Markus happy with transfer from Visma | Lease a Bike to Lidl-Trek: "Nice to shake things up a bit"

Next season, you won’t find Riejanne Markus in yellow and black, but in yellow, red, and blue. After four years at Visma | Lease a Bike, the powerhouse rider has made the move to Lidl-Trek, where she hopes to take another step forward in her career. Speaking to IDLProCycling.com at her new team’s media day in Denia, Spain, the Dutch rider reflected on the transition.

December is a busy month for everyone because of the holidays, but for Markus, the end of 2024 was even more hectic. Not only did she have to get familiar with her new team’s entire organization, but during that same period, her partner, Jasper Ockeloen, was in the hospital undergoing an artery surgery.

"It’s been a hectic month," Markus admitted. "On one hand, I was at my first training camp with my new team, which meant meeting the entire team — including the women’s team, men’s team, and U23 riders. That was a lot, getting to know 150 new people," she laughed. "At the same time, Jasper was at home recovering from surgery, so that was tough. But now, everything is going well. He’s doing great, and I’m really enjoying my new team."

Earlier in the offseason, the couple took on a fun challenge together: following in the footsteps of Fabio Jakobsen and his Delore, and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and her Dylan van Baarle, Markus and Ockeloen competed in and won a duo-mountain bike race in Curaçao. "That was a lot of fun. It was totally out of my comfort zone since I had never done a mountain bike race before. Jasper does it for a living. But he helped me through it really well, especially during the 12 days leading up to the race."

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After four years at Visma, Markus felt ready for new challenge

After four seasons at Visma | Lease a Bike, Markus felt it was time for something different. "I consciously chose a new challenge, and I have to say, it really does feel like one," she explained. "It was exciting to step out of my comfort zone, like going to high school for the first time. It gives you extra motivation because you want to prove yourself. And it’s all in the small things — approaching things a little differently, going to training camps elsewhere. I have to say, it’s refreshing."

"Those four years at Visma were great, but it’s nice to shake things up a bit," Markus continued. "In terms of professionalism, it’s quite similar, especially considering the size of the organization. At Visma, we often split up for training camps, so we worked in smaller groups. Here, everything is shared. A trainer doesn’t just work with the women’s team but also with the WorldTour men and U23 men. It’s the same for every branch, like mechanics, doctors, and so on."

"It’s also more international. At Visma, most of the staff was Dutch, but here, it’s completely international. It feels more Spanish/Italian, which brings a different vibe, more personal connection. That’s quite different from Visma," said the Dutch rider, who remains grateful to her former team for helping her develop. "I grew a lot in professionalism and made big physical strides every year. I hope I can keep that going."

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At Lidl-Trek, Markus joins a team with lots of stars and experience

"Lidl-Trek has a very experienced group of riders, which really challenges me," she said of her new team. "I hope this will help me learn new things in races and continue improving. Being in a group that’s so well-coordinated makes me really happy."

So where will we see Markus in 2025? "I’m really drawn to the Grand Tours. They suit me well, so I’m always excited for those. Then, of course, there are the classics, where I really want to be strong. Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège are the toughest, along with the Amstel Gold Race. But I’m also looking forward to new races like the UAE Tour and Milan-Sanremo. It would be great to get those new experiences."

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Markus sees progress in women's cycling

2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for women’s cycling. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Anna van der Breggen are making comebacks, and the SD Worx powerhouse has been weakened with Demi Vollering’s move to FDJ-Suez. "With the talent now spread across different teams, the season could be really interesting," Markus observed. "That redistribution raises the level for everyone, allowing riders across different teams to push each other more. That’s how we make progress."

The 30-year-old Markus sees an upward trend in the peloton. "That has a lot to do with other things like training, nutrition, but also the introduction of a minimum salary. When you look around Spain in winter, you see so many U23 riders and juniors spending the season here. When I was younger, we didn’t do that. We just went to Limburg for a weekend. But now, 18-year-olds joining teams get incredible guidance right away. Just look at the Holmgren sisters — and the level they're already reaching now..."

So what does Markus’ ideal 2025 look like? "If I can physically improve compared to last year, I’ll be happy. Of course, results and things like that matter, but my main goal is to keep progressing. That mindset probably comes from my time trialing background, but it’s just so much fun. Winning is great, of course, but I’m just hungry to keep getting better. That’s my drive," she concluded.

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