatively small role at my old team. I’ll first be guiding two riders.”
“They are Thor Michielsen – an 18-year-old Belgian from our development squad – and Marine Lenehan (a former hurdler, triathlete, and European and world amateur granfondo champion, ed.) from Ireland, who was already an intern at our team last year,” Van Dijk explains. “Since this is all new to me, I find it really exciting to do. During the season, I’ll experience how it goes, but let me say upfront that I really enjoy developing myself anew. This is part of that; by the end of 2026, I have to decide if it suits me.”
Lenehan (Irish father, French mother) is 27 years old but only started cycling in 2023. During her internship last fall, she got her first taste of road racing at the highest level. She impressed enough to earn a two-year contract. she and Michielsen still have a lot to learn. Enter Van Dijk. “Right now, I most enjoy working with young people. It’s also in general not a good idea for me to take on teammates from last year. That’s not an option for me. Moreover, you can teach young athletes a lot, which I find very challenging.”
Exploration and added value
That the three-time time trial world champion immediately ventured into coaching is, according to herself, no surprise. “My own coach Josu Larrazabal is also the Head of Performance at our team. I worked with him for seven years, and we’ve often discussed this step – that I’d also really like to develop into a coach. This idea has been with me for some time. Only in the last few months have we looked at how to shape it exactly. After ending my own career, I didn’t want to immediately commit to a long-term project.”
The 2021 time trial world championship podium, with gold for Van Dijk - photo: Fotopersbureau Cor Vos
The experience Van Dijk gained over twenty seasons in the women’s peloton is now being put to use for future generations. “I notice that I recognize many situations with others. In those twenty years, I’ve pretty much been through everything. I think it’s very valuable for riders to have someone who understands how something feels and what you go through. That way, you can also support and guide them mentally. That’s the biggest added value. I also create training plans and I am guided by the team to improve at this.”
Also to be heard on TV
Besides her first steps into coaching, we will also hear Van Dijk on TV next season. “I will probably also do some commentary work, kind of the usual next step after a career ends,” she laughs. “I really enjoy that as well. During my pregnancy in 2023, I regularly did commentary and analysis. That went well. It’s not fully concrete yet, but I will likely do a few races with both NOS and Eurosport.” So, we’ll wait and see, but her knowledge and skills from over twenty years will definitely come in handy there too.
Ellen van Dijk| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2025 | |
| 2024 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2022 |
