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Team Jumbo Visma has outlined some of its goals for this season and how this all fits in with its bigger plan of becoming the best women’s team in the peloton by 2024. The team is looking to strengthen the squad across the board to be successful in the Classics, stage races, and climbing in general. In addition, the focus will be on the professional support of the riders, working closely with food coaches and improving technical skills.

Olympic champion and Team Movistar leader Annemiek van Vleuten has been nominated for the 2022 Laureus World Comeback of the Year Sports awards. The Dutch rider is part of a group of six outstanding athletes from different sporting fields. The decision about the winner of this prestigious award will be made in April.

Chantal van den Broek-Blaak has decided to reconsider her decision to retire and has renewed her contract with Team SD Worx until 2024. She has indicated that she may have to take a break at some point during that time as she is planning to have children.

Demi Vollering has decided to extend her contract with Team SD Worx until 2024. The Dutch rider aims to be one of the best riders in the lead up to the Olympic Games in 2024.

The 2023 World Championships in Glasgow will have 190 rainbow jerseys on offer over the 11 days of competition. It will be the first time that different disciplines will be combined into one event at the Worlds event, scheduled between 3 to 13 August. Road cycling, road para-cycling, track, track para-cycling, cross country mountain biking, downhill mountain biking, mountain bike marathon, trials, BMX freestyle, BMX, artistic cycling, cycle-ball, and Gran Fondo will be showcased in Glasgow. The new collated worlds will be run every four years, preceding an Olympic/Paralympic year.

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio has announced her retirement at the end of the 2022 season, while talking at the team’s presentation. The South African rider has had a long and successful career in the sport. The now 36-year-old rider turned professional in 2010 with Lotto Ladies and 2022 is her third year with her current squad Team SD Worx. She intends to move into business and hopes to explore more of eSports in the coming years.

At the squad’s recent team presentation, SD Worx team manager Danny Stam said that Amy Pieters’ condition is stable. She is still in a deep coma but not many improvements have so far been made and it is only when she becomes conscious that her progress can be evaluated. We continue to wish Amy and her family, friends and team all the best.

Despite growing demand for a separate U23 women’s World Championship race, the UCI has confirmed that it will be at least three more years until a standalone event will be added to the Championships. For now, the race will be integrated within the elite women’s race.

The support for the MPCC is growing, as Team Coop-Hitec Products joins the organisation. Besides male teams, MPCC currently has 13 women’s squad members including five WorldTour teams. MPCC started in 2017 and its aim is to defend clean cycling and stand united against doping.

The Joe Martin Stage Race will be back on 19-22 May with Walmart as its new title sponsor. Organisers have confirmed equal prize money for men and women with some live streaming planned as well. The route has yet to be revealed for the four-stage event in Arkansas.

Results

Dutch National Championships Hoogeveen (junior):  Leonie Bentveld ahead of Lauren Molengraaf and Pem Hoefmans

Ethias Cross – Parkcross Maldegem: Annemarie Worst ahead of Manon Bakker and Aniek van Alphen

X20 Trofee Lille – Kawatencross: Lucinda Brand ahead of Annemarie Worst and Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado

X20 Trofee Lille – Kawatencross (junior): Zoe Bäckstedt ahead of Xaydee Van Sinaey and Fleur Moors

Zwift Blog

This time last year, Kristen Faulker was working a full-time job in Venture Capital. Now, she’s riding in the WorldTour with Team BikeExchange – Jayco. In her very first Zwift blog, she shares insights into how she made the decision to change careers, in the hope that her story will help anyone who is in similar shoes, looking to make a transition in their own life. Read about her inspiring journey here. 

Vox Performance Project Blog

Amy Cuthbertson joined the project with the Haute Route and Ironman 70.3 as her goals. Despite injury throwing a spanner in the works, she is discovering new tools to be back to her best, thanks to the VVP partners and her fellow participants. Read more about her experience here.

Voxwomen Podcast

Episode 81: British Champion Pfeiffer Georgi

In this episode supported by Rapha, Hannah Walker talks to British Champion and inspirational young talent, Pfeiffer Georgi of Team DSM on growing up in a cycling mad family, her standout year with Team DSM, becoming National Champion and DSM’s road captain at a young age, as well as her aspirations for the future. Click here to listen!

This week in cycling history

Leah Goldstein

The Israeli-born Goldstein turned 53 years old on 4 February. Growing up in Vancouver as the child of new immigrants, Leah was often bullied at school because of her accent, speech impediment and limp. But the young Canadian was determined to face her problems head on. She became a martial artist, turned world champion kick boxer, was the first female elite commando instructor in the Israeli Defence Force, and worked at the Israeli secret police before eventually becoming a pro cyclist. She is a multiple Israeli road and ITT champion and made the podium at the Canadian road championships. Her latest achievement was taking out the solo win last year at the Race Across America, one of the toughest bike races. The winning time of the then 52 year old, covering the 3,000 miles across the U.S., was just over 11 days. During her journey she endured searing temperatures and took on 175,000 feet of elevation.

Anna Turvey

5 February was Anna Turvey’s birthday. The now 41-year old Irish rider came to cycling late after competing in triathlon events. She held the Irish National records for the 10, 25 and 50 mile individual time trials. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games she represented Scotland (by virtue of her Glasgow-born mother) and placed in the top 10 in the road time trial. At the RTTC National Team Time Trial Championships in 2015 she won with teammates Katie Archibald and Ciara Horne. A year later, after switching allegiance and riding under an Irish flag, she became the Irish ITT champion and took bronze at the European Track Championships in the individual pursuit. All throughout her sporting career, she was able to combine her cycling with her profession as an optometrist, a job she still holds today.