Lorena Wiebes is the fastest pure sprinter in the Women’s WorldTour, charging to 23 wins last year, and she would be the first to say that she heavily relies on a team of fastwomen and their impeccable lead-out skills inside the final kilometres to deliver her to every victory.
Wiebes’ sensational speed aligned perfectly with SD Worx’s manager Danny Stam’s decision to build a sprint team for the first time in the powerful Dutch team’s history. In what was the biggest transfer of the season, Wiebes ended her tenure at Team DSM and will embark on fresh start with a new lead-out crew win in 2023.
“We’ve never had a real sprinter in this team, and I think if you see our team in 2023, we are now ready for every single race that comes up. There aren’t many [pure] sprinters in the women’s peloton, so bringing in someone like Lorena makes a big difference. There are riders who are good in sprints, but really winning bunch sprints is always difficult, and with this group, we are ready for this challenge,” Stam said.
The top team in the world for six of the last seven seasons, SD Worx prides itself on consistently performing and developing up-and-coming talent, and they just got stronger. The well-rounded roster includes the likes of Demi Vollering, Lotte Kopecky and Marlen Reusser, and now Wiebes.
“We are a team that wants to race, make hard races, and now we have an extra weapon. There are a lot of races now that we know will be bunch sprints, and that makes it easier, but in the different races, when it’s really hard, we have that extra weapon. It doesn’t change our tactics too much, but it makes our lives a little bit easier.”
SD Worx have formed a lead-out train dedicated to Wiebes, who will wear the European Champion's jersey, with new signings Barbara Guarischi, along with Elena Cecchini, Lonneke Uneken and Christine Majerus. The team will race for the first time together at the upcoming UAE Tour Women from February 9-12.
“We’ve practised our lead-out at the camp. I have a lot of trust in the riders. We will have a really strong lead-out. Barbara is super experienced in sprinting also. I already feel that I can trust her, and I think at the UAE Tour, we will really find out how it works, and we’re really motivated,” Wiebes said.
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“We’ve practised different orders in our lead-out. During the season, we can have different orders, partly because we have many strong riders who have the engine to be in a lead-out. For now, I really like having Barbara as my last lead-out. That's how we will start the season.”
Guarischi, 32, brings a wealth of sprinting experience to SD Worx. "In my experience, when you have the strength and power in a team and happiness, it gives you strength in your legs. I knew about Lorena, and all the pieces [of the contract] fell into place."
Cecchini said that SD Worx's decision to hire Wiebes and Guarischi has been a relief for the team because they sometimes lacked a pure sprinter when it mattered in previous years.
"Barbara has a lot to give the sport and a very good combination with our sprinters and now with Lorena. Having Lorena on our team in relief. Last year, we found ourselves in some situations where we didn't want to sprint, but it was a bunch sprint, so we needed to make it happen somehow. Now we have the best sprinter in the world."
At Team DSM, Wiebes relied on riders like Charlotte Kool and Pfeiffer Georgi to keep her in position, and the speeds were high in the lead-in to the bunch kicks, and their tactic was dialled in to deliver WIebes to sprint wins. Wiebes acknowledges that tactics could play a bigger role at SD Worx because the team has more cards to play in a range of races.
“We’re probably focusing less on controlling a race for a sprint because we have enough strong riders to be in breaks and to win races in different situations. It will be a bit different than comparing to DSM, but I'm completely fine with it, and I think it makes me stronger in those kinds of races, too,” she said.
European champion Wiebes with her new teammates (Image credit: Getty Images)
Having spent two-and-a-half seasons at Team DSM, Wiebes knows the ins and outs of their sprint strategy and has helped mentor their sprinter Kool, who will become one of Wiebes’ primary rivals in the sprints this year.
“Of course, I know DSM’s strategies. I also learned from them during the years I was in DSM, and I will also bring that knowledge to SD Works, but we focus on our own lead-out train. I think that's most important to have your own strategy and focus on your own and not following with other teams too.”
Wiebes revealed that while her main focus for SD Worx will be in the sprints, she would also like to continue to progress in the hillier races like the Tour of Flanders and Amstel Gold Race, though they will not be her priority. She is also looking forward to working with Flanders winner Kopecky and sharing the team's responsibilities in a range of races this year.
“I still want to improve in that area, but I think it's better first to help the other stronger riders in those kinds of races and get some more experience in the races. It's a long-term goal. My main focus is still in the sprints, and I want to keep that on a high level.”
Asked had any worries about not winning as much this year, given all the attention surrounding her transfer to SD Worx, Wiebes said, “The moment that I signed for this team, I knew that it was a possibility.
“It will be hard to have more victories than last year. But if I earn quality victories, then I'm completely fine with it. As long as I see myself developing then it's a good sign. I like winning bigger races that are a bit harder.”
She pointed to other riders in the peloton, in addition to Kool, who will aim to improve their sprints, too, such as Elisa Balsamo and Chiara Consonni, whom she will be looking out for in the bunch sprints.
“I feel a little pressure because I ended the season without losing a sprint. Of course, the pressure is there, and I don't know how the other sprinters have developed this winter. It’s a new season, so it's always possible that someone is coming closer to me. I only know what I did this winter, and it feels good. I have the feeling I made some steps. We will find out directly in the UAE Tour.”
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Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
