A long-term member of the Team DSM ranks, Martijn joined the team way back in 2018 and has since proven to be a valuable teammate; who’s been a part of countless successes such as the team’s double podium finish at the 2020 Giro d’Italia.
However, his journey has not always been easy and casting his mind back, 2019 was the epitome of ‘a year of two halves’ for Martijn. He suffered from a terrible crash in Paris-Nice before recovering from his injuries and returning to racing to pick up some strong results. The injury was a tough period for Martijn that has affected him for a while, but it only made him stronger and increased his desire to ride his bike.
“Right after the crash I really wasn’t into cycling. But I eventually realised that I really love what I am doing and found out what motivates me. When I couldn’t do anything, I really wanted to get back to training and racing.”
Now Martijn has fully recovered from the incident and in the past year had some surgery to get fake teeth and a brilliant smile, something that he is very proud of and is a “fact about him many people don’t know”.
Originally a football player, Martijn bossed the midfield for eight years and dabbled his hand at tennis for a few years too. His parents were always cycling, and he reluctantly joined them on holidays as to start off with he wasn’t a fan of the sport. However, he grew tired of football and around his 13th birthday he joined a cycling club, did some races and the passion grew from there.
