There are offers you can't turn away from. When the strongest team calls you to offer you an important role, you have to take the time to think and try to give the most correct answerAn affirmative answer, we would say.
That's what happened to Lorraine Wiebes. When it got under the SD Worx with an unmissable proposal, the European champion he said yes right awayContract until 2025 for the strongest sprinter around. Be careful, small aside. We could repeat the same incipit in a few weeks when we talk about the same team and another athlete..
Negotiation
Wiebes – who in the meantime has reached 21 seasonal victories thanks to two stages and the general classification at the Simac Ladies Tour – was able to settle in her future team by taking advantage of a contractual clause provided for in the contract with the DSM Team (its current lineup) with which it was linked for another three seasons. In fact, if more advantageous economic offers had arrived, Lorena could have left.. And so it was, with an agreement between the two Dutch companies following a joint consultation.
«I have to tell you honestly – Lars Boom, sport director of SD Worx, explains to us over the phone on one of the last days of vacation after the Tour of Scandinavia – that I don't know when the first contacts with her were made. Danny Stam took care of Wiebes' transfer (the other sports director, ed.) but it's obvious that an athlete like her is of interest to many teams. We were monitoring his situation and when we knew he could be released, we stepped forwardHis arrival will bring us joy."
The missing sprinter
The SD Worx battleship thus gains yet another important addition. "By taking Lorena," continues the 36-year-old former pro, winner of the Arenberg stage at the 2014 Tour, " Not only did we secure the world's best sprinter, but we also filled a void in that sector.We were missing a pure sprinter. So far, she's done the bunch sprints Kopecky who can be very competitive in those moments, but has shown that she is a different type of rider.
«Lotte won races like Strade Bianche and Flanders, which are now out of reach for WiebesHowever, I believe that Lorena can further raise her level not only in sprints but also in other races that are currently too tough for her. However, there will be absolutely no internal competition between the two of them.».
A train to Lorena
This year Wiebes he dominated sprints with or without a train, but at SD Worx they don't want to leave anything to chance.
«We still have to evaluate – continues Boom, who led his team to the last Giro Donne – whether to include some other profiles, but we have riders who can sprint against Lorena. I think of girls like Elena and Chantal (respectively Cecchini e Van den Broek-Blaak, ed) who know how to work very well in any circumstance, even in the sprint finishes. We can give ourselves new objectives in races in which we previously started as less favoured. And in any case we will have to consider the calendar, trying to distribute our team correctly, perhaps in concurrent matches."
Well-covered departments
In addition to Wiebes The rouleurs Femke Markus and Mischa Bredewold will also arrive at SD Worx, both from Parkhotel Valkenburg. With them, the average age of the roster will be lowered in consideration of the departure of 36-year-old Ashleigh Moolman to AG Insurance NXTG TeamWill the South African climber, second in the Giro Donne a year ago, be replaced?
«No, we are well covered in those roles for the stage races – says Boom – with two very strong girls. Our Customers Demi Vollering, which guarantees results and quality. And then we have Niamh Fisher-Black, which if you remember I already introduced to you in July at the Giro. We are counting a lot on her, since she is still very young.Both can grow, they can take another step. They too will have the right support from the teammates best suited to the climb."
Exchange of experiences
Time is almost up. In the background, his daughters can be heard calling for him, mostly to show him something they've cooked for him, though honestly, it's very difficult to decipher the Dutch.. We close the chat with dad Boom asking him how he feels in his team.
"I like working with our girls," she says, "it's stimulating. I try to give my contribution in terms of advice, with the aim of helping them improve or giving them a different perspective on things. Just as I try to support them in every situation, before, during, and after the race.But I'm learning from them too. and I like that aspect."
