Returning to the ranks of cycling professionals after a ten-year absence seems impossible, but Jamie de Beer-Bierens (27) proves that it is possible. The cyclocross rider from Duizel retired as a great talent at the age of 16 and made her comeback this cross season. And that as a mother of three children who also has a job. “Hopefully there is much more in it for me.”
Jamie Bierens was a great cycling talent in her youth and around the age of 15 she was allowed to participate in World Cup competitions with the seniors. To the surprise of many, she quit a year later. “I liked cycling, but lost the fun in competitions. The whole week was all about the next match. I wanted other things in the future, such as becoming a mother. If I had chosen to be a professional, that would not have been an option for the time being.”
“I only cycled to the supermarket.”
The dream of a family came true and together with her husband Pim de Beer she had son Melle when she was twenty. This was followed by Siem, now 5 years old, and Liam, 1.5 years old. Instead of suffering on the bike, the attention was often focused on the pleasant atmosphere in the De Beer home. “After every pregnancy I wanted to get fit as quickly as possible. I actually only cycled to the supermarket, but I did run a bit.”
She learned little about the cycling world of which she was a part. “We still showed the Tour de France and championships on TV, but with three children there was no time to follow everything. By the way, I didn’t hate the cycling world, but you quickly lose the feeling.”
“I soon found that not challenging enough.”
Her love for cycling blossomed again in 2024 after she purchased an indoor bicycle after her third pregnancy. “This way we could work on our fitness in the evenings. I must say that it started to itch a bit then. I signed up for the touring club in Eersel, where I rode some endurance rides. I soon found that not challenging enough and I went to Het Snelle Wiel where I used to cycle. Things were more fanatic there. I was still riding my junior bike, but decided to purchase a cross bike.”
She registered quite spontaneously for a cross competition around September and she immediately stood out. The name Jamie de Beer initially didn’t ring a bell for anyone, but Nico Verhoeven of the German team Heizomat Radteam p/b Herrmann soon showed interest. “I didn’t expect it to go so well right away. A professional team offered me the opportunity for the right guidance. I didn’t give it my all and my technique can be improved a lot. A fun challenge.”
“The next steps will be more difficult.”
Jamie is now a better known name in the field of competitors, also in World Cup competitions. The Brabant native almost always finishes in the sub-top and hopes to become a better rider in the coming years. “From zero to eighty is easier than from eighty to one hundred. The next steps will be more difficult. I think there is still room for improvement.”
“At the highest level, women live for their sport. That is not possible for me with three children and a job, but I now do a lot more for it than when I started again last year. Next summer I want to prepare as best as possible for the cross, that’s where you lay the foundation.”
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