Born in Mûnein,[2] Westra finished second at the 2012 Paris–Nice, a UCI World Tour race; he also won the queen stage to Mende.

This particular stage finished atop the Côte de la Croix-Neuve–Montée Laurent Jalabert – a 3 km (1.9 mi) climb at an average gradient of 10.1%.

[3] He attacked inside the final kilometer and the lead group piloted by race leader Bradley Wiggins could not reel him in.

He won the event's individual time trial, helping him seal the victory as it netted him the leader's jersey, which he would not relinquish.

[6] Westra earned his first victory of the 2013 season at the Tour of California, where he foiled the sprinters' plans by breaking away with 5 km (3.1 mi) and managed to resist to the lead group.

Francisco Mancebo joined him in his bid for victory, the pair cooperated and Westra won the two-man sprint.

His brother Jan Hendrik took him back to the Netherlands where his behaviour didn't improve and police had to remove him from the house of his mother.