UAE TEAM ADQ

Dutch sprinter Sofie van Rooijen will join UAE Team ADQ in 2025 after signing a two-year contract with the WorldTour team.

Dutch sprinter Sofie van Rooijen will join UAE Team ADQ in 2025 after signing a two-year contract with the WorldTour team. 

Van Rooijen, 22, had an outstanding season on the road in 2024 with VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team, culminating in an incredible win in the U23 women’s race at the European Continental Championships. Describing herself as previously ‘scared of sprinting’ the Dutch rider has become one of the most exciting fast finishers in women’s cycling and will bring her qualities to UAE Team ADQ.

“The first conversations with the team immediately gave me a good feeling,” van Rooijen said.

“I had lots to think about because VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team was nice, and it felt like a family. I learned a lot the last 4 years in VolkerWessels. I’m really thankful for the opportunity’s I got. At first, I was nervous about the next step but now that I’m taking it with UAE Team ADQ I’m very excited and happy with my decision. I used to be scared of sprinting but now I really like it,” she added.

Van Rooijen was a promising gymnast as a child but took up cycling after her grandfather bought her older sister, and fellow pro rider, Anne, a new bicycle. Seeing her sister ride for the first time inspired Sofie and it wasn’t long before she joined her family on bike rides. At first, the family bike rides went as far as the ice cream shop on a warm Sunday afternoon but it wasn’t long before Sofie discovered her passion for racing. Gymnastics was put to one side and van Rooijen became a noticeable talent within the junior ranks, picking up a silver medal at the European Continental Championships in 2019. 

The following seasons saw van Rooijen develop steadily, and in 2024 she burst out from the pack with several impressive results, including her first win at the Drentse Acht van Westerveld, where she beat WorldTour-level opposition. 

“I knew that Drentse Acht van Westerveld was going to be a good race but I knew that riders like Chiara Consonni and Rachele Barbieri were going to be there and that it would be hard to beat them in a sprint,” she said.

But beat them she did, pushing Consonni and Barbieri into second and third. From that moment on the young Dutch rider never looked back.

“After that win, I had more confidence in my ability. I can be really happy with my season. At the start of the year, my goal was to win my first race. Then my plan was to try and get selected for the European Championships. I was a little bit surprised with how my season went. I knew that I’d made a step during the last winter but I didn’t expect it to be this big. I won races for the first time at the elite level and was climbing a lot better, so if you’d told me at the start of the season that I would be fourth in a race as important as the Danilith Nokere Koerse Women I wouldn’t have believed you.”

The pinnacle of van Rooijen’s season came in the second half of the year when she won three consecutive races, culminating in her victory at the European Continental Championships. The Dutch team controlled the race before van Rooijen sprinted to a Dutch 1-2 on the finish line Hasselt.

“It was a dream and very special. Winning that race and seeing my friend and teammate take second. It turned a very good season into an almost perfect one,” she said.

Next season sees van Rooijen link up with her new teammates, including recent recruit Elisa Longo Borghini. Van Rooijen believes that her new surroundings, and the vital support she will receive from UAE Team ADQ will help her reach the next level in her career. 

“The team feels very professional and I knew that Elisa Longo Borghini was joining the team. She’s a rider I can learn a lot from, both on and off the bike. There are many very strong riders on the team and I didn’t realise how much support there would be from the staff until I started talking to the team,” she said.

Her race programme will be confirmed in the coming weeks but van Rooijen is eager to progress in the sprints and the Spring Classics next season. Her fast finish will be a major asset to the team, and van Rooijen is excited by the prospect of working with a full-time sprint coach for the first time.

“I like the Spring Classics but I need to develop myself in that space. I don’t know what my exact race plan but I just want to learn as much as possible. There’s also going to be a sprint coach working with me. I didn’t even know that they existed but now I’ll get the chance to analyse the sprints with someone. They’ll be able to look at my position and my technique. When it comes to the Classics, I like the cobbles and the hills but need to improve my experience and knowledge of the roads,” she added.

Of course, the Netherlands has produced a prolific number of sprinters over recent seasons, and the long-term aim for van Rooijen is to join that elite club at the WorldTour level.

“I don’t know why we produce so many sprinters. Maybe it’s because it’s so flat in the Netherlands. I’ve been thinking about this too and it’s hard to defeat Lorena Wiebes and Charlotte Kool at this moment. My long-term ambition of course is to one day beat those riders. It’ll be hard to have that as a goal next season but moving to UAE Team ADQ is the right step for my career and my ambitions. I know the team are going to help me.”

Melissa Moncada, President and Head of UAE Team ADQ, said: “Sofie Van Rooijen has earned our admiration and respect for a significant time and it’s a real pleasure to welcome her to UAE Team ADQ. Her 2024 season has been incredible, highlighted by her victory at the European Continental Championships U23 race. Sofie has proven her ability as a powerful sprinter and has delivered impressive performances in the spring races this year. We’re excited to see her grow and thrive in our jersey. We also want to extend our gratitude to the VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team for their exceptional work in developing Sofie and for their support in making this transition possible. We’re confident this is the perfect time for her to take the leap to a WorldTour team.”