Hailing from a true cycling heartland, where the nuances of bike riding are almost second nature, it was only a matter of time before Maike van der Duin, with excellent physical capabilities to match, made her entry in the professional peloton.

Cycling has been a passion of the young Dutchwoman since she was a small girl – a fact that quickly shines through when talking to her. 

“I started to ride my bike when I was six years old. I was not allowed to do races at that age, but when I reached seven years old, I started racing and fell in love with it. I knew that I wanted to become a pro cyclist, and that has never changed.”

Her dream started to take shape in 2020 when she joined a UCI continental team and began riding in the elite peloton. For 2023, Maike made the leap to CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto, bringing with her an impressive array of track and road results, including U23 European track gold in the scratch race, a World Championship scratch race silver, and a standout performance leading the youth classification for two stages at the Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift.

In her first year with CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto, Maike quickly made her mark in the WorldTour, securing a podium at her home race, Ronde van Drenthe, followed by third-place finish at the esteemed Gent Wevelgem.

“With the trust the team gave me from the beginning, and getting a World Tour podium in the first three months after joining the team, I immediately knew I was in the right place.”

Maike’s preparations for the 2024 season were hampered by an ankle injury, and she largely missed of her favoured spring classics. Despite the adversity, she made a strong return, securing WorldTour top-five finishes at Vuelta España Femina, Vuelta a Burgos Feminas, and RideLondon Classique, proving she was still on track for bigger things. Her challenging build-up ultimately led to a career-defining moment at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she achieved a lifetime accomplishment by winning a bronze medal in the Madison event representing the Netherlands.

In her two years with CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto, Maike has progressed immensely and shown exceptional race instincts, solidifying her place as an integral team member. Going into the next two, she is eager to play a key role in the upcoming spring campaigns, focusing on sprint finishes and stage races.

“The team is so strong now that we have more cards to play,” she says, going on to add, “I want to be one of the best riders during the spring campaign by having an important role in the sprint finishes. I also aim to be a supportive teammate for our leaders during stage races”.