After twenty years, her impressive career comes to an end, Van Dijk confirmed – currently coming up for Lidl -Trek – on Tuesday itself at the NOS-program The evening stage. “I still like life for the sport. I think time trial is the most beautiful thing there is, but cycling does not only exist from time trial. Driving in the peloton, I just don’t like that anymore. I feel that that is no longer my place. I have teammates who are literally half my age, who are 19 and I don’t want to think about it: I do not think about it.”
Van Dijk became world champion time trial three times and also won four European titles in that discipline. But she could also rely in ordinary road races. In 2021 she became European Champion on the road and in 2014 she won the Tour of Flanders.
World -hour record
There are currently 70 professional victories on her record. In addition, in 2022 she was also a holder of the world hour record (49,254 kilometers) until the Italian Vittoria Bussi was the first to go through the border of the 50 kilometers.
Shoulder fracture and concussion for Ellen van Dijk (38), who lost consciousness after nasty fall: ‘Diagnosis whole relief’
Van Dijk is not active this year in the Tour de France Femmes. At the end of May she sustained a shoulder leaf fracture and concussion in a heavy crash, which confused her preparation for the largest cycling race. Although she made her return surprisingly quickly. Less than four weeks later she participated in the NK time trial. Then she was already second in Baloise Ladies Tour.