Nienke switched to Team dsm-firmenich PostNL in 2023, after impressing with the juniors in 2022, in which she won the Dutch road race and time trial titles and won the bronze medal at the World Championships.
Like most Dutch children, Nienke had a city bike from a young age, but at the time she “hated cycling” because she had to go out with her parents. At the age of twelve she started skating, which many of her friends did to keep in shape for cycling. During that period, the national youth championships were organized in her then hometown of Amersfoort, after which Nienke herself took part in cycling races to participate in the tournament and “the rest is history”.
In any case, she likes the sport more now than when she was young, Nienke jokes. She enjoys the tactical and physical game, while the Dutch woman is also a real team player and loves sophisticated team play.
Nienke states that she has a driven personality, not only in cycling, but also in her personal life and her school career. She always gives everything she can during a training or race, wanting to do everything perfectly and being “motivated by the improving numbers”.
“Seeing the next step” is a characteristic of the modest Nienke, but if you get to know her better, she quickly puts her somewhat shy character aside. Nevertheless, she likes to be more reserved and has a calm personality. This coolness helps her in races, as she is not likely to get nervous in hectic situations.
The leap into the deep – from juniors to the WorldTour – still feels a bit “unreal” for Nienke, but from the first moment she was ready for this big challenge. She likes that there is no pressure from the team regarding results and that the focus is first on development and helping the team.
Looking ahead in her career, Nienke would one day like to stand on the podium of a stage race or even win it. However, the realistic cyclist knows that she still has to “work hard” to achieve that. However, with her character traits, one thing is certain: she will not stop until she achieves that goal.
In addition to cycling, Nienke – like most teenagers – enjoys socializing with her friends and family or is busy completing her studies. Either way, you can “always wake her up for ice cream,” she concludes.