SD Worx and Protime have extended their sponsorship of the women’s WorldTour team until 2028, with Lorena Wiebes also extending her contract and joining Lotte Kopecky as team leader of one of the super teams in the women’s peloton.
SD Worx-Protime have already won 14 races in 2024, despite Demi Vollering struggling to be successful and her decision not to continue contract negotiations for 2025.
FDJ-Suez appear to be the frontrunner to sign the 2023 Tour de France Femmes but SD Worx-Protime are building a future without Vollering.
First, they announced Kopecky’s contract extension, now the team’s title sponsorship is secure, as is that of sprinter and Classics rider Wiebes. Specialized have also extended their sponsorship with the team until 2028.
Kopecky will target the Giro d'Italia Women in early June and then target success on the track and road at the Paris Olympic Games. She confirmed on Monday that she will not ride the Tour de France Femmes, which begins just a day after her Olympic track programme.
"This proves the confidence that both main sponsors have in our team but certainly also in the further development of women's cycling," team manager Erwin Janssen said when SD Worx-Protime made their announcement.
"We are one of the few top teams in the peloton that focuses entirely on women's cycling. I think this is also part of our strength. Women's cycling has been on the rise tremendously in recent years. There is much more attention on the sport. Our main sponsors SD Worx and Protime are also anticipating that growth with us for the coming years."
Kopecky has won Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix in recent weeks, while Wiebes won Miron Ronde van Drenthe, Gent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields and Scheldeprijs. The team’s roster also includes Marlen Reusser, Niamh Fisher-Black, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak and Blanka Vas.
Wiebes joined SD Worx-Protime in 2023 from DSM and now has a new contract that lasts until the end of 2028.
"I didn't hesitate for long. I feel completely at home in this team and I also feel that in this environment I can make the necessary steps in the coming years," Wiebes said.
"It is a big compliment for me that the team wants to work with me as far into the future as 2028. I was offered a nice contract, so we quickly reached an agreement."
Wiebes is ambitious but insists she gets along with Kopecky.
“In the races, we strengthen each other. How Lotte occasionally pulls the sprint for me is unprecedented. In the classics, I pull up to her. It's a great prospect that we will still be together in a team for the next four years,” Wiebes said.
Directeur sportif Danny Stam has also extended his contact with the team and so will guide Kopecky and Wiebes in the years to come.
“It is well known – getting to the top is hard, but staying at the top is even harder many times over. I am proud of what we have achieved and grateful to the sponsors for all the confidence they have in us.
"The cycling team is a part of my life. Especially now that women's cycling is developing enormously and the competition is also getting stronger, it is a great challenge to remain the best team in the coming years.
"Lorena is a real winner. As a sprint star, she knows how to win the necessary races, but we also see that she is making huge strides in the classics. She is eager to learn and get stronger. In addition, she fits well in the team. Often she is an atmosphere creator in the team."
