Ellen van Dijk is retiring from cycling at the end of the year. The 38-year-old rider announced this tonight on the Avondetappe program. She noticed that fewer and fewer riders from her generation remained in the peloton, which made the decision to close the chapter on a brilliant career easier.
Van Dijk can look back on an outstanding career in which she became world time trial champion three times. She also won classics such as the Tour of Flanders and won Dwars door Vlaanderen twice. In time trialing, the Lidl-Trek rider was of exceptional quality. It was also remarkable that she first claimed the rainbow jersey against the clock in 2013 in Florence and then delivered that top performance again eight and nine years later in Bruges and Wollongong, respectively.
"I now see riders in the peloton who are 19 years old. I’m twice their age. A whole new generation has emerged. From my generation, only Marianne Vos and Anna van der Breggen are really still around," Van Dijk said.
In October 2023, she became the mother of a son, Faas. However, in 2024 she immediately returned to racing at a high level, which once again highlights her exceptional talent. This year she also raced in the red leader's jersey at La Vuelta Femenina.
