Maud Oudeman is elated to be part of the Canyon-SRAM team. The 2021 Zwift Academy winner has already been on a training camp in Mallorca with the team, donned the new kit, and is getting to know the riders through various team-building activities.
"It’s really special to be here and meet everyone. It’s so cool, like, I’m learning so much here – not just on the bike but also off the bike," she told Cyclingnews.
"These girls are so experienced and you can learn so much from their stories, or they give you tips, and I feel really welcome in this team. It’s not just that you’re the Zwift Academy winner; they really see you as a rider on this team."
It has been a real whirlwind for the 18-year-old from Nijmegen, Eastern Netherlands, who has put her Educational Studies degree on hold since starting Zwift Academy last September, completing the workouts and landing a contract to race for the German-registered Women’s WorldTeam, where she now has a new coach and a new routine.
"I had already been doing Zwift for three years, and was doing it quite often to help my cycling, so it wasn’t specifically about the Zwift Academy," she said.
Oudeman had a go at the Zwift Academy work-outs, and was quite surprised to learn that she was a finalist out of 150,000 riders. Apart from a short rest before the gruelling challenges in the final part of the contest, she didn’t do anything differently in preparation for it.
"When I heard that I was in the finals, that was already a surprise. Then we had a very hard week of challenges and we did some races against each other, and it was a really big surprise that I won."
For Oudeman, being part of Canyon-SRAM has been a dream come true.
"The Canyon-SRAM team always attracted me because of the diversity of their riders and how they focus on the development of riders. So I was really happy to get a chance to be riding for this team."
Looking to her upcoming road season, after competing in a few races in Belgium and the Netherlands, near her home, Oudeman will then finalise her calendar for the first part of the season. Whichever races she does, the former triathlete is relishing racing alongside the team’s inspirational riders.
"When I see races on TV like the Ardennes Classics I always see Canyon-SRAM as a really strong team. They are always together and then you see Kasia Niewiadoma in the final. She is really strong, and also Chloé Dygert is super strong," she said.
"It’s really cool to see that they are at the highest level and that you can train with them, seeing how they do it, how they go through the corners, or having them give you tips."
Oudeman reached the professional ranks via a circuitous route of dancing and triathlon. Having danced in musical theatre since the age of five, at the age of 13 the youngster felt that her passion lay in athletics.
Her dad, Menno, had been a professional triathlete when Oudeman was very young and so she didn’t get the chance to see him race before he retired from racing. Although he subsequently became a triathlon coach, he didn’t push his daughter into that direction. It was only when the teenager accompanied him to a race that it sealed her wish to compete in multi-sports along with sister Puck, and her dad became her coach for triathlon, and later in cycling.
Zwift has been most useful in helping her discover her potential as a cycle racer and it gave her the motivation to focus more on cycling, eventually joining the Canyon E-Sports Development Programme in December 2020.
"I did triathlon for two and a half years and then found out that I really liked cycling. I made the switch to road cycling because of Zwift, when I found out about my strengths in cycling. So, for me, it was a very nice way to see where my strengths were compared to other riders and maybe see if I could bring it to the finals. I started doing some cycle races on Zwift in Summer 2020, and noticed how my power compared to some pro cyclists, and I could keep up with them in the races."
As well as the benefit of Zwift identifying her potential, Oudeman recognises how the on-line cycle racing platform can help in the advancement of women’s cycle racing around the world.
"I live in the Netherlands where the weather is not always good, and so to have this platform like Zwift, to be able to still ride in a fun way inside, on the indoor trainer, that’s really important. On Zwift, you can always join in group rides and connect with people who are living on the other side of the world. It’s purely about your power and not always about your racing style, so it’s for everyone, including those who are scared to ride outside. I think it's really important that we have this kind of platform."
Tour de France Femmes and Dutch inspiration
Oudeman is also impressed at how Zwift has provided backing for the upcoming Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which begins on July 24.
"I think it’s so good that there will be a Tour de France this year for women, and having support from Zwift is a really big part of the development in women’s cycling."
Although Zwift is based on cycling indoors, Oudeman does have proven experience in outdoor cycle racing, as she competed in races around the Netherlands, finishing in 4th position in the junior women's time trial at the Dutch national championships last year.
She has also participated in stage races around Europe, as well as the European Junior Road Race Championships. Furthermore, the Zwift Academy finals include cycling challenges and races outdoors in which bike handling, descending, and racing tactics are assessed.
In future, Oudeman may well join the long chaingang of successful women Dutch riders such as Marianne Vos, Annemiek Van Vleuten, Demi Vollering or Ellen van Dijk. She recognises that the abundance of talent raises the level among riders from the Netherlands, as they push for a higher level in racing, and this provides inspiration for junior and under-23 riders.
Oudeman has not been part of a Dutch cycling academy, so what has been her secret to being a strong rider? Apparently, it’s thanks to her home area around Nijmegen where she trains.
"I love training around my house. We don’t have any hills but I love the roads we have. They are pretty long, windy and flat, so you can do some very hard rides there. Every time you go for a ride there is wind. I think if you ride there it can really make you strong."
