It didn’t take long for Sarah Van Dam to make herself noticed at Team Visma – Lease a Bike.
The season is early, but already the 24-year-old has been the team’s top finisher a buncha times. At the Amstel Gold Race, she showed that form again, sprinting to seventh after teammates, including Marianne Vos, committed to the effort in the finale. (I mean, it’s not like she hasn’t impressed with some big results in 2025, but here we are.)
It’s the kind of start that prompted Dutch cycling site WielerFlits to take a closer look at a rider who, until recently, wasn’t on many European radars.
Victoria’s Van Dam
Van Dam’s name might sound familiar to Dutch ears, and there’s a reason for that. Her family has roots in Zaandam, with her great-grandparents fleeing to Canada during the Second World War. “My great-grandparents lived in Zaandam,” she said. “During the war they moved to Canada with my grandfather.” She added that she does feel a connection to the Netherlands, even if she didn’t grow up with the language. “I’d like to learn Dutch… at the team, people sometimes just start speaking it to me because they think I’m Dutch. I like that.”
On the bike, her path to this point has been anything but conventional. Van Dam only began focusing fully on the road after the 2024 Olympics, having previously raced primarily in North America with DNA Pro Cycling. Her first real exposure to European racing came just a year earlier. But remember, she was also fully focused on the 2024 Olympics, and spent all kinds of time on the boards before that.
“In 2023 I raced in Europe for the first time,” she said. “That’s where I kind of rediscovered cycling… suddenly there were cobbles, narrow roads, chaos. I realised I still had a lot to learn. The learning curve is really steep.”
Big results already, more coming
That adjustment hasn’t been subtle. But the results have followed. A consistent finisher in tough races, Van Dam has shown she can handle selective courses and still deliver a sprint at the end — a combination that makes her a natural fit for the Ardennes.
She’s still waiting on her first pro win, but she is for sure on the cusp. Van Dam continues to simply kill it. “I do think about it,” she said, “but I hope it comes soon. I just have to stay patient.”
There are all kinds of Canadians racing in both the men’s and women’s races. You can watch it on FloBikes.com — and dontcha worry, Canadian Cycling Magazine will have reports on both of ’em.
Van Dam is just one of several Canadian women who could have a big day Sunday. Lidl-Trek’s Isabella Holmgren, world champ Magdaeline Vallières Mills (EF Education Oatly), take your pick. It’s gonna be a good race tomorrow.