ELLEN VAN DIJK

The former TT world champion on her matchmaking skills and getting lost when training

What’s your favourite race?

Flanders. I love the race, it has a great atmosphere and everything around it. It always gives me a special feeling. Also, the route is challenging and it suits me. But since I won Dwars door Vlaanderen this year, that’s also becoming my favourite.

What’s your favourite climb?

I don’t know, I’m not a climber!

I like to climb in training and I’ve been a lot to Confrides in Calpe which I’ve done a lot of times. Majorca, too: Puig de Randa is a really nice climb.

Who is your funniest team-mate?

Anna Plichta is always good for a laugh. But then we have Letizia Paternoster and she is just funny. Everything is a bit new to her. She’s still young, so she doesn’t really understand everything. Sometimes it’s a little frustrating but she’s so young you cannot blame her for it, she’s a great talent and it’s fun to race with her.

What’s your secret talent?

I love to couple people up, to matchmake. Sometimes I think, ‘Ah, you would be a good match with this one.’ I’ve made some good matches. Also, it sometimes fails pretty hard but I like to do it.

What’s the best prize you’ve won?

My electric blanket. In Ronde van Drenthe they always have the weirdest podium prizes, like a vacuum cleaner or an electric blanket or a waffle iron. It doesn’t make sense at all which is why I think it’s funny. I was going for the vacuum cleaner but that was for first. I was third, so I got the electric blanket.

What would be your last meal?

For dessert it would be cheesecake. Dinner, I think pizza, nothing special, just a real Italian one. And then to drink let’s make it something with a lot of alcohol for sure - it doesn’t really matter what.

Who is the best domestique in the peloton?

I think Christine Majerus always works really hard, and sometimes she wins by herself too so that’s really good.

What’s the toughest day you’ve had on the bike?

There are many hard times, but you forget them quickly. Actually, there was a training ride a couple of years ago in the Alps when I got lost. The climbs were a lot longer than I thought and it took me nine and a half hours. I had to get a lift at the end to get out of the mountains and it was already dark.

What result are you proudest of?

My individual time trial title in the World Championships is the one I’m proudest of. I just love time trialling. It’s my passion. I focussed on it, so it’s really something that means a lot to me. I think a road race world title is worth more, but to me, because it’s so close to my heart the time trial is really a special thing.

What’s the story behind one of your scars?

I have a scar on my chin, from when I was three years old and I started to learn how to ride a bike. My parents wouldn’t let me ride without the side wheels, so I borrowed a bike from a friend and I could ride. I passed them and was like, ‘Hey, you see, I can ride!’And then I crashed into a pothole and crashed on my chin.

“In Ronde van Drenthe they have the weirdest prizes, like a vacuum cleaner, or an electric blanket or a waffle iron”