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Ellen van Dijk has announced that she is expecting her first child in September and will take maternity leave from racing for the duration of 2023. The reigning time trial World Champion and UCI Hour Record holder aims to return to competition in 2024 with a target placed on the Olympic Games in Paris.
“Me and Benjamin are super excited to share the news that we are expecting our first child in September. It has always been our wish to start a family, and so to have this wish come true still feels a bit unreal right now,” Van Dijk said.
Van Dijk, who is under contract to race with Trek-Segafredo through the end of 2024, enjoyed one of her most successful seasons last year, having smashed the UCI Hour Record in 49.154km in May and then securing her third career world title in the individual time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong in September.
“Together with the team and the unwavering support of Benjamin, I have achieved my biggest goals over the past two years. When discussions around an extension of my contract began last year, we spoke about my seemingly conflicting ambitions: I want to win a medal at the Olympics in 2024, but I would also like to start a family. Straight away, the team was open to both scenarios, and that was incredibly heart-warming,” Van Dijk said.
Van Dijk joined Trek-Segafredo at a pre-season training camp where she spoke with Cyclingnews about her legacy as a time triallist, future goals and staying relaxed about racing and her career. The team also revealed her stunning new Trek Speed Concept.
She said that while she was looking forward to competing at La Vuelta Feminine in May and Tour de France Femmes in July, she is nonetheless looking forward to taking time away from racing to start a family.
“Of course, it’s a shame I won’t be racing my new supersonic shiny Speed Concept this year, and I was really looking forward to wearing the rainbow at the Tour de France Femmes and Vuelta, but you can’t have it all,” Van Dijk said.
“Nevertheless, I’m very pleased to see these racing taking the time trial discipline seriously, and hopefully, they’ll keep it for next year. It will also be weird not to defend my world title this year, but I think by that time, my mind will be somewhere else entirely.”
Van Dijk confirmed that she discovered her pregnancy while at the Trek-Segafredo team training camp in January and as felt supported in the early stages.
“Obviously, pregnancy is not something you…
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