Team DSM strengthen their Women’s program with three more talented additions

Team DSM are excited to reveal the latest additions to their Women’s program for 2023 as Eleonora Ciabocco, Maeve Plouffe and Eglantine Rayer all sign with the team through the 2024 season.

Photo Credit: Freddy Guérin / DirectVelo

Hailing from Italy, Ciabocco had a short but successful opening season in the junior ranks in 2021, competing in a handful of national and international races alongside some regional junior Italian races. Out of the five international races she competed in she finished in the top ten of all of them: starting off with fifth at Trofeo Binda Juniors, third in the Italian time trial, second in the European road race and ninth at the World Championship road race. Her crowning glory was a brilliant late attack to claim the Italian race win, a title she would go on to expertly defend recently in 2022 with another brilliant ride. Alongside wearing the tricolour for another year, her season so far has included some more symmetry, with another second in the European road race and third in the Italian time trial, highlighting her strong ability on the bike.

Click here for quotes and reaction from Ciabocco and coaching staff.

Photo Credit: Cor Vos

Born in Adelaide in Australia, Plouffe has spent most of her career so far on the boards, competing against the very best in the world of track cycling. Plouffe’s power and speed has helped her to become a seven times Australia champion in the madison, team pursuit, omnium, and road time trial, which she has followed up in 2022 with victory in the individual pursuit at the track world cup in Milton – setting a very impressive time. Tasting success not just on the track, Plouffe has impressed on the road too with the aforementioned time trial win as a junior in 2017. This season has saw her show her sprinting prowess with stage wins at the Santos Festival of Cycling and Tour of Gippsland, before she won the Warrnambool Cycling Classic race in New Zealand. Returning to Belgium for a stint of racing after her track success, she powered to a win and has picked up three further top tens in races too.

Click here for quotes and reaction from Plouffe and coaching staff.

Photo Credit: Freddy Guérin / DirectVelo

Diminutive in stature but not in nature, young Frenchwoman Rayer has impressed many in her two years in the junior ranks. Bursting onto the scene, she claimed a well-earned third place in her opening race at Trofeo Binda before going on to complete the double at the French national championships, winning both the time trial and road race. Rounding out her season, which she only ever finished outside the top ten in a stage or race once, she claimed a fine bronze medal at the European road race. The start of her 2022 campaign saw more solid results but she really kicked up the level with a stage win, the GC and mountain classification title at Tour du Gévaudan Occitanie; before second in the European time trial and an incredible win at the same championships road race. Arguably however, her best performance might be the second place at Alpes Gresivaudan Classic where she came second in a mountain-top sprint finish against a field of strong elite riders; hinting at her potential future climbing ability. While just today, Rayer delivered another strong performance against the clock to claim back-to-back French time trial titles.

Click here for quotes and reaction from Rayer and coaching staff.