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Sarah Van Dam on 2025: Dream come true with new WorldTour team

The Victora native is moving up the ranks to ride for Ceratizit–WNT next season

Sarah Van Dam on 2025: Dream come true with new WorldTour team Photo by: Gregoire Crevier

After a solid 2024, Victoria’s Sarah Van Dam is looking ahead to 2025 with a new home: Ceratizit–WNT. She’s moving on up from her soon-to-be defunct DNA Cycling Continental Team to the big leagues. The German squad is home to a roster of top riders, including Spanish star Sandra Alonso, British champion Katie Archibald, and 2021 Olympic track gold medalist Franziska Brauße. Van Dam is stoked for the upgrade and can’t wait to get to work.

Moving up to the big leagues

“I’ve been dreaming of moving up to the WorldTour level on the road for a few years now. Joining DNA Pro Cycling in 2023 gave me the chance to experience European racing, and I truly fell in love with it,” she said. “I knew I wanted to pursue this full-time down the road. But I also had a focus on the 2024 Olympics on the track.,” she said.

After hearing that DNA Pro Cycling would be retiring at the end of the year, she was motivated to seek out a European team, ideally a WorldTour team, for 2025. “While this was my ‘dream plan,’ I wasn’t sure if it would actually be possible. I worked really hard to make it happen, supported by my coach, team owners, and directors. I am really grateful to be surrounded by so many people who believe in and encourage me, and I am incredibly excited to have found a new home with Ceratizit–WNT for 2025,” she said.

After a solid 2024, what’s next for 2025?

She had a stellar 2024. For Van Dam, 22, one of her biggest highlights this year was racing the Tour de l’Ardèche. There was some uncertainty going into the race, as she only had two weeks between finishing the Olympics on the track and starting this race, but she surprised herself with her performances.

“I took a 2nd place on Stage 2, a hard-fought 4th place, and achieved multiple top 10 finishes. I was proud of my consistency across the diverse stages.” Van Dam said. “I truly gave everything I had each day, which made it even more rewarding. The team rode united. That cohesion really showed throughout the six stages.”

Finishing 2024 at home with a bang

She finished the season off well with a strong ride at the Tour of Gatineau, finishing third in the road race. That result certainly helped her finalize a deal with the team.

“I was having conversations but I hadn’t signed anything yet. While there may have been some added stress from not having a contract finalized, I always strive to give my best at every race. Competing against a strong field this year consisting of WorldTour teams definitely provided an extra boost of motivation. I love hard racing. And I knew these teams would make it more challenging. It’s exciting to race alongside WorldTour teams. That’s ultimately where I want to be,” she said.

Earlier in the summer, she also had some strong results on Canadian soil. She had a third-place finish in the time trial and fourth in both the road race and criterium.

Lots of new races and challenges for 2025

The step up for Van Dam is exciting, even though she doesn’t know her full program. But there will definitely be challenges with lots of new races, and she’s up for it.

“I’m genuinely just thrilled about the opportunity to race on the road at this level. Transitioning from primarily North American racing to European events is exciting. The more opportunities I have to race, the better,” she said.

She’s also looking forward to doing more stage races in 2025. This will be her first full road season in Europe, and she says she’s really looking forward to contributing to the team’s success and pushing herself to new levels.

“There is going to be a lot of learning next season, but I am really lucky to be surrounded by such a talented team that I can continue to develop and learn from. I am really looking forward to being based in Girona for the year! I have some really good friends and a solid support network over there, which will be really important with it being my first year overseas,” Van Dam said.