Romain Combaud and Niklas Märkl continue their journey with Team DSM

Niklas Märkl (GER)

A fine product of the Team DSM’s talent days before joining the Development program, Märkl has been in the team’s structure since 2018 and turned professional with the Men’s program in 2021. Last season saw him make a smooth transition to the pro ranks, proving to be a valuable teammate in the early season classics and one day stage races. Towards the end of 2021 Märkl’s continued development shone through with a good tenth on GC at Tour de Slovaquie while also helping the team to a GC podium too, before a very impressive and attacking fifth place at Münsterland Giro. This year again has seen Märkl ride well to support the team in the one-day classics and helping the team’s sprint group to a win at the Tour of Türkiye and second overall at the recent Tour de Pologne.

Märkl expressed: “At Team DSM we get all of the help we need and it’s a really professional environment. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the team and the rest of the guys in the sprint group. There are some great guys coming through and in the team already, who are really motivated to bring it to another level, so I think it will be an exciting few years. I feel at home at Team DSM. Since I have been a part of the team in 2018 everything has gone smoothly, so I want to continue with that. Looking at myself, I want to grow as a rider even more and reach another level where I can help the team and be competitive in the finales of some of the biggest races on the calendar.”

Team DSM head coach Rudi Kemna added: “Niklas has been with the team since 2018 and we’ve known him for even longer than that with our talent days. He’s taken steps each season with us and has grown as a rider and a person. In the coming years we see him as a part of our sprint group, like he is now, where he can use his power and ability well. In his first two years with our Men’s program he’s rode strongly in a support role in the classics as well and this is an area of racing we also want to continue with. With our coaching team and specialists within the team, we think we can help him reach the next level.”