Maya Kingma is back in the saddle once again after seeing her dream ride in one of the world’s most prestigious road cycle races end prematurely with a heart-breaking wrist injury.
The two-time Olympian posted a picture on Instagram of herself training on the bike, just a week after a serious fall ended her participation in the Giro d’Italia after stage two of the eight raced.
Coupled with a simple caption stating: “I’m back on the bike, outside for an easy ride!”, the image also shows how Kingma’s damaged left wrist is still strapped after the crash which dramatically cut her event short.
Huge potential
The 29-year-old Dutch athlete announced her current switch from triathlon to road cycling at the start of the month when she was selected as part of the EF Education-Oatly team after impressing during a January training camp.
However, the team issued a statement on social media on the morning of the third stage (July 8) confirming that she would take no further part in the race ‘due to a wrist injury she sustained in a crash yesterday’, before going on to explain that she had returned home to undergo ‘further medical evaluations’.
Hopefully she gets the chance to resume her road cycling career soon and there is no doubting just how much faith EF Education-Oatly general manager Esra Tromp has in her abilities.
In announcing that she had joined the team for an initial six-month deal, Tromp said: “I invited her to attend our training camp in January, and she immediately made a really great impression on me. I got a clear picture of who she is, what her mentality is, and what she can bring to the team.
“We have a young squad, and we have riders who can learn a lot about being a professional from an athlete like Maya, even though she comes from a different sport.
“Beyond that, I think this year will be a big adventure for both of us. Her level of fitness is super high, and I’m really curious what we can discover in each other.”
‘I’m still a triathlete too’
Kingma has already stated that she will return to triathlon at some stage this season. But it is clear that cycling in a top pro team is a dream for her.
In a post on Instagram prior to the Giro, she said: “New sport, new team, new bike, new adventure. A huge opportunity I’m really excited about!
“Super excited to line up for my first Giro and first pro cycling race! I’m going in with an open mind: to learn, to experience, and maybe even to perform. The support from the team has been incredible, so grateful to feel that backing and super excited to join this great group of teammates!!
“Huge thanks to the @efeducation.oatly team for believing in me and giving me this opportunity for the next six months for now. I’m going all in for this chance in pro cycling. But don’t worry, I’m still a triathlete too 😉 There are some tri races to come this year as well! Let’s go! 💪💖”
