For the first time ever, SD Worx-Protime will be heading out to Australia for the Santos Women's Tour Down Under and they are doing with winning expectations, Femke Gerritse among those on the team that will be searching for an opportunity to open the season with one of the first WorldTour wins on offer.
The Dutch 24-year-old opened up her WorldTour win count in 2024, taking a tough sprint stage of the Vuelta Femenina ahead of Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) and it is a start to a tally she hopes to quickly build on.
"I feel the typical tension before the start of the season, but I do feel ready," said Gerritse in a media statement from the team. "I hope to build on 2025.
"I really made a step forward last year. Being able to do that was a big discovery for me too. I knew I had a good winter, but I didn’t necessarily expect that I could win races at WorldTour level. Now I realise that this is within my possibilities, but I still need to take more steps. In 2026, I hope to learn to maintain mental focus."
In 2025 there were also other victories beyond the Vuelta, with wins at the lumpy 1.1 ranked Fenix Omloop van het Hageland and 1.2 Volta NXT Classic while the three-stage Tour Down Under, from Saturday January 17 to Monday January 19, holds early promise for 2026.
"When I saw the profiles, I realised these stages should suit me," said Gerritse. "The final metres go uphill by 2 to 3%. That suits Marta Lach, Barbara Guarischi and me. Julia Kopecký and Mikayla Harvey are also in great form. So we will go for it together.
"If you achieve a good result here, you’re off to a great start for the rest of the season. It also helps to already have race days in the legs by the time the spring races begin."
New signing Nienke Vinke, who has previously shone at the Tour Down Under, was on the race's provisional start list, but is not set to race, with her season debut likely to come in March.
The team has been out in Australia for the week running up to the South Australian event, settling into the conditions of the southern hemisphere summer in their first year at the race, due to altered rules around WorldTour racing that require teams to attend all but one event each season.
“The first day will be all about staying cool. In terms of temperature, but also mentally," said Gerritse. "Everyone will feel fresh, because it’s the first race day of 2026. But who will stay the most cool? That rider might very well come out on top."
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