The proof of the development pyramid
The journey of Nienke Veenhoven (21) serves as powerful validation for the NXTG Racing development model. Now an elite sprinter for Team Visma – Lease A Bike, Nienke has quickly translated her development foundation into WorldTour success, notably winning the General Classification of the Tour de Gatineau and securing strong top-ten results in major Classics, including 6th in Classic Brugge-De Panne.
Nienke’s experience highlights how NXTG Racing provides the necessary stepping stone for young women to enter professional cycling with confidence, strong teamwork ethics, and a clear understanding of their potential.
The “win as one” philosophy
NXTG Racing’s unique focus on team development over individual rivalry was a critical lesson for Nienke, who describes her time with the team as foundational for her professional career.
“I experienced it as a very beautiful time. A time in which I learned a lot and grew as a rider, but also as a person,” Nienke shares.
The fundamental teaching was the power of collective effort. She learned how to race strategically within a unit:
“I learned what it’s like to start a race as a team, with the feeling and idea that if only one of us wins, it is fine. But definitely also what it’s like to work with each other, to make a plan together and talk about it afterward.”
Stepping outside the comfort zone
Beyond physical training, the program encouraged personal resilience and self-advocacy. Nienke points to the importance of building confidence and challenging internal limitations:
“The team contributed to my personal growth by teaching me to step outside my comfort zone and to think. Choosing the easy path is not always the best path. But certainly also in the area of self-confidence and daring to speak up.”
For Nienke, the biggest challenge was learning to manage her expectations: “I think the challenge was more about learning to enjoy and be satisfied with the performance that was achieved.”
A calm introduction to the pro peloton
Nienke identifies NXTG Racing as a pioneering force in elite women’s cycling, emphasizing the importance of the team’s structure for creating a stable talent pipeline.
“They were the first to realize the pyramid from bottom to top,” she notes, referring to the comprehensive development structure. “I think that is a very beautiful step for women’s cycling.”
This stability provides a vital function for the entire sport:
“The added value is definitely that young girls get a calm introduction to the professional peloton.”
The Borsele weekend
Nienke’s most cherished memory perfectly encapsulates the “team-first” philosophy that NXTG Racing instills in its riders. The success was shared and amplified through collective effort.
“Borsele, that weekend was a very beautiful weekend,” Nienke recalls. “With the victory of Julia [Kopecky] and for me, two times 2nd place, it was a fine example of what NXTG stands for: doing it together.”
Ambitions and advice for current riders
Now focused on the highest level of the sport, Nienke is channeling the confidence she built at NXTG into ambitious goals.
Her primary ambition is clear: “My ambition is to one day become the best sprinter in the world.” Outside of cycling, she aims to develop herself further to ensure a successful career after her professional cycling life concludes.
Her advice to the current crop of NXTG riders reinforces the holistic, enjoyment-first approach that made her own development so successful:
“The advice I would like to give the current NXTG Racing riders is to enjoy the time when nothing is required yet. Have fun, because the serious part will eventually come on its own.”
