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Get your week started with the latest news in women’s cycling

Portuguese national champion Maria Martins has re-signed with DROPS – Le Col for two more years.

Becky Storrie will be joining CAMS-BassoBikes from the team’s development squad.

Australian rider Nicole Frain has joined Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank. She will be riding for the team in the U.S. for the remainder of 2021.

Australian rider Lucy Kennedy has announced her retirement from the sport. She has been with Team BikeExchange for 4 years.

Amanda Spratt, Tiffany Cromwell and Chloe Hosking will represent Australia at the World Championships in Flanders in mid-September this year.

Olympic time trial champion Annemiek van Vleuten has confirmed that she will be at the start of the Women’s Tour. The Movistar Team rider, who recently won the Ladies Tour of Norway, will return to the U.K.’s largest professional women’s race for the first time since 2014.

German born ultra-distance rider Ana Orenz has suffered injuries to her neck and spine in a crash during the 3,300km long Transiberica race, an ultra-distance race across the mountainous Iberian Peninsula. She has undergone surgery and we wish her all the best for her recovery.

The Paralympics have started this week in Tokyo, which involve 80 female riders across 20 medal events and two mixed teams, at the 250m long Izu Velodrome. Results of the track events can be found here. Road racing will commence on 1 September.

Canyon//SRAM Racing has opened applications for its new development team. The squad will be registered as a UCI Continental Team and will exist in addition to the Canyon//SRAM Racing Women’s WorldTour team. To make cycling more accessible to women around the world, the team is offering eight scholarships for the new Continental Team in 2022. More information can be found here.

Annemiek van Vleuten, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, Anna van der Breggen, Ellen van Dijk, Riejanne Markus, Amy Pieters, Demi Vollering and Marianne Vos will take part in the European Championships in Italy from 8 to 12 September, while Ellen van Dijk and Riejanne Markus will be participating in the ITT.

CIC, the main partner of the men’s Mont Ventoux Challenge, will also be the title partner of the women’s edition, with the race being broadcast on TV.

Cycling New Zealand has announced an inquiry into the death of track rider Olivia Podmore, The organisation will be looking into the complex issues surrounding athlete welfare and the pressure to perform, and will conduct a review of its metal health support for athletes.

Results

UCI Mountain Bike World Championships:

Cross-Country Team Relay: France ahead of USA and Germany

Women Elite Cross-Country Short Track: Sina Frei (SUI) ahead of Evie Richards (GBR) and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (FRA)

Womens 4x: Michaela Hajkova (CZE) ahead of Mathilde Bernard (FRA) and Anna Sara Rojas (BOL)

Women’s U23 Cross Country Olympic: Mona Mitterwallner (AUT) ahead of Laura Stigger (AUT) and Caroline Bohe (DEN)Women Elite Cross-Country Olympic: Evie Richards (GBR) ahead of Anna Terpstra (NED) and Sina Frei (SUI)

Women Elite Downhill: Myriam Nicole (FRA) ahead of Marine Cabirou (FRA) and Camille Balanche (SUI)

Joe Martin stage race: 

Stage 1: Skylar Schneider (L39ION of Los Angeles) ahead of Heidi Franz (Rally Cycling) and Veronica Ewers  (TIBCO-SVB)

Stage 2:  Emma Langley (TIBCO-SVB) ahead of Skylar Schneider (L39ION of Los Angeles) and Veronica Ewers (TIBCO-SVB)

Stage 3: Emma Langley ahead of Veronica Ewers and Clara Honsinger (all of Team TIBCO-SVB)

Simac Ladies Tour:

Prologue: Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma Women) ahead of Ellen Van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo) and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope)

Stage 1: Alison Jackson (Liv Racing) ahead of Grossetête Maëlle (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) and Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM)

Stage 2: Marlen Reusser (Ale BTC Ljubljana) ahead of Ellen van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo) and Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Team SD Worx)

Stage 3: Lonneke Uneken (Team SD Worx) ahead of Susanne Andersen (Team DSM) and teammate Pfeiffer Georgi.

Stage 4: Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma Women) ahead of Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Racing) and Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Team SD Worx)

Stage 5: Marianne Vos ahead of Alice Barnes (Canyon//SRAM) and Amy Pieters (SD Worx)

General Classification:  Chantal van den Broek-Blaak

Premondiale Giro Toscana Int. FemminilePrologue: Sierra Arlenis (A.R.Monex Women) ahead of Martina Alzini (Valcar-Travel & Service) and Karolina Kumiega (Poland)

Stage 1: Arlenis Sierra ahead of Rasa Leleivyte (Aromitalia-Basso Bikes-Valano) and Debora Silverstri (Top Girls Fassa Bortoli)

Paralymics Track results can be found here.

Zwift Blog

This week in cycling history

Alessandra Cappellotto,

The Italian rider was born on 27 August 1968 and represented her country at two consecutive Summer Olympics in 1996 and 2000. In 1997, she won the UCI Road World Championships in San Sebastian in Spain. After she won the title, she formed the first international women’s team in Italy. She later became the Vice President of the Italian riders’ association and ran the women’s section of the CPA. Most recently she has been advocating for assistance for female riders from Afghanistan who have become trapped due to the events in their home country. Outside of cycling, Cappellotto enjoys wine making from the grapes of her own vineyard in Italy.