Lidl-Trek had to release her from the final two months of her contract to make the mid-season switch work, an unusual concession that only makes sense if cyclo-cross is part of the deal. Canyon-SRAM's Dan Fleeman didn't sell her as a Classics specialist but as someone who can "climb, handle demanding one-day races and stay competitive when races become long and physically demanding" — versatility language, not succession language. Van Anrooij is the reigning under-23 cyclo-cross world champion at 24, heading into her seventh pro season, which reads less like replacing Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and more like acquiring a growth asset across disciplines.