Olympic triathlete Maya Kingma makes the leap to professional cycling
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The Olympic triathlete Maya Kingma begins a new sporting stage by joining the professional cycling team EF Education-Oatly, with whom he will debut in the next Giro d'Italia Women which starts this Saturday, July 6.
Kingma, 29, is one of the most prominent figures in Dutch triathlon over the last decade.
With two Olympic appearances under her belt - she was 11th in Tokyo 2021 and 7th in Paris 2024 - she has also shone in the Triathlon World Series, where he achieved his greatest victory in WTCS Leeds 2021, surpassing the British Jess Learmonth.
Before announcing his final move to cycling, Kingma He had his first experience in the middle distance during his debut on the circuit T100 Triathlon World Tour.
The Dutchwoman led the swim, coming out of the water first.It was a good swim and I had a lot of fun.", she commented on her social media. Although she lost a few positions in the transition when she put on the aero socks, she managed to stay connected with the front group.
However, in the running race, problems soon appeared.I had a very strong side stitch, I had to stop and walk for two laps“I even threw up, but I wanted to finish, and I'm glad I did.”
“I always had cycling in mind”
His debut will not be easy, since the Giro d'Italia Women This year's race is packed with mountainous stages. Still, Maya is looking forward to this challenge:
“There's no pressure. I'm used to big events. Having the team's trust motivates me a lot.”
During her first training camp with EF Education-Oatly in Mallorca, Kingma already made her mark. She participated in competition simulations such as team time trials, sprint finishes, and hill climb finishes, winning that internal series.
Since then, he has continued competing in local races in the Netherlands to fine-tune key aspects such as pack management, cornering, and group strategies.
A signing that excites
The team's general manager, Esra Tromp, has praised the signing:
“Maya made a big impression from the start. She has a strong mentality and brings valuable experience, even coming from another sport.”
Although triathletes like Kristian Blummenfelt have been linked to professional cycling in recent years, Kingma becomes one of the few to materialize this step and compete at the highest level from day one.
Debut Tour for Elite Triathlete UMaya Kingmna
Maya's debut in one of the grand tours of women's cycling will be closely watched by the international triathlon community. We'll see how her power and experience adapt to the new terrain of professional cycling.
