Team SD Worx - Protime hopes to get Mikayla Harvey back on level terms

Team SD Worx - Protime hopes to get Mikayla Harvey back on level terms

Harvey could become key uphill support

02/10/2024

Following her fifth-place finish at the Giro Donne in 2020, Team SD Worx - Protime has continued to monitor New Zealand's Mikayla Harvey, from Wanaka. Although her performance has diminished through setbacks, sports manager Danny Stam is convinced that 26-year-old Harvey should be able to get back on level terms. ‘She has shown in the past to be among the best climbers. We still believe in her climbing abilities,’ Stam said.

Stam stressed that they were looking for a rider with Harvey's capabilities: ‘It is no secret that we wanted to strengthen ourselves with one or more climbers. After her strong year in 2020, Mikayla was felled by the Eppstein-Barr virus (Pfeiffer's disease) and she actually neglected this a bit. We discussed this with our medical staff. If she is cured of this, it should not bother her in the future. It is a nice challenge for us to get her back to her 2020 level. In the mountains, she can then become an important mainstay for the team.’

Mikayla Harvey has signed a two-year contract with Team SD Worx -Protime. ‘This transfer means a new chapter in my career and my life,’ she comments. ‘Not only am I changing teams, I am also moving from Varese in Italy to Andorra. Time for a new beginning. Team SD Worx-Protime is an incredibly strong team, the best in women's cycling. I hope to make strides here. The strongest riders in the peloton ride here or have made the step to the world top here. Niamh Fisher-Black could develop step by step within this team into one of the strongest climbers in the world. Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering have also become the best in the world under the wings of this team.’

‘My goal is to develop myself further here. I don't want to be a mediocre rider, I am aiming for the very highest. I don't want to dream small, I'm going for the very highest dream. That won't happen overnight, of course. First of all, I want to learn to make my mark in races. So I want to develop myself and hopefully win races later on. For that, I have come to the right place at Team SD Worx-Protime. What attracted me is the winning mindset and the strong leadership within the team. That is what I have missed in recent seasons. I am also really looking forward to riding alongside Anna van der Breggen. She was my big role model so it is super cool to still be in the team with her. I am also really looking forward to riding Specialized again. When I just started racing, I rode a Specialized. Although this is a new chapter, in that way it also feels like ‘back to the roots’.’

‘My personality can hopefully add value to the team. I have a positive attitude. I am naturally calm and am often the one who provides stability in conflicts. I always try to help where I can. However, I know very well what I want and am competitive. A good trait is that I like to suffer. If you want to achieve something, you should not be afraid to try things out. Failure is not a bad thing, as long as you learn something from it. That is what I am most proud of. I've had to deal with a lot of setbacks, but always came out on top. You learn more about yourself during difficult times than during success. I am stronger now. Cycling is a difficult sport. Life is a rollercoaster and those setbacks made me grow as a person and as a rider. I look forward to taking the next steps at Team SD Worx-Protime.’

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