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Flanders Classics will apply for Omloop Het Niewsblad and Dwars door Vlaanderen to join the WorldTour race calendar in 2023. The organisers are also aiming to add a seventh race to their current six women’s events.

Thalita de Jong is returning to the team where she started her career. As of 1 June, the Dutch rider will race for Liv Racing Xstra. She has signed a contract up until the end of 2023.

Technology Company Dstny will partner with Lotto Soudal, starting in 2023. The agreement with the team will run until at least the end of 2024 and the squad will race under the new name of Lotto-Dstny.

The 2022 UCI Gravel World Series is reported to be starting in the Philippines on 3 April and is one of 14 races that will run through to September. Races will also be held in France, Poland, Canada, USA, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Australia, the Netherlands and Spain. A date for the World Championships has not yet been announced.

Four-time World Champion Kaarle McCulloch will be joining the Great Britain Cycling Team as its new Women’s Sprint coach. The Australian track rider retired last year after a successful 15-year career in cycling.

Lizzie Deignan will take the 2022 season off due to her pregnancy. However, she has signed a contract extension with Trek-Segafredo and will return to racing in 2023.

World champion Elisa Balsamo has resigned from the Italian State Police, as her involvement with this state organisation was considered inconsistent with the status of a professional rider. Since 2015, the Police Force has been a supporter of female riders who may be otherwise unable to make a living from racing.

The Cyclists’ Alliance has introduced a new rider hotline that allows easier access for riders who require support, to file complaints and seek advice on a range of issues.

The Tour Series will feature a number of innovations as part of their commitment to supporting gender equality in cycling. Measure include equal race time for men and women and the continuation of the equal prize fund. Women’s races will also follow the men’s at selected rounds.

Results

UCI Esports World Championships: Loes Adegeest (NDL) ahead of Cecilia Hansen (SWE) and Zoe Langham (GBR)

Omloop van het Hageland: Marta Bastianelli (UAE Team ADQ) ahead of Emma Norsgaard (Movistar Team) and Floortje Mackaij (Team DSM)

Vox Performance Project Blog

Zwift Blog

This week in cycling history

Marion Clignet

Clignet was born on 21 February 1964 and grew up in the USA with dual French and US citizenship. The now 57 year-old was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 22 and was shunned by the US Cycling Federation but subsequently raced successfully for France. She was twice national French road champion and helped France win at the 1991 World Championships in the team time trial. But it was on the track where she found her greatest success. In addition to her Olympic medals, Clignet won five gold medals and seven medals on the track at the Worlds. These days she is involved in coaching and is active in the French Association of Female Cyclists, an organisation of retired and active riders that aims to promote the sport and improve conditions and recognition for female riders. In a little bit of Olympic trivia, Clignet is apparently the 54th-great-granddaughter of Roman Emperor Theodosius who ironically abolished the Ancient Olympic Games in 393A.D.

Ethel Brambleby

The British rider passed away on 22 February 2011 at the age of 93. Brambleby’s first race was in 1933, and her final appearance was in 2000. During her career she had to overcome the strong prejudice that existed in the 1930’s against women riding competitively. The start of her time trial career, which was her strongest discipline, was in the men’s events. However, the Road Racing Council quickly banned this practice, declaring that women were only to ride against women. Brambleby was not only active in the competitive side of cycling, holding several records, but also organised events including national championships, held committee positions and wrote for various cycling publications. She was present at the inaugural Women’s Road Record Association meeting in 1934, an organisation that was founded in response to the Road Records Association refusing to recognise women’s records. Although fame and money may have eluded her during her time, she was a lifelong campaigner for women’s participation in the sport of cycling.