‘New group, new problem’ – Annemiek van Vleuten returns to professional peloton as Fenix-Deceuninck’s efficiency mentor

Annemiek van Vleuten, a former Tour de France winner and multiple-time world champion, introduced that she’s going to be part of Fenix-Deceuninck as a efficiency mentor in 2025. 

“New group, new problem! Will be becoming a member of Fenix-Deceuninck as efficiency mentor. Look ahead to sharing my expertise from the previous with the following technology and serving to them to develop into higher athletes,” Van Vleuten stated in a publish to her social media channels on Friday.

Her new position might embody working with a few of the sport’s prime riders, together with mountain bike World Champion and Tour de France’s greatest younger rider Puck Pieterse and Tour de France’s common classification podium finisher Pauliena Rooijakker, amongst others, of their pursuits on the Women’s WorldTour. 

However, she stated that whereas it’s confirmed she’s going to work intently with a choose few riders, the main points haven’t but been confirmed.

“We nonetheless need to determine that out a bit. It’s a little bit of a journey of discovery for myself and for the group. But I’m undoubtedly going to assume together with the athletes and see how we are able to get the very best out of this group,” Van Vleuten stated in a narrative printed on NOS.

“The concept is to work with three riders in concrete phrases. It will not be but recognized which three riders it will likely be. I’ll be part of the group on the coaching camp in January and get to know everybody.

“It could possibly be that I’ll work with Puck. She will first do her ‘cross season and we’ll depart her alone for some time. I undoubtedly see Puck as a possible Tour winner. She has a variety of expertise. But I feel we’ve got to information her. She has to find herself. And I feel she must do this by making selections in what she actually needs to excel in. In this group, the principle factor is that the rider makes the selection himself and that it’s also about having enjoyable.

“Since I used to be approached this spring, I’ve certainly began following Pauliena with a bit extra curiosity. Then you see somebody who has began to find herself as a classification rider. Of course, I acknowledge myself in that very a lot. We may be capable of velocity up her course of a bit by considering together with Pauliena. And typically it is nearly giving belief.”

Van Vleuten retired from skilled racing on the finish of 2023 following a profitable 16 years that was highlighted by victories on the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta Femenina, Olympic Games and main occasions on the Spring Classics reminiscent of Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Van Vleuten stated that group co-owner Philip Roodhooft reached out to her within the spring to gauge her curiosity in working with Fenix-Deceuninck.

“He stated: ‘we’ve got the concept that we nonetheless want one thing to let the riders take the ultimate step. We assume that you would be able to contribute to that,'” Van Vleuten confirmed.

“That’s a fantastic alternative for me to develop myself as a coach. I knew I did not wish to be a group chief within the automobile, as a result of I feel others are higher at that tactically. And I did not wish to be a coach both. So this ‘unfastened position’ could be very good for me.”

Van Vleuten additionally stated that she had mentioned potential alternatives working within the skilled peloton as a coach together with her long-time coach Louis Delahaije, whereas additionally wanting into sports activities psychology. “I feel that’s maybe essentially the most fascinating half. And the place I can contribute most to the event of the riders,” she stated.

Van Vleuten defined extra about her choice to tackle a brand new position with Fenix-Deceuninck on her web site annemiekvanvleuten.nl. She stated that she was approached by a number of groups however that she selected Fenix-Deceuninck as a result of they have been “very nice and open”.

“I feel it will be significant that ladies and men in the identical group are supplied the identical services. In addition, it rapidly turned clear to me that Philip Roodhooft actually has a transparent imaginative and prescient with this group. Riders are recruited as a result of they see expertise in them after which plans are made to additional develop this expertise. It will not be a group of riders who’re already winners after they be part of the group,” she wrote.

“I used to be positively stunned by the well-organized construction and all the pieces that has been organized inside this group. I noticed this group begin as a group the place some ‘crossers rode a street program collectively, however this group continued to develop the place in my view the breakthrough actually got here in 2023 and we additionally began to have in mind the plans that have been made inside Fenix-Deceuninck.

“I discover it fascinating to work with riders and assume together with them about how they will enhance themselves but in addition all the time need to preserve the stability. I like how this group thinks about ‘efficiency’. During my profession, I’ve additionally skilled and seen how essential it’s to maintain that stability, however inside that to search for issues that could possibly be higher.

“What additionally attracted me is that it’s also a fantastic alternative to develop myself inside a biking group. I believed it was nice that Philip offered it to me on this manner: as a journey of discovery for either side. I feel that neither of us has a transparent concept of how and what I can add to this group as a ‘efficiency mentor’, however there’s a clear need from either side to make a substantive contribution.”