Annemiek van Vleuten retired in 2023, but she will remain in cycling, though this time off the bike. One of the greatest female cyclists in history, with two world road race titles and a long list of big wins, has been named performance mentor at Fenix-Deceuninck.
The news comes alongside the announcement that Fenix, the team’s main sponsor, has extended their partnership until 2027. Fenix-Deceuninck has also unveiled a partnership with ALE Cycling as their new clothing sponsor.
Van Vleuten will guide riders to be their best
At a press event in Milan, the team announced the news. “Fenix-Deceuninck is excited to welcome Annemiek van Vleuten as performance mentor. Known for her unmatched mindset and professional approach, the former world champion will guide riders to achieve their full potential,” a statement read. “Her expertise and leadership will be pivotal in refining both individual and collective performances, as Fenix-Deceuninck continues to compete at the highest level.”
For van Vleuten, she knew that after she finished cycling, she would remain in the sport and help the next generation of riders.
Helping the next gen
“In the last years of my racing career, I realized I wanted to help younger riders reach their full potential,” she said. “When Philip Roodhooft approached me with the offer, I was surprised but also immediately impressed by their professionalism and passion for cycling. I’ve learned a lot from my own journey, and now I’m looking forward to passing on that knowledge to the next generation.”
As part of her job, van Vleuten will guide riders like Puck Pieterse. Pieterse had a standout season in 2024, breaking into the road scene with a stage win at the Tour de France Femmes, as well as winning the XCO world championship.
Van Vleuten’s palmarès are, in a word, incredible. Along with the two world road race titles (2019 and 2022) and four time trial world titles (2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022), she also claimed Olympic gold in the time trial in 2021 and became the first cyclist–male or female–to win all three Grand Tours, along with wins at the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. She also took the triple crown in 2022–winning the Tour, Giro, and road worlds, the only female to ever do so.
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