Before Van Dijk extended her contract with her Trek-Segafredo, she had already mentioned that she wanted to start a family with her partner Benjamin de Bruijn, but that she also wanted to aim for a medal at the Games. “The team immediately opened up to both scenarios and that was incredibly heartwarming,” Van Dijk said.
The rider won her third time trial world title last year. She also broke the world hour record in May. “I was really looking forward to wearing the rainbow jersey at the Women’s Tour de France and the Vuelta, but you can’t have it all. I’m really happy to see that the time trial discipline is taken seriously in racing and I hope they keep it.” for the next year. It will also be strange not to defend my world title this year, but I think my mind will be elsewhere by then.”
The World Cycling Championships will take place in Glasgow in August.