Tessa Neefjes
| Team | Liv Racing Collective |
|---|---|
| Birth date | December 7, 1996 |
| Location | Wervershoof, the Netherlands |
| Birthplace | Hoorn, the Netherlands |
| What are some of your favorite places to ride locally? | I live in North Holland where there is a very nice 40km off-road route through the forest along the coast, then on the way back you can ride 40km over the beach and along the dunes and end with a mountain bike trail. It's the best combination between gravel, beach racing, and mountain biking in one ride! |
| What is your specialty? | Gravel, Marathlon MTB, Beach Racing |
| What are some of your notable cycling career results and/or achievements? |
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| What is your favorite event on your calendar? | UCI Gravel World Series in Houffalize. It was my best race of last year and it's in the most beautiful setting in Ardennes. And, I love the descents! |
| What's your favorite Liv bike? | Brava. In addition to the beautiful paint, I can ride this bike on singletrack, on the beach, on gravel and on the road! |
| What is your favorite Liv gear? | Tesca Mountain Bike Shoe. Besides the fact that these shoes have almost the same name as me, the purple color matches perfectly with my Liv Langma, Liv beach bike, my cycling glasses, and my cycling computer. It doesn't get any better than that! |
| Why do you ride? | I love being outdoors in nature - a very nice sunrise on an early ride in the dunes, the view in the mountains, the change of the seasons, and cycling through a winter wonderland. The bike brings it all! In addition, I really enjoy competing with others. |
| When did you first realize you loved cycling? | I participated in the Rabobank fata tire race in my village. I thoroughly enjoyed battling with the other riders, and I won. A professional cyclist advised me to get into cycling. |
| Is there a woman in your life who has played an important role in your cycling journey? | From an early age, I have been a big fan of Marianne Vos. I had a big poster of her hanging in my room. Her passion for cycling, being the very best in multiple cycling disciplines, her role in boosting women's cycling, and continuing to perform at the top level for so many years has inspired my own journey. |
| What do you wish you knew when you were starting out as a cyclist? | Enjoy all the beautiful moments on the way to acheving your goals and don't be concerned with just the result. Be grateful for all the little beautiful moments of happiness! |
| Who inspires you? | Annemiek van Vleuten and Bibian Mentel. Both know how to radiate a lot of positivity, despite all the setbacks they have experienced. I have a lot of respect for that. |
| What does the future of cycling look like to you? | Even more beautiful gravel competitions and gravel tours where everyone can enjoy the diversity of gravel. |
| How do you hope to have an impact on the next generation of cyclists? | Inspiring people to show how beautiful and varied gravel is, enjoying training, and as the quote on my personalized beach bike says, "Believe". Always keep believing that you are capable of much more than you think. |
| What have been the biggest barriers for you so far in your cycling journey, and how have you navigated/ overcome them? | In 2016, I had a serious accident on the bike in the Belgian Ardennes. I was there at training camp and started a descent. A truck drove on my side of the road in a blind corner and I did not see it coming. I was hit head-on and broke 16 bones including my back. It was a very long rehabilitation process, from not being able to move my leg until the first meters back on the bike. My advice to anyone facing challenges is to try to see the positive in every situation and enjoy all the small steps you make! Believe! |
