Jade Zijlstra, a young talent from the KNSB Talent Team Noord, has demonstrated significant development in cycling within a few months, transitioning from casual riding to competing successfully in national events and preparing for the European Championships.
Schaatsen.nl, published in the Netherlands, reports on her swift progression in cycling alongside her ongoing commitment to speed skating.
In December 2025, during a training camp in Italy under the supervision of coach Peter Kolder, Jade Zijlstra first showcased her cycling abilities on the steep Strada del Renon connecting Bolzano and Collalbo. She finished significantly ahead of her peers on a demanding uphill route, which encouraged her to explore competitive cycling. Subsequently, she joined the amateur cycling team De Peddelaars from Hoogeveen to gain racing experience. Her initial plan to debut in the prominent Liège-Bastogne-Liège race was reconsidered due to a lack of tactical experience, leading her to start a week earlier in the Omloop van het Land van Bartje where she finished around 41st place. A week later, she performed much better, achieving 13th place in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Balancing her final year of high school with intensive training, Zijlstra’s improvement was rapid. After gaining more experience and learning from daily training sessions, she secured her first victory in her fifth race. She also showed promise in time trials, placing eighteenth in a competition at Wieringerwerf. Her performance earned her a selection for the Dutch National Time Trial Championships, where she achieved sixth place, leading to an invitation to the Watersley Ladies Challenge from the national coach.
Despite her progress, Zijlstra remains modest about her cycling knowledge and ambitions. She describes cycling as a leisure activity and emphasizes that winter speed skating already involves substantial pressure. When asked about her favorite female cyclist, she hesitated but named Demi Vollering after some prompting. The start of the Tour de France Femmes did not yet capture her focus.
Zijlstra continues to enjoy cycling, combining it with her speed skating commitments. She recently participated in training camps and is preparing for the European Championships in Ljubljana, Slovenia, scheduled for early October. The course will include a challenging 2.2-kilometer climb at 10 percent gradient, which she feels confident tackling. Although she maintains a relaxed attitude, she looks forward to competing with determination and enthusiasm.
