Is Mackaij Movistar's new leading lady after Van Vleuten's quits? "The Tour of Flanders gives me goosebumps"
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Follow us on GoogleThe Flemish spring season is in full swing for both men and women. When it comes to the women's races, Floortje Mackaij is a Dutch rider worth watching. The 28-year-old, known for her curly hair, has already shown good form with a sixth place in the Nokere Koerse, won by Lotte Kopecky. IDLProCycling.com caught up with her before that one-day race!
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"I had a pretty bad fall in Spain at the beginning of February," she starts her story at the market square in Deinze. "I bruised my ribs in that fall, which was far from a perfect season start. But after some training in Spain, I think I've managed to catch up. So, I'm really looking forward to the classics I'll be participating in."
Mackaij on racing and animating the finals without Van Vleuten
We detect a lot of ambition in Mackaij, who won Gent-Wevelgem back in 2015. She aims to be at her best in the classics also in 2024. "My preseason went a bit differently than I'd hoped because of my fall. But I definitely want to perform well during this period."
The runner-up of the 2019 Liège-Bastogne-Liège then explains that she sometimes finds it challenging to assert herself in the classics and take on the lead role. "It would be great if our team had multiple cards to play with so we could really animate the finals."
Animating the finals will have to be done without Annemiek van Vleuten. The Dutch superstar made a significant impact on behalf of Eusebio Unzué's team but retired at the end of last year. What does that retirement mean for Mackaij? "Not much changes, really. Of course, you approach the grand tours differently. With Annemiek, we had someone who always had a big chance of winning the overall classification. That's a big difference this year. But apart from that, it's pretty much the same. We'll see how it goes."
Mackaij enjoys the Spanish Movistar mentality
Mackaij, who moved from the then Team DSM (now dsm-firmenich PostNL) at the end of 2022, enjoys racing in a Southern European-themed team. "Being a Dutch rider in a Spanish team is quite different, as I discovered last year. But Movistar is a very international team. I personally like the Spanish mentality, which is subtly present."
When finally asked about her favorite classic, she doesn't hesitate for a second. "The Tour of Flanders. That's an easy question for me. It gives me goosebumps. I don't know if it's because it's cold, or it's just the name of the race." The ever-charming lady from Woerden couldn't have ended the interview on a better note.
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026
- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
- I’m not sure how WorldTour licences work—could these reports affect whether the team gets one next year, or is that decision based on other criteria?velodromevirtuoso113-11-2026