It happens that from Olympic ice and snow emerge stories where cycling and winter sports intertwine. In recent days, tuttobiciweb told you about biathlete Emilien Jacquelin who raced with Marco Pantani's earring and bandana in honor of the legendary Pirate, and also about the cycling backgrounds of Olympic medalists Amos Mosaner, bronze in curling with Anna Costantini, and Thomas Nadalini, gold in the mixed short track relay.

At the Ice Skating Arena in Assago these days, there is also Sandrine Tas, a Belgian who for several seasons has combined competitive cycling with speed skating and who signed a contract with Lotto Intermarché in January.

Born in Ostend in 1995, Sandrine has already competed in the five-ring event in Milan-Cortina, finishing sixth in the 3000 meters and just off the podium in the 5000 meters. Yesterday she competed in the team pursuit and will return to the track on Tuesday for her last Olympic race.

After concluding her Olympic experience in Italy, the Belgian athlete wants to dedicate herself entirely to cycling, as she declared to DH Sports colleagues. "In the next two years, I will focus completely on the bicycle. However, I cannot say that I will never be on the ice again; if I return, it will only be to train for cycling races."

On a bicycle, Sandrine won the Belgian national time trial championship "without a contract" in 2024 and last season finished eighth in the elite road race championship won by Justine Ghekiere. She also participated in the Egmont Cycling Race won by Martina Alzini and the GP Lucien Van Impe signed by Lorena Wiebes.

For now, we do not know what race program Lotto Intermarché has proposed to the skater-cyclist, but it will be interesting to follow Sandrine to understand how she will approach the new career ahead of her.

Photos from Sandrine Tas's social media