Door José Been – www.procyclinglive.com

The ladies in red and white of DCU Denmark, the team of the Danish cycling Union, are often riding at the front of the bunch. A group of 7 riders of different clubs form the selection for the nieuwelingen-dames and junioren-dames categories. Team manager Willy: “In Denmark we have a great system for cycling. Every weekend there is a race for all the classes. You can easily subscribe your riders online. It’s a great way for them to get a lot of race experience.”
In the junior category it’s Nina Schultz Nielsen and Fie Degn Larsen who are riding impressively as first year juniors. Nina is even leading the overall classification. Together with the nieuwelingen Heidi Knudsen, Julie Lykke, Louise Marie Olsen, Anne Mette Frederiksen and Christina Siggaard they form the basis of the team for the World Championships next year in Denmark.
Christina Siggaard is 16 years old and on the bike since 4 years. This year she was 2nd in the national championships for all ladies’ categories. A great achievement if you consider that all ladies ride together. Christina is even better on the time trial. This year she became national time trial champion. Coach Willy is sure: “Christina will win the time trial on the TT circuit with at least 30 seconds to spare.”

Maike van der Duin from Assen is the best in category 1, taking all three wins so far. This is her 2nd year in Assen and in category 1. “Luckily for me most fast riders have gone to category 2.” Her biggest rival is Erwin Smit of HRTC Dok. It’s the first time they ride against each other.
Maike has a new bike. “The bike is not so good for criteriums and classics but I am very good on the time trial with it,” she says proud. She is very confident for the time trial on the TT circuit. There she will defend her blue, white and pink jersey. In the ranking for the green jersey she is level pegging with Erwin but she is determined to get this jersey for herself too.

Fleur Nagengast is the Dutch champion in category 4. She won this title before in category 1 and is multiple cyclocross champion too. Next to that she does handball but clearly favours cycling. She continues the Nagengast family tradition with De Peddelaars where her grandparents are well known and her dad Rudi and uncle Marcel rode too.
This year she has won three times already, with the Dutch title and the win in her hometown of Beilen as highlights. This week she won the criterium, got 2nd in the prologue and 3rd in the classic. Her biggest rival is Charlotte Broughton from Leicestershire Road Club who is now first in the general classification. Fleur has faith in her time trial skills though. The battle in category 4 is still on.