Nienke Vinke signs three-year contract with Team SD Worx – Protime

Team SD Worx – Protime has strengthened its roster with young Dutch talent Nienke Vinke. The winner of the young rider classification in the Tour de France Femmes has signed a three-year contract and will join the team on 1 January 2026. “We see Nienke as a rider who can develop into a GC contender in the major stage races in the coming years, but also as someone capable of achieving strong results in the Ardennes classics,” says sports director Danny Stam.

With an eighth place in La Flèche Wallonne (on the Mur de Huy), a ninth place in the general classification of the Vuelta España Femenina and victory in the young rider classification of the Tour de France Femmes, Vinke enjoyed a strong season. The rider from Amersfoort looks back on the spring with particular satisfaction. Vinke: “In the Tour, I had hoped to finish one day a bit closer to the big GC riders. Partly due to a puncture in the penultimate stage, in the valley leading up to the Col de la Madeleine, that didn’t quite work out. Still, winning the white jersey in the Tour is, of course, very special.”

Team SD Worx – Protime had Vinke on its radar several years ago already, but back then Stam was unable to sign her. “It was clear early on that Nienke is a real talent. We’re happy to have been given a second chance to work with her. In her first year, she can continue to grow in the shadow of riders such as Lotte Kopecky, Anna van der Breggen, Lorena Wiebes and Mischa Bredewold. She has already shown her climbing potential. Both on hilly terrain and on the long climbs in stage races, she performs very well.”

In recent years, Vinke has seen how riders like Kopecky, Bredewold and Demi Vollering have grown into the world’s best at Team SD Worx – Protime. “There are big names and riders with a lot of experience in the team. I hope to learn a great deal from them. It’s also a team where winning is very important. With that mindset, the team starts practically every race. I hope to help the girls achieve new victories next season and to continue developing myself in that supporting role.”

Vinke, who will continue her part-time studies in human movement sciences, is pleased to have been able to sign a contract through 2028. “It gives me security. You don’t have the pressure of having to immediately prove yourself to secure a new contract. I mainly hope to prove myself in the hilly classics and in stage races. Last season’s results are encouraging and provide huge motivation for the coming years.”