Rider diary with… Elise Uijen

Hey guys!

My name is Elise Uijen and I joined Team DSM’s Women’s program last year. Within this month’s rider diary, I am happy to share my experiences from my first year as a professional cyclist with you all!

Before joining Team DSM, I finished my pre-university education (VWO), so the transition from school life to professional cycling life was difficult. I then discussed my program with various team members to find a good balance in my daily routine, this was not an easy task but we made a really nice plan together. I live in Sittard and being around the other girls was something I really enjoyed. Riding with them is really nice, it’s good to talk about personal experiences together with them

I’m pleased with my first year [2022]; we were able to make good progress because of the great support from the team and to be able to take those steps makes me proud. That ensured that I could find my way around by the summer of last year. Looking back, I think Lorena Wiebes’ classification victory and Charlotte Kool’s sprint victory made the Simac Ladies Tour the sporting highlight for me. That was a fantastic week, though, my personal highlight was at the season’s final race in Romandie where I could contribute to the team and also take home the QOM jersey.

In the off-season, I went on vacation to Cyprus with my family, which was a lot of fun. Afterwards, I enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration program since I like studying. I’d also like to focus my thoughts on something else than cycling from time to time. I also often visited my parents in Herpen. They run a horticultural business growing leeks, spinach, and arugula. So, when I’m at home… I like to spend time helping them. In Sittard, I also enjoy drinking coffee with the girls and relaxing. The other day, I bought a 500-piece puzzle for fun, but it’s not done yet… It’s still laying on the table, haha! I’m the type of person who cannot just buy a standard puzzle…this is an ‘expert’ puzzle! All of the pieces have the same circles…

Golden start to season ‘23

Because of my successful off-season, I kicked off the new year with a bang, beginning with the Spanish course race Setmana Valenciana Fèmines. I had travelled there a week before with Megan Jastrab and Becky Storrie to do some training and to avoid the bad weather in the Netherlands. That same week, I knew: “I am ready to start the season, and I’m especially excited to pin a race number.”

We had some misunderstandings in the first stage, but by the second one, the teamwork was much better: exactly what we had discussed at Training Camp and Megan sprinted to third place. The third stage was a difficult mountain stage, and Becky Storrie and I wanted to get in the break. Ultimately we didn’t make it but we did go into battle with an aggressive tactic. I won the next day, and it was wonderful to be able to celebrate with all the girls there. The reactions were a little overwhelming, I didn’t realise how big it would be or how much of an impact it would have. That evening, for example, I was at the airport checking in my luggage when Annemiek van Vleuten arrived to congratulate me. That felt really strange, but super cool!

Gaining experience at Spring Classics

After Valencia, I rode in some of the spring Classics. Those were – of course – very different races than the ones in Spain, but lovely. There’s just something very special about the races. At every race, I had my role and I learned a lot from it. It’s not as if I knew everything after my victory in Valencia. There are also parts where I thought to myself: “That could have been better”, but I am certain that I will return there for better results.

Then I participated in the Amstel Gold Race for the first time. I think the race is beautiful because of the trail and those climbs appeal to me as well. The Amstel Gold Race has a distinct racing style that distinguishes it from others, and I have never seen the Cauberg so crowded! Despite the bad weather, there were a lot of people, which was great to see.

Looking ahead

My next race is the Vuelta Femenina, which I am excited about! I have little experience with long-stage races as I only did the Simac Ladies Tour once which had six stages. The fact that this race has been expanded from five to seven stages is a huge step forward for women’s cycling. The level is also rising, so I think it’s a good thing that a Grand Tour like the Vuelta takes place for seven days long!

For the rest of the season, my goal is to become consistent in my training and racing. That is the key: if that goes well, I will be able to concentrate more on my performance in competitions. For the upcoming races, I want to take that one step further while also carrying the confidence I gained at the start of the year with me. So, in my program, I want to learn the necessary skills while also seizing the opportunity for a good performance.

Catch you all somewhere on the road soon!

Elise