Sports manager Danny Stam is entering his 12th season with Team SD Worx-Protime. ‘The strength of this team is its togetherness. And that led to an unforgettable 2023 and 2024. People sometimes forget how many different riders from our team have won races in the last two years. I loved watching our girls go through fire for each other. They are surrounded by a unique staff. The strength of the staff is that everyone takes their responsibility and tries to facilitate the riders as much as possible. We do it together and that makes Team SD Worx-Protime special.’

It produced a unique 2023 and 2024 with 64 and 69 wins respectively. ‘It was incredible, but at the beginning of every year the counters go back to zero. I am repeating myself, but matching 2023 and 2024 is almost an impossible task. We have a new group and already at the team-building camp you could see how it clicked. The new riders fit our DNA. So we will stay as a team as we are and will try to race in the same way, hopefully turning races to our liking.’

‘Of course some strong riders left, but if you look at our team as a whole, there is more than enough quality to win races. Then everyone automatically looks at Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes, but with Mischa Bredewold and Blanka Vas there are a number of girls who have been able to make strides in the shadows. Also, the return of a top rider like Anna van der Breggen means an injection of quality into the group. The new riders also create a new dynamic. The most important thing is to create the same spirit as always. Then the victories will follow.’