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Dieke Hendriks

@diekehendriks

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🚴🏻‍♀️Dutch cyclist in Berlin to race for a 🇩🇪 team & study Sport Psychology
🏔️Fan of mountains|skating|hiking|skiing
➡️Go as fast,far,high as you can!

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Master’s in Sport Psychology in the pocket, and the academic road coming to an end… 🛣️🎓😉

Two years ago, I decided to move to Berlin for a new challenge, both at university and in cycling. With the successful defence of my master’s thesis last week, not only is my time here coming to an end, but I’m also closing the academic chapter. I still remember considering writing my high school thesis about pressure in high-performance sports, but eventually ending up with a sports marketing question instead. Apparently, you can take quite a few detours along the way, but sometimes you still end up exactly where you intended to go much earlier!

And with that also comes an end to the endless hours spent in team cars, team vans, campers, and hotelrooms at training camps, with a laptop in front of me trying to get some Wi-Fi connection, only to be on the bike, or previously on the ice, a few hours later, ready to go all-in for my goals.

A big thank you, in particular, to the @johancruyffacademy and @johancruyffinstitute and @fontys_hogeschool making this combination possible, allowing both worlds to develop alongside and strengthen each other while passing on the Cruyff vision. Thanks to @beekvlietgym for making it possible to combine school with all those hours of training without having to switch schools, and to @bsp_fklt_sports for giving me the opportunity to study Sport Psychology and gain new perspectives internationally. Thanks as well to all the lecturers and coaches who shared a piece of their knowledge, perspective, or experience along the way. Now it’s time for me to bring these different perspectives together and put them into practice. While continuing learning, because learning never stops.

And what’s next? First, getting my stuff organised and moving back to the Netherlands. Returning to base, preparing to take the next step! 🫡

Thanks to everyone who has been part of the journey, and a particular thanks to my classmates and the cycling community for all the fun and support whenever needed over the past years.

Tschüss und bis in der Zukunft! 👋🏻 taken in Berlin, Deutschland by @diekehendriks

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12 days ago

If you got the last-minute call for the Tour of Poland… 🇵🇱

I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to start this race, with it being only the second “real” race in a year and spending all my days working on my master’s thesis besides training.

But I started. Because why not take the chance? Thinking, what do I have to lose?

The first day didn’t go the way I would have liked, but I never bowed my head, which resulted in really loving racing again, learning a lot, and even trying a few things over the following two days.

And arriving in Lublin exactly one year after hitting my head on a car, with such a crowd, among such teams, in my first .Pro race, was something special.

Thanks to the @tourdepolognewomen for the great organisation. It was an honour! 🙌🏻

And now? Unpack the bags, prepare for the next race, and start the final sprint towards finishing my master’s thesis. 🏁🫡📚

📸
@smietana_tomasz_photo
@andrzej_gucwa
@michal_kordaczuk
@totalizator_sportowy taken in Lublin, Poland by @diekehendriks

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2 months ago

Oderrundfahrt 2026 ✅

‘The last real race of last year became the first real race of this year.’

1. The train on the way! 🚂

2. RBB/Sportschau wanted to know what we were actually doing between the German and Polish border. 🤷🏻‍♀️

3 & 4. The prologue for the green jersey. 🏁

3 & 4. The prologue for the green jersey. 🏁

5. Thanks to a perfect lead-out from Romy sprinted to a 3rd place, but sadly there was no podium…😅

6. Focus! 😎

7. Surviving the two cobbled stages. 🪨

8. A check-up with the friends from Berlin 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

9. Still a little smile during the stage because of a Dutch ‘onderonsje’ with Team Drenthe or WV Breda? 🤣

10. Sometimes all you need is a hug...

11. Racing or not, there is still a master thesis…Thanks to teamie Jana, I could combine recovering with it. 🤣

12. Setting up sprint trains for the intermediate sprints to secure the green jersey for Jette. 🙌🏻

13. Sadly, I crashed in this stage (nothing serious), chased back on, and finished 6th in the final sprint. 🙄

14. Cooling down!

15. Last stage. Great memories from last year, and now again with the team making sure Romy could take the yellow jersey home.

16. Tried to go for the break, but it wasn’t meant to be that day.

17 & 18. After 5 days of racing, Jette secured the green jersey, Romy the yellow jersey. Job done! 🙌🏻

17 & 18. After 5 days of racing, Jette secured the green jersey, Romy the yellow jersey. Job done! 🙌🏻 taken in Frankfurt Oder by @diekehendriks

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3 months ago

Back at the starting line 🙏🏻

In January, I thought I was back after my accident (last July). However, after my first race in March, it felt like I had to start over, again…

I spent a lot of time lying in bed, and this time I did not have the answer how to respond. But in conversations with my coaches, I looked them straight in the eyes and said: whatever happens, I don’t know how yet, but if my body is healthy again, I want to be on the start line of the Dutch National Time Trial Championships.

I had to go back to the drawing board and put the puzzle together once again. I’m grateful for the people who stayed by my side during this period, from coaches to physios, helping me both physically and mentally. The people who understood that this was about much more than just a race.

Together, we made a plan to gradually rebuild both body and mind.

It was working with the ticking of the time, but it happened. The goal? This time, no average watts, no placing, no speed targets. I simply wanted to be able to give everything I had.

I really enjoyed the first quarter of the race, but the heat got me quite quickly, even causing shivers down my back on the second lap. But I was on the starting line, and I was able to push.

A huge thank you to my family and friends (and last weeks @the.endurance.collective.zh) for their support, and once again to @wvschijndel_women_u25 , @bert_krol , and @martinlukasse for having my back. 🚘

This one was for hope. For when you don’t know the ‘how’, realizing there is always hope. For realizing how fragile life can be, but at the same time how powerful it is. And for realizing how special it is to work together towards a goal.

I could already think about the things that could be improved or what comes next, but for now, I’ll just let it sink in.

After a long time, I was back at the starting line.

This one was fór life. 🫡

📸
@bram_photo
@3rmedia
@patrick___hendriks taken in Laren, Gelderland by @diekehendriks

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3 months ago

‘Tourner dans le vide’ these last weeks!

Phase two of rebuild two: ✅

Thanks to the people I met through the @the.endurance.collective who made this special. Without you, this wouldn’t have been possible. 🙏🏻

Merci à vous et à bientôt/ merci vilmal und bis gli/thank you and see you again: Liebi Grüess 👋🏻

The work is done for now. Time to head back to the Netherlands! 🫡😎 taken in Switzerland, Schweiz by @diekehendriks

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4 months ago

Crisscrossing the Netherlands 🇳🇱 for master’s thesis interviews 👩🏻‍🏫, finally planning the next build-up on the bike 📈, training with friends 🚴🏻‍♀️, family time 📽️, and recharging in nature 🌳 with coffee ☕️ of course 💁🏻‍♀️. taken in The Netherlands by @diekehendriks

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5 months ago

Life as a Dutchie in Berlin 🙋🏻‍♀️ taken in Berlin, Deutschland by @diekehendriks

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5 months ago

Last 1.5 months have been pretty tough. After building up normally towards the season, the symptoms of my accident returned after the race in Croatia. I had to take a break, or maybe the break took me.

It didn’t just affect my training, but also my daily life again. A period of trying to find balance followed. Of course, doubts came up, along with many different opinions about what I should or shouldn’t do.

People who know me well know that I give my all every day, with discipline, and that I listen to the people with knowledge to come back as soon as possible.

With this injury, doing nothing is not an option. So I started trying to build up again, getting back into some intervals. Then I decided to start at the Berlin Championships as a test. The result: a 2nd and 5th place in the elite races resulted in twice vice champion road and crit. Congrats to @fabienne_racer! And a step, even if I’m not fully recovered yet.

And I want to be clear: the only way back to real performance is by listening to my body & head, and to the people with knowledge on this topic. Step by step.

And while I can only speak for myself, I do feel like this is something more athletes are dealing with. To all athletes struggling with something similar: hold on.

In the end, we are all human beings capable of reaching our best performance if we truly listen to our body and mind, and work with people with knowledge that we trust.

For now: I’m out, working my way back. With discipline, perseverance, and the understanding that this is all part of the process. 📈🫡🤞🏻

📸
@fotograf.julius
@drewkaplanphotography taken in Tempelhofer Feld by @diekehendriks

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6 months ago

Laatste stap voor @diekehendriks van @wheeldivas in haar proces was het fitten van haar geliefde Giant Trinity TT. Vantevoren samen de belangrijkste zaken besproken zoals de juiste cranklengte (160mm) voor een zo open mogelijke heuphoek en de juiste cockpit onderdelen. Na een middagje fitten was de TT ready to go fast…. 🔥🔥🔥

#bikefitting #performance #sportsphysiotherapy #cycling #cyclinginjury @giant_benelux @giantbicycles taken in cycleXperience.nl by @diekehendriks

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6 months ago

One team, one goal. 🚀

First steps back into ‘the arena’ after the 23rd of July. 🚑

Good teamwork in the race. Loved racing with my teammates again. As planned, I still need a bit more time and preparation before my season really kicks off a little later. 📈

Thanks @paula_gloning for getting me some socks as a reminder of what it’s all about. 😉

For now: happy to get the race kilometres in and trusting the process! 🤞🏻 taken in Umag, Croatia by @diekehendriks

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7 months ago

Second training camp in the books! 🙌🏻

Thanks a lot for organising and for letting me join the TCamp last minute. Great days getting to know so many nice people from different nationalities, most of them living in Zurich.
1. Nice day out! ☀️
2. Thanks to heroes of the day @epudzakop and @julien_chassot who paced me during my intervals on Puig Major. Sadly Julien was disqualified that day for socks that where too high. 😉
3. Thanks guys for letting me suffer in your wheel for hours. 😮‍💨
4. Discussing with our professional motivator @lisa_ann_preuss the best tactic on how to drop the boys. 🤌🏻
5. Sprinttraining with @marcosero after a long day! 🚀
6. Up and down! ⛰️
7. Yes guys, I am strict: no coffee stop today, according to this francophone! ❌
8. On to Soller! 🛣️
9. Double espresso please! ☕️
10. 🚀
11. Thanks a lot everyone. It was a blast. 🙌🏻

Special mention to my new team colleague and roomie @stephie_meder. Had a lot of fun, and you got the QOM on Sa Calobra, proud of you! 😘

Good luck to everyone with your goals this season. From simply having fun to the World Championships in Hawaii, I’ll be cheering for you.💪🏻

And one day I will come to Zurich for a training camp. Promised! 🤝🏻 taken in Alcudia, Mallorca by @diekehendriks

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7 months ago

Collected kilometers, hours, and nature’s best views. 🏔️

Finding the rhythm on the new @scottsportsdach with @maviccycling wheels in the red of @castelli_germany

Perfectly built by @_trustus_mech_ and perfectly fitted by @performanceincycling.cc

Now trying to survive the Berlin winter. 😉 taken in Girona by @diekehendriks

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8 months ago