Nicky Degrendele

{{Infobox cyclist

| name = Nicky Degrendele

| image = 2024 UEC Track Elite European Championships 196.jpg

| caption = Degrendele in 2024

| fullname = Nicky Degrendele

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|10|11|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Varsenare, Belgium

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| weight =

| currentteam =

| disciplines = {{ubl|Track|Road}}

| role = Rider

| ridertype = Sprinter

| amateuryears1 =

| amateurteam1 =

| proyears1 = 2015–2017

| proteam1 = {{UCI team code|VLL|2015}}

| proyears2 = 2018–2020

| proteam2 = {{UCI team code|BRT|2018}}

| majorwins =

| show-medals = no

| medaltemplates =

}}

Nicky Degrendele (born 11 October 1996) is a Belgian professional track and road cyclist, who most recently rode for UCI Track Team {{UCI team code|BRT|2020}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.uci.org/track/teams//TeamDetail/11533/1002976/249|title=BEAT Cycling Club|work=UCI.org|publisher=Union Cycliste Internationale|access-date=2 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302215625/https://www.uci.org/track/teams//TeamDetail/11533/1002976/249|archive-date=2 March 2020}} Most notably, she became world champion at the age of 21 in Women's Keirin at the 2018 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Apeldoorn. She formerly rode for the {{UCI team code|VLL|2017b}} team; in October 2018 she joined {{UCI team code|BRT|2018}}.

Career

Degrendele practiced gymnastics until the age of 15 when, due to back problems, she made the switch to road race cycling. 3 races and a broken elbow later, she decided road racing was not for her. After her father took her to ride a couple laps on a track in Ghent, Belgium and attending initiation lessons in october/november 2011 organised by Cycling Vlaanderen, she made the switch to track cycling.{{cite web|url=https://www.knack.be/sport/nadat-ik-wereldkampioene-was-ben-ik-mezelf-tegengekomen/|title=Nadat ik wereldkampioene was, ben ik mezelf tegengekomen|trans-title=After I became world champion I encountered myself|publisher=Knack|access-date=11 May 2025|language=Dutch|date=15 January 2019}}

Success came quickly to Degrendele after that, becoming Belgian Champion in the women's sprint in February 2012. In September of that same year, she started at the Topsportschool in Ghent, Belgium as a boarding student.{{cite web|url=https://nickydegrendele.wordpress.com/|title=Nicky Degrendele|publisher=Nicky Degrendele|access-date=11 May 2025|language=Dutch|date=9 February 2016}}

At her first international championship, the 2013 European Track Championships (under-23 & junior) in Anadia, Portugal, she won 3 medals: silver in the women's sprint{{cite web|url=https://www.knack.be/sport/andere-sporten/ek-baanwielrennen-beloften-junioren-zilver-voor-nicky-degrendele-in-sprint/|title=EK baanwielrennen beloften/junioren – Zilver voor Nicky Degrendele in sprint|trans-title=European Track Cycling Championships U23/Juniors – Silver for Nicky Degrendele in sprint|publisher=Knack|access-date=11 May 2025|language=Dutch|date=10 July 2013}} and keirin,{{cite web|url=https://www.hln.be/wielrennen/nicky-degrendele-ook-in-keirin-goed-voor-zilver~a15dcab7/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F|title=Nicky Degrendele ook in keirin goed voor zilver|trans-title=Nicky Degrendele also takes silver in keirin|publisher=Het Laatste Nieuws|access-date=11 May 2025|language=Dutch|date=14 July 2013}} and bronze in the women's team sprint.{{cite web|url=https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/degrendele-en-wernimont-winnen-brons-in-teamsprint~b4d15815/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F|title=Degrendele en Wernimont winnen brons in teamsprint|trans-title=Degrendele and Wernimont win bronze in team sprint|publisher=De Morgen|access-date=11 May 2025|language=Dutch|date=13 July 2013}} A month later, in August 2013, at the 2013 UCI Juniors Track World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, she won silver in the women's sprint.{{cite web|url=https://www.standaard.be/sport/degrendele-pakt-zilver-op-wk-baan/42500774.html|title=Degrendele pakt zilver op WK baan|trans-title=Degrendele takes silver at World Track Championships|publisher=De Standaard|access-date=12 May 2025|language=Dutch|date=12 August 2013}}

A year later, Degrendele won her first international title at the 2014 European Track Championships (under-23 & junior), again in Anadia, Portugal, winning gold in the women's keirin.{{cite web|url=https://www.hbvl.be/sport/wielrennen/baanwielrennen/nicky-degrendele-verovert-goud-in-keirin/24858734.html|title=Nicky Degrendele verovert goud in keirin|trans-title=Nicky Degrendele conquers gold in keirin|publisher=Het Belang van Limburg|access-date=18 May 2025|language=Dutch|date=27 July 2014}} She also win a silver in the women's sprint at the same championships.{{cite web|url=https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/lotte-kopecky-en-nicky-degrendele-zorgen-voor-twee-bronzen-medailles~bf667080/|title=Lotte Kopecky en Nicky Degrendele zorgen voor twee bronzen medailles|trans-title=Lotte Kopecky and Nicky Degrendele take home two bronze medals|publisher=De Morgen|access-date=18 May 2025|language=Dutch|date=23 July 2014}} A couple weeks later, she repeated this performance at the 2014 UCI Juniors Track World Championships in Gwangmyeong, South Korea, becoming world champion in the women's Keirin and finishing 3rd in the women's sprint.{{cite web|url=https://www.sudinfo.be/art/1077272/article/2014-08-12/mondiaux-juniores-sur-piste-nicky-degrendele-decroche-l-or-du-keirin|title=Mondiaux juniores sur piste: Nicky Degrendele décroche l’or du keirin|trans-title=Junior World Track Championships: Nicky Degrendele wins keirin gold|publisher=SudInfo|access-date=18 May 2025|language=French|date=12 August 2014}}

In 2016, the 20 years old Degrendele won silver in the Keirin at both the under-23 European Track Championships and the 2016 UEC European Track Championships for seniors.{{cite web|url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20160717_02388363|title=EK PISTE. Tweede gouden medaille voor Lotte Kopecky|trans-title=EC TRACK. Second gold medal for Lotte Kopecky|publisher=Het Nieuwsblad|access-date=15 June 2025|language=Dutch|date=17 July 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.lesoir.be/65169/article/2016-10-22/jolien-dhoore-vice-championne-deurope-de-la-course-aux-points-et-nicky|title=Jolien D’Hoore vice-championne d’Europe de la course aux points, et Nicky Degrendele vice-championne d’Europe de keirin|trans-title=Jolien D’Hoore, European vice-champion in the points race, and Nicky Degrendele, European vice-champion in the keirin|publisher=RTBF|access-date=15 June 2025|language=French|date=22 October 2016}}

2018 saw Degrendele win her first (and so far only) senior world championship title, winning the gold in the Keirin at the 2018 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands.{{cite web|url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20180304_03388804|title=Nicky Degrendele grijpt wereldtitel keirin op WK baanwielrennen: "Niet te beschrijven"|trans-title=Nicky Degrendele seizes world title keirin at World Track Cycling Championships: "Indescribable"|publisher=Het Nieuwsblad|access-date=15 June 2025|language=Dutch|date=4 March 2018}} Later that year, she took another silver in the Keirin at the 2018 UEC European Track Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.{{cite web|url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2018/08/07/nicky-degrendele-takes-silver-in-the-keirin/|title=Nicky Degrendele takes silver in the keirin|publisher=VRT|access-date=15 June 2025|language=Dutch|date=7 August 2018}} The year ended however on a low point when she crashed hard in November during the French leg of the 2018–19 UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines that caused her severe headaches, balance and concentration problems every day for two and a half months.

Having become world champion Keirin in 2018, what followed were years of mostly disappointments, highlighted by a failure to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.{{cite web|url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20200301_04870881|title=Nicky Degrendele pas elfde in keirin en out voor Olympische Spelen: “Ik wil nu werken naar Parijs 2024”|trans-title=Nicky Degrendele only eleventh in keirin and out for Olympic Games: “I want to work towards Paris 2024 now”|publisher=Het Nieuwsblad|access-date=15 June 2025|language=Dutch|date=1 March 2020}} 4 years later, she did qualify for the women's sprint and Keirin events at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.{{cite web|url=https://www.rtl.be/sport/tous-les-sports/cyclisme/nicky-degrendele-attend-avec-impatience-ses-premiers-jeux-je-veux-surtout/2024-07-20/article/692707|title=Nicky Degrendele attend avec impatience ses premiers Jeux : "Je veux surtout savourer|trans-title=Nicky Degrendele is looking forward to her first Games: "I especially want to enjoy it|publisher=RTL info|access-date=19 June 2025|language=French|date=20 July 2024}} At the Olympics, she failed to qualify for the A final in the women's keirin competition, having suffered a bad crash in the quarter-finals,{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/cycling/three-paris-olympics-cyclists-collide-33426445|title=Three Paris Olympics cyclists collide at 40mph in terrifying crash as bikes smash to pieces|publisher=Daily Mirror|access-date=19 June 2025|date=8 August 2024}} and finished 5th in the B Final and 11th overall. Due to her injuries in that crash in the keirin competition, she did not partake in the women's sprint competition.{{cite web|url=https://www.lesoir.be/615203/article/2024-08-09/jo-2024-nicky-degrendele-forfait-pour-la-vitesse-apres-sa-chute-dans-le-keirin|title=JO 2024 : Nicky Degrendele forfait pour la vitesse après sa chute dans le keirin (vidéo)|trans-title=2024 Olympics: Nicky Degrendele withdraws from the speed category after his fall in the keirin (video)|publisher=Le Soir|access-date=19 June 2025|language=French|date=9 August 2025}}

Early February of 2025, on the first night of the 2025 UEC European Track Championships in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, Degrendele announced that she was putting her career on hold as she and her partner were expecting a first child.{{cite web|url=https://sporza.be/nl/2025/02/12/ek-afwezige-nicky-degrendele-kondigt-zwangerschap-aan-een-jaartje-dat-we-een-beetje-minder-zullen-doen~1739371856735/|title=EK-afwezige Nicky Degrendele kondigt zwangerschap aan: "Een jaartje dat we een beetje minder zullen doen"|trans-title=Nicky Degrendele, who is absent from the European Championship, announces pregnancy: "A year in which we will do a little less"|publisher=Sporza|access-date=19 June 2025|language=Dutch|date=12 February 2025}}