A dream came true for cyclist Riejanne Markus when she became Dutch time trial champion yesterday. “I’ve been dreaming of this for a long time and it’s a huge relief to succeed. I inherited my passion for time trial from my father,” says an enthusiastic Markus.
“When we used to watch the Tour de France, it was always a time trial and never a road race. So I took over that love from my father,” says Markus.
Force majeur
The rider from Amstelveen won the national title with force majeure. Demi Vollering was second at 55 seconds and Annemieke van Vleuten was third at 1 minute and 13 seconds. Already at the start of the season, Markus indicated that the NK time trial was an important goal for her, which is why she prepared herself down to the last detail for this competition. “I spent 21 days on altitude training in Andorra. There I prepared myself for this competition and the Dutch National Championships on the road.”
There was also North Holland success in the reserves. Enzo Leijnse from Amstelveen became Dutch champion for the first time. Leijnse was already close a number of times, because in 2021 he came third and in 2022 fifth.
World Time Trial Championships
The World Time Trial Championships will be held at the beginning of August. After her national title, she seems to secure her participation in this, but she herself does not want to anticipate things yet. “At the NK I had to prove myself by driving very fast. I think I did that.” The selection for the World Championship time trial for the Tour de France Femmes (23 July to 30 July) will probably be announced.
NK cycling
The NK cycling on the road is on the program this Saturday. Markus became Dutch champion last year and is therefore defending her champion’s jersey. The North Holland cyclist can get to work, because the strong Demi Vollering, Lorena Wiebes and Annemiek van Vleuten are also at the start. “A very difficult race. The Dutch Championship is one of the most difficult races to win. The course lends itself to an offensive race and I will do that”, Markus looks ahead.
After the NK, Markus will leave for a training camp in Tignes, France. There she will prepare for the Tour de France Femmes.