Looking to build for the future, Team dsm-firmenich are thrilled to reveal the signings of Johan Dorussen, Ryan Gal, Mees Vlot and Thom van der Werff to their Development program for the 2024 campaign, with all riders set to wear the two-striped kit through the 2025 season.

Photo Credit: KNWU Clubcompetitie

Johan Dorussen

Hailing from Beuningen, Dorussen has plied his trade with the Dutch Food Valley Cycling Team since making the step up to the U23 ranks in 2022. After a solid start to the season, the latter part of 2022 saw Dorussen take three impressive wins at the Elite 1 level in the Netherlands: either from sprint finishes or attacking groups. This season saw Team dsm-firmenich and Dutch Food Valley Cycling Team enter a co-operation which has seen mixed squads fielded at the U23 Road Series, benefiting both teams and groups of riders. Dorussen has impressed in those races, working hard in support of the team’s goals, but also seizing the opportunities presented to him and taking a strong second place on the final stage at the Internationaal Belfotenweekend after a fast day out. Since then, he’s continued to show his finishing talents with wins at the one-day race of Wielerdag Noordenveld and on the final stage of Oderrundfahrt in Germany.
 

Click here for quotes from Dorussen and coaching staff.  

Photo Credit: HGRS Media

Ryan Gal

After a promising time as an U17 rider, Gal has continued to impress after making the step-up in his final two seasons as a junior with the Gepla-Watersley R&D Road Team. A powerful rider, Gal showed his ability against the clock in 2022 with sixth place at the Dutch national championships - an impressive result for a first-year junior - before going on to take second place behind his teammate at the Medzinárodné Dubnica nad Vàhom prologue. Rounding out last year, he was third at the Sauerländer Bergpreis Juniors after spending 60 kilometres on the attack. 2023 has seen Gal continue to make progress, winning the TT Circuit Assen junior race before a close second in the opening prologue at Ster van Zuid-Limburg. Clearly adept against the clock, his crowning glory so far has been taking victory at the Dutch national championships TT after a strong ride over the 21-kilometre course, just edging out his teammate Mees Vlot to the title.
 

Click here for quotes from Gal and coaching staff.  

Photo Credit: Lance Huenders

Mees Vlot

Bursting onto the scene in his opening year in the junior ranks, Vlot tasted success with victory on stage three of the Cottbuser Juniors, where he finished fifth overall, before going on to win Coppa Montes later in the month. Continuing to perform well in the opening half of the year he then took good GC results at Course de la Paix and Pays de Vaud, before picking up the win at Zuid-Holland-Noord-Holland-Midden JR and second place in the Dutch national championships TT. 2023 has seen Vlot perform consistently again, picking up several top results with third overall at the Ster van Zuid-Limburg, sixth at Course de la Paix plus third on GC at Driedaagse Axel Junior; an impressive string of performances. Recently he has once again shown his proficiency against the clock too with second place in the Dutch national TT championships.
 

Click here for quotes from Vlot and coaching staff.  

Photo Credit: Valentin Jacobs

Thom van der Werff

Hailing from Annen in the Drenthe region of the Netherlands, Van der Werff had a strong start to his junior career with promising results at races such as GP West Bohemia before going on to take a brilliant win at the GP Bon Jungels Juniors over a challenging and hilly course. The remainder of 2022 saw him preform consistently with several other top tens and building a base for this season. Starting 2023 brightly, the months of March and April saw him pick up an impressive 11 top tens from 14 stages or days of racing: including a stage win and the KOM jersey at the Ster van Zuid-Limburg. Building towards the second part of the season, Van der Werff made another trip to the podium for the KOM jersey at Driedaagse Axel Juniors, before going on to finish sixth in the Dutch road race and in the same position on GC at the Watersley Junior Challenge.
 

Click here for quotes from Van der Werff and coaching staff.