The flashy red and purple jerseys of the newly-named SD Worx team, along with their 14 riders, have hit the roads for a team training camp in Denia, Spain this week. Led by double world champion Anna van der Breggen, the team welcomes a host of young talent and experienced veterans as they prepare for the 2021 season ahead.
"This is an international team with lots of top riders, so we should be able to challenge for victory on all fronts. The back-up riders have come on leaps and bounds as well. This will hopefully mean that we have more riders in the finals, and then it's all about the tactics," said team manager Danny Stam.
The first two days saw the riders undergo aerodynamic testing at Valencia's velodrome followed by two days for photo and video commitments. Due to the inclement weather in Spain, however, the hard training sessions in the surrounding mountainous region in Costa Blanca were postponed until Sunday.
The team roster includes Van der Breggen, who is in her final year of racing before retiring at the end of the season to become a sports directeur. She will place her focus on the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.
"The Olympic Games are an important goal, but I'll also try to enjoy my final season as a cyclist. Next year, I'll take on my new role as team leader of this team," Van der Breggen said. "We have a new main sponsor and a strong team for the coming season, two things that are driving us to get great results across the board!"
SD Worx has signed on to sponsor the team through 2024, and the team acquired a top-tier WorldTeam licence through 2023.
Returning riders include Jolien D'hoore, Amy Pieters, Chantal van den Broek Blaak, Christine Majerus, Lonneke Uneken and Karol-Ann Canuel. New signings include Demi Vollering, Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, Elena Cecchini, Roxane Fournier, Nikola Noskova, Anna Shackley, and Niamh Fisher-Black. Shackley could not attend camp due to the coronavirus restrictions on travel from the UK.
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