From Herpen in the Netherlands, Elise is now into her third year with the team and has a long-term contract through the 2027 campaign.
The big jump direct from juniors into the elite ranks can often be tough, but Elise powered through the more challenging moments “with the support of the team”, where she learned a lot and gained experience. It’s not only the step up in racing, which was a challenge, but the change of routine was something that took Elise sometime to get used to…
“It’s a bit weird to go from being at school until four then going for an hour or so of training, to having all of your day free to do training.”
Around midway through the opening year things “clicked” for Elise and since then she has gone from stride-to-stride, taking a brilliant first pro win at the beginning of 2023 at the Volta Comunitat Valenciana; before being an important cog in several strong team wins.
Elise has always only really had eyes for the bike, despite not being brought up in a cycling family. She took part in several sports alongside her dance classes while at school, but from a young age she “knew she wanted to cycle”. She had a lot of help from her parents and family at a young age, while having lots of fun and making “great memories” throughout it.
Chatty and outgoing, it is no surprise that one of Elise’s attributes that she describes herself as is “energetic”, which can be really useful to her as she is always buzzing about and wanting to do something, especially riding her bike; “I like so much that it gives me energy instead of costing me any energy.”
Alongside that, her “driven” and “thoughtful” nature has allowed Elise to make her way through the sport and now brush shoulders with her idol Marianne Vos, who she admires due to her commitment, resilience, and ability to remain at a high level for so long.
Away from the bike Elise is quite a homely person who really enjoys spending time with her family and friends, whipping up a storm in the kitchen cooking the famous Dutch staple of “Aardappels Groente Vlees (AGV)” otherwise known as “potatoes, vegetables and meat”. When she’s not got her chef’s hat on, she likes to clear her mind outside in nature or read a compelling book. A studious person, Elise is also currently following a Bachelors in International Business Administration which is keeping her busy when she’s not putting in the training or racing miles.