Dideriksen, Pieters, Majerus extend with Boels Dolmans through 2019
'Our good performances in recent years are the result of perfect teamwork' says Majerus
Boels Dolmans announced Tuesday that they have extended contract agreements with Danish road champion Amalie Dideriksen, Amy Pieters and Luxembourg time trial, road and cyclo-cross champion Christine Majerus through 2019.
Dideriksen, a former world champion, joined the powerful Dutch team in 2015. This year she was second in the opening stage of the Tour de Yorkshire, won a stage of the OVO Energy Women's Tour, won the Danish road title, and was part of the teams that won the team time trials at Healthy Ageing Tour and PostNord Vargarda West Sweden.
"One of the most beautiful things in this team is that we support each other in our goals and that we really enjoy racing with each other, everyone always does their best," Dideriksen said.
"We have a lot of great races this year and some of them we won, it's always special to be part of that. My personal highlight this year was to win a stage in the Women's Tour and that I have my champion jersey back after winning the Danish championship on the road.
She is looking to combine her road and track disciplines heading into the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
"I'm doing quite well on the track and I won medals at both the World Championship and the European Championships, and I look forward to returning to the track by the winter when the qualifying session for Tokyo has begun."
Pieters joined the team last year and has strengthened their Classics program this year by winning Ronde van Drenthe, fifth at Gent-Wevelgem, and second at both Dwars door Vlaanderen and Tour of Flanders. She capped off a successful spring campaign by winning the Healthy Ageing Tour, ahead of teammates Chantal Blaak and Majerus, for a podium sweep.
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"I feel at home in this team," said Pieters, who will also focus on the track heading into the Tokyo Olympics. "The way of working and the races fit in well with me, I have been able to take steps in the past two years that I have ridden at Boels Dolmans, which I did not expect in advance, because of the team, but also by our team leader Danny [Stam].
"Danny has a clear plan with the team and that's why I know what is expected of me. I want to focus more on the track in the run-up to Tokyo and I got that freedom from Danny, which was an important condition for me. But it certainly does not mean that I want to do less on the road, because after the last two seasons, I'm just more motivated to be good on the road."
The team has also extended with selfless support rider Majerus, who has been with the team since 2014. This year she showed her strengths with third at Brugge-De Panne, third overall at the Healthy Ageing Tour, second overall at Festival Elsy Jacobs, and fourth overall at both OVO Energy Women's Tour and Ladies Tour of Norway.
Majerus has be instrumental in the team's 22 victories throughout the season. "As far as the victories with the team are concerned, I think they are all beautiful, because we worked hard for them, but the entire Boels Dolmans podium in the Healthy Ageing Tour this year was very funny.
"Our good performances in recent years are the result of perfect teamwork, both of riders and staff. It is nice to see that if you put together the right people, each with their own strength, that you can rise to great heights I am proud to have been part of that and I believe we can continue that success for the time being."
Boels Dolmans has already announced contract extensions with Olympic champion Anna van der Breggen and world champion Chantal Blaak, both have a contract up to and including 2020. New signings include Katie Hall from UnitedHealthcare and Eva Buurman from Trek-Drops.