Ellen van Dijk is going to lead a different life
She initially practiced speed skating and competed five times in the Dutch junior championships. Then came a turning point. In 2007, she was invited to participate in selection competitions for speed skating for her region. But then she changed course and decided to focus on cycling. During her speed skating days, she already trained on a bike to improve her performance on the ice. In 2002, when she was fifteen, she started competing in national competitions. Things moved quickly from there. A year later, she became Dutch champion in road racing and time trials in the novice category, and in 2004 she became Dutch champion in both road racing and time trials in the junior category. In 2005, she joined the ranks of elite cyclists.
As a professional, she racked up world titles. In 2008, she became world scratch champion in Manchester. She won world titles in the team time trial in 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2017, and the individual world time trial title in Florence in 2013, Bruges in 2021, and Wollongang in 2022. At the European Championships, she came first in Plumelec in 2016, Herning in 2017, Glasgow in 2018, and Alkmaar in 2019. She also became European road champion in 2021 in Trente. The only thing missing is an Olympic title.
She also achieved impressive results in the classics, such as the Tour of Flanders (2014) and Dwars door Vlaanderen (2018 and 2019). She ended this year with overall victory in the Tour of Extremadura, the opening stage team time trial in the Vuelta a España, and victory in the “Daags na de Tour” criterium in Boxmeer. The day after her last victory, she announced in the “Avondetappe” that she was going to retire. She then rode the Simac Ladies Tour and on September 7, after the final stage in Lichtenvoorde, it was all over. She said in an interview in De Volkskrant: “I know that my life is about to change dramatically, but I have no idea what normal life will be like. I’ve never had it.”
Text and images: Teus Korporaal
