In 2019 Team dsm-firmenich officially opened the doors to their Keep Challenging Center in Sittard, Limburg, a project and a dream that has been many years in the making. A new exciting partnership in 2022 saw the team join forces with Aqua-Step, with the campus to be known herein as the Aqua-Step Keep Challenging Center. The Center combines a living environment with a high-end support network to optimise both athlete development and cooperation. With the majority of the riders living at the campus currently in their early twenties, Team dsm-firmenich’s ambition is to “bring the first riders currently in the Aqua-Step Keep Challenging Center to the Tour de France by 2025”.
It was no coincidence the team selected the Province of Limburg to partner with and locate their Aqua-Step Keep Challenging Center in the area as it provides excellent facilities, including; fantastic training routes through the Dreilandenpunt region, the secured Tom Dumoulin Bike Park, a knowledge hub, universities, medical facilities and airports, all of which are a stone’s throw away from the campus. Alongside expanding regional facilities, bringing the riders together allows the team to centralise their support structure through dedicated coaches, trainers and experts working with the riders in Sittard. Race evaluations, coaching, equipment testing, research, core stability training, expert workshops and group training sessions are all examples of activities that will take place at the Aqua-Step Keep Challenging Center. Next to athletic development there is attention on personal development with riders being encouraged to continue their studies and education, ensuring they are also prepared for life after cycling.
