Lisa van Belle, the bronze medalist in the Madison at the Paris Olympic Games last summer, has signed with SD Worx-Protime with immediate effect, the team announced on Thursday. The 21-year-old will debut with the team in the upcoming Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es.
Last year, Van Belle and Maike van der Duin prevailed against more experienced teams in the Olympic Games Madison, finishing third behind Italy and Great Britain, and the pair went on to claim the European title in the same event in February.
Now, after only part of the season with the Continental team Velopro-Alphamotorhomes, Van Belle will step directly into the Women's WorldTour at the Vuelta Femenina on Sunday, now as a rival to Van der Duin, who will be competing with Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto in the Spanish stage race.
"She will be thrown into the deep end right away," Sports Director Danny Stam said. "Sometimes it is more ideal to debut in the team in a smaller race. On the other hand, there is no high stress on our team in Spain. For us, this is also always an intermediate stage of race. This way Lisa can get acquainted with the team and matches at a higher level without pressure."
Stam had been following Van Belle's results and leapt at the opportunity to sign her after Chantal Van den Broek-Blaak retired in February.
"The decision to add a rider is because we were regularly tight in our line-ups," Stam said. "This is partly because Chantal Van den Broek-Blaak quit because of her pregnancy. Since Lisa is, in my eyes, a talent for the future, we felt that the sooner we have her under our wing, the better. I have seen her working regularly on the velodrome. That's where the potential of a good cyclist stands out. She is a team player, but also a real winner.
"I think she can become much stronger on the road. She had in her mind to eventually make the switch from track to road. We have experience of that with Lotte Kopecky and in the past also with Amy Pieters. We are confident that Lisa can grow into a good rider on the road."
Van Belle called the contract, which runs through the 2026 season, a 'dream transfer' because it will allow her to learn the ropes on the road while still being able to keep some targets on the track.
"In terms of track cycling, of course, this team also has a wealth of experience. Danny Stam has always combined road and track as a rider, while nowadays Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes also make that combination very successful. The team therefore supports me in my track ambitions," Van Belle said.
"I didn't think I could transfer to the top road team at this young age. Especially the confidence expressed in me by the team management strengthens me tremendously. Team SD Worx-Protime has many experienced riders and a staff that knows how to bring talents to the top. I can learn a huge amount here.
"I think it is great to ride in the colours of Team SD Worx-Protime straight into the Vuelta. It is a good way to immediately experience the team's way of working and to get to know the riders and staff well. I will try to dedicate myself as best I can to the other riders in the team and especially to Anna van der Breggen. I am convinced that this is immediately a race from which I can come out stronger."
Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our La Vuelta Femenina coverage. Don't miss any of the breaking news, reports, and analysis from one of the biggest women's stage races of the season. Find out more.
