Team Turner has signed three new skaters for the upcoming marathon skating season. In addition to Dieuwertje van Kalken (23), Lisanne Buurman (29), Tjilde Bennis (24), and Evi Gelling (19) will compete for the speed skating team in 2022–2023. Team manager Michelle de Bruijn is very pleased with the new team members. “This is a potential top-tier team.”

The player turnover in the Women’s Top Division of marathon speed skating got off to a late start this year. Lisa van der Geest, last year’s leader in the Marathon Cup standings, and Iris van der Stelt, winner of the 2019 Alternative Elfstedentocht, have retired. Merel Bosma switched to another team. So team manager Michelle de Bruijn and the other staff members had to look for three new skaters. A challenging task. But Michelle de Bruijn is extremely pleased with the composition of the new team. “All specialties are represented: we have attackers, we have sprinters, and we have young talent. This is a potential top-tier team.”

Lisanne Buurman is an experienced strategist who always positions herself perfectly. Tjilde Bennis made her debut in marathon speed skating six years ago with one of Michelle de Bruijn’s previous teams and is considered a true attacker. Evi Gelling is moving up from the Women’s U23 team and will receive excellent guidance as she adjusts to the high level of competition. And Dieuwertje van Kalken, who has been skating for Team Turner for three years, is explosive and secured several podium finishes last season.

“It’s hard to gauge where we stand for the upcoming season,” says Michelle de Bruijn. “The riders need to get to know each other and develop good chemistry. We’ll be working hard on that with our core support team—team manager Arjen Becker, trainer Piet Hylkema, and myself. I’m very confident. Our goal will always be to compete for the stage win.”

De Bruijn praises the commitment of the main sponsor, the management consulting firm Turner. “After last season, we didn’t know where we stood until relatively late, so we had to act quickly. Turner supported us well throughout this process; we’ve always been on the same page. I think that with these girls, we have a team Turner can be proud of.”

Dieuwertje van Kalken, who of course knows the three new riders from the peloton, is optimistic. “I like that it’s such a diverse team: young and experienced riders side by side. We’ll have to invest heavily in team building. Soon, a simple nod will be enough for us to understand each other and know when we need to sacrifice for a teammate. Fortunately, we have the whole summer to learn more about each other. We’ll be working not only on the technical aspects of training but also on our mindset. Our main sponsor, Turner, is actively involved in this process. Given their experience in this area, that’s a major added value of our partnership.”

Martijn Babeliowsky

Patrick Eppink

To receive this press release electronically: turner.nl/team-turner

For more information about Turner: turner.nl

For more information, interview requests, and royalty-free photos, please contact: Wendelina Fieret wfieret@turner.nl 06 41007019