Two-time Olympic triathlete Maya Kingma has made a sensational start to her career with UCI Women’s Pro Continental Team Aromitalia 3T Vaiano.
The Dutch athlete was 11th to Flora Duffy at the Tokyo Games and then seventh behind Cassandre Beaugrand in Paris in 2024.
Her biggest triathlon success came at WTCS Leeds in 2021 when she got the better of home favourite Jess Learmonth, with her most recent victory in September 2024 at the World Triathlon Cup Karlovy Vary.
But in the middle of 2025 pro cycling outfit EF Education-Oatly announced that Kingma had joined their team after impressing at a training camp and then earlier this month Kingma revealed: “Full focus on cycling with @aromitalia3tvaiano this year!
“I got the opportunity to try pro cycling last year, and I am really eager to give it a serious try! Right now, cycling gives me what I’m looking for: varied courses, long climbs that suit my strengths, more tactics, and real team racing. It motivates me and makes me genuinely happy to train and race. 😎”
Dominant display
And she couldn’t have made a better start in her season opener in the Elite Women’s race at the Trofeo Arti e Mestieri della Tradizione Mugellana on the F1 circuit at Mugello in Italy, which is owned by and used as a testing track by Ferrari.
Kingma was always in the front rank and worked her way into a six-woman breakaway midway through the 80km event which took place in driving rain.
One by one she dropped her breakaway companions to open up a clear lead and even the combined efforts of the Top Girls – Fassa Bortolo team weren’t able to bring her back.
It meant Kingma was able to celebrate her victory in the closing stages, crossing the line 26 seconds ahead of the main pack in a time of two hours, 11 minutes and three seconds.
The bunch sprint for the minor placings was won by Anita Baima, just ahead of Maria Pia Chiatto.
Eye-catching start
Aromitalia 3T Vaiano posted on their Instagram page: “First race… First victory 😍 Our Dutch rider @mayakingma wins the Trofeo Arti & Mestieri della Tradizione Mugellana 💪”.
Kingma’s success in the pro ranks underlines the wealth of cycling talent in women’s triathlon.
Paula Findlay is a multiple Canadian time trial champion as well as one of triathlon’s top stars, while three-time 70.3 World Champion Taylor Knibb represented Team USA in the time trial at the Paris Olympics as well as taking silver in triathlon’s Mixed Team Relay.
