Thalita de Jong returns to Liv Racing Xstra

Thalita de Jong will return to Liv Racing Xstra in June, after signing a mid-season contract, in a move she hopes will also offer her the opportunity to re-connect with the level she was at when last racing with the team where she started her career. 

The Dutch rider began 2022 with Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport, but ended her contract in February after two seasons with the Belgian Continental team. De Jong initially turned professional with the then Rabobank Women Team in 2012 and rode for the squad for five seasons, winning stages at the Giro Donne and Lotto Belgium Tour before joining the Lares-Waowdeals team in 2017.

“After my leaving, at the end of 2016, I have always had this thought: if the opportunity ever arises, I am absolutely open to a comeback,” De Jong said. “I have always stayed in contact with team manager Eric van den Boom, we have followed each other’s footsteps. In February, we sat down together to discuss the possibilities.

“Fortunately, there are now opportunities. It’s nice to come home to this pleasant, professional environment, which offers opportunities for me to reach a very high level again.”

As per the UCI’s mid-season transfer regulations, De Jong will only be eligible to race for Liv Xstra from June 1. Until then she will race for JEGG-DJR Academy and the Dutch national team, racing primarily in the Netherlands.

“I’ve already looked at my programme with the JEGG-DJR Academy staff. The races I ride there are very different from those at the WorldTour level, but nice to experience,” De Jong said.

She is expected to make her return to the WorldTour with the Women’s Tour in early June and slot into Liv Xstra’s stage racing squad, where her contract carries through to the end of