With Barbara Guarischi, Team SD Worx-Protime brought in the missing link in the lead-out train for Lorena Wiebes. Where Guarischi went in 2023, Wiebes followed. The Italian locomotive was an indispensable chain in the train that guided Wiebes to 13 victories. "The connection between Lorena Wiebes and me was there right from the start. So that is the secret of a good lead-out. There has to be a mutual feeling of trust. If that's not there, you can do what you want, but it's not going to work. So it was reassuring that we clicked right away during the first training camp. We spent a lot of time together, also roomed together often and that's how you bond with each other faster."

Already in the first race, the lead-out train was successful. "It was immediately noticeable then how Lorena didn't lose my wheel for a metre. The fact that we were immediately successful in the first stage race of the season, the UAE Tour, took a lot of pressure off the chain. When a sprint fails, Lorena and I are both equally furious. That’s the winner in us. But soon after we evaluate what went wrong to keep perfecting the train. I have found the perfect team with Team SD Worx-Protime. The atmosphere is top notch and we make each other better. The Thuringia Tour is the ideal example of that. Beforehand, we had a dream scenario in our heads, which we didn't actually think was possible. We hoped to win a stage with each rider, but every day we believed in it a bit more. Getting victories together, that's the best thing in cycling."

Sports manager, Danny Stam, praised Guarischi for her work in the lead-out train for Lorena Wiebes. "We had brought her into our team as a lead-out lady for Lorena. The fact that our sprint train was on track so quickly may be 80% attributed to Barbara. With her experience, she played a great value in that. At training sessions, she and Lorena explained how they wanted it to be and also constantly made adjustments. When experienced riders like her give feedback, the other riders pick it up immediately."

Follow Barbara on

Previous rider | Next rider