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Fee Knaven signs with UAE Development Team for two seasons
November 1, 2024
Promising Dutch rider Fee Knaven has joined the UAE Development Team for next season, agreeing to a two-year deal.
Promising Dutch rider Fee Knaven has joined the UAE Development Team for next season, agreeing to a two-year deal that sees her become one of eight highly talented riders on the 2025 roster.
The Knaven name needs no introduction, with Fee’s father a former winner of Paris-Roubaix and her mother a four-time national cyclo-cross champion. Along with her parents, Fee has three sisters who have all raced and the 17-year-old has followed in their footsteps to become one of the most exciting prospects in the junior ranks.
This season Knaven won her second straight junior national time trial championships and then followed that with second in the time trial at the European Continental Championships, where she lost the gold medal by just one second. Fourth place in the junior time trial at the World Championships in Zurich solidified Knaven's growing reputation as a potential star, and while she will be the youngest rider on the UAE Development Team for next season, she is raring to go after being impressed by the team’s Head of Sport, Cherie Pridham.
“I’m really happy because it’s a new team for me and a new challenge,” Knaven said.
“I was looking for a new team for 2025 and in May I had my first chat with Cherie. I saw from the very start how much support and help the young riders received and I knew from those conversations that I wanted to sign for the development team. I felt like I already knew Cherie when we spoke for the first time and she gave me a lot of belief and confidence.”
Before she links up with her new teammates over the next few weeks, Knaven can look back at a successful season with genuine pride.
“It’s been a good season. I developed as a rider on the climbs and my time trial also improved. I was second at the Europeans but I wanted to win. I had some bad luck in a corner with another rider and that’s where I lost the title. Then at the Worlds, I was fourth. I was really happy with that and I became the national champion again,” she said.
Next year Knaven will focus on her continued development. Her race calendar will be planned during the off-season but her overall goals are to progress and learn. Being part of the UAE Development team means that Knaven will also have opportunities to race with some of the WorldTour riders - an invaluable experience for one so young.
“They’re going to work eight riders and many different nationalities and what we’ve seen already is that riders from the development have made good development and then moved into the WorldTour. My first year will be about learning from the more experienced riders and growing at my own pace. It’ll be exciting to race with the WorldTour riders if I get the chance,” she said.
“I want to develop my TT even more and learn more about the Classics. I think that I can climb quite well but that’s another area where I can see improvements for the future. I’m looking forward to the new races and getting to know new people.”
Until she meets her new teammates Knaven can enjoy a rest after her long season. However, given her family’s reputation for cycling, there won’t be too many days off the bike.
“It was really fun growing up in the Knaven household. My older sister still races but my other sisters also used to race. We sometimes do family rides still and go for coffee, which is really fun. And of course, my dad has always been encouraging me and giving me support. He’s always in the car behind me during my time trials and talking to me.”
Melissa Moncada, President and Head of UAE Team ADQ, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Fee Knaven to the team for 2025. Fee is a talented young rider from a family deeply rooted in cycling and its culture. She brings her talent and a dedicated work ethic to our team. We believe that with the resources and mentorship available through our development program, she will have every opportunity to unlock new levels in her performance. Her future in cycling looks incredibly bright, and we’re excited to be part of her journey with the UAE Development Team.”
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