Your news
Get your week started with the latest news in women’s cycling
Spanish Cycling has postponed its plan that would require all Spanish women’s teams to pay the national minimum wage in order to remain registered at the UCI Continental level. Apparently, teams struggled to secure the €50-200k funding increase they would need for the 2023 season. It is now planned to introduce the regulation for 2024. Spain currently has one WorldTeam (Movistar) and eight continental teams.
The 40-year-old Australian rider Rachel Neylan will ride for Team Cofidis for another year before retiring.
Eider Merino will lead new Basque team Laboral Kutxa. The local climber was previously with Wahoo-Le Col and Team Movistar. The Basque squad, which has sponsorship secured until 2029, aims to reach the WorldTour in 2024.
Evita Muzic of FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope will ride cyclocross for the first time since 2019. A knee injury prevented her from riding this discipline last year, but her team has now agreed for her to branch out into cross. She is aiming for the national and possibly world championships next year.
Former Danish national coach and multiple world champion Catherine Marsal is back in cycling after a break of a few years, becoming sports director of a French continental team.
Belgian Ro de Jonckere has become General Manager at Human Powered Health and is the only female general manager in a men’s WorldTour or ProSeries team, and is one of three female general managers at the women’s elite level. She has previously worked with teams such as Quickstep and the Qhubeka programs in a variety of roles.
The first ever Velo d’Or award for women includes Annemiek van Vleuten, Pauline Ferrand Prevot, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig and Elisa Balsamo amongst its nominees.
The UCI has published the list of UCI World Championships that are open for bidding by potential host cities. The winning host city will be announced at the next UCI Congress in August 2023, during the Road Cycling Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland.
Liv will return in 2023 as the premier partner of the eight-day Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and sponsor of the Best Young Rider classification with the white jersey. Two Liv-sponsored professional teams, Liv Racing Xstra and Team BikeExchange-Jayco will return to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2023.
Results
Badkamers Trofee Koppenbergcross: Fem van Empel ahead of Denise Betsema and Shirin van Anrooij (all NED)
European Cyclo-cross Championships – Elite: Fem van Empel (NED) ahead of Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (NED) and Kata Blanka Vas (HUN)
European Cyclo-cross Championships – U23: Puck Pieterse (NED) and Line Burquier (FRA) ahead of Shirin van Anrooij (NED)
European Cyclo-cross Championships – Juniors: Lauren Molengraaf (NED) ahead of Valentina Corvi (ITA) and Xaydee van Sinaey (BEL)
Zwift Blog
Maud Oudeman of Canyon//SRAM Racing recounts what is was like to go from once watching the Simac Ladies Tour to actually participating at the race in her home country. Have a read of her experience right here!
In her latest blog, Megan Jastrab of Team DSM writes about when things started to click, the progress she has made in transitioning from junior to elite racing and the thrill of sprinting against Marianne Vos. Have a read here!
This week in cycling history
Marianne Martin
Marianne Martin, born on 1 November 1957, was the winner of the inaugural Tour de France Féminin in 1984. Martin started racing for fun in college in Colorado after an injury forced her to change from running to cycling. Unfortunately she was diagnosed with anaemia, which made competitive cycling even more challenging. Getting to the Tour meant she had to fund everything herself, paying for flights, buying her bikes and taking on debt to finance it all. Martin retired from the sport in 1986 and worked two jobs in order to pay off the debt she incurred during her racing days. Her achievements, however had a great impact on the growth of U.S. women’s cycling as she inspired others to get into the sport. These days she is a professional photographer and manages her own business “Real Life Portraits,” while in her free time she enjoys riding horses. Most recently she published a book “Soaring after Sport”, a compilation of interviews with former riders about their path after retiring from competition.
Emīlija Sonka
Born on 4 November 1939, Sonka was a former track and road cyclist from Latvia. The now 83 year old won the gold medal at the 1964 Road World Championships, at the time riding for the former USSR. In 1991 after discovering her Latvian heritage, she decided to take on the Latvian nationality.
Rides of the week
Tour of Makuri Islands
Six stages built for Zwifters who want to explore the best Makuri has to offer! From Neokyo’s neon, urban, non-stop action to the ancient land of Yumezi’s countryside, and the all-new coastal wilderness—it’s waiting for you. Find out more here!
ZRacing: Race Makuri
Get ready to Race Makuri as you explore the newest roads in Zwift. Featuring weekly events with a general classification (GC) that resets every month, race your way onto the leaderboards! Complete all five stages, including a special split stage on stage 5, to pick up the “Race Makuri” badge. More info here!
From our online shop
Be Part of the Journey Mountain Hoodie – £45
Since the launch of Voxwomen, we have always used the message, “Be Part of the Journey.” Women’s cycling has been on a journey and the development of the sport continues. This mountain design links with this message and looks great on this relaxed hoodie. Wear before or after an event, and it will be sure to keep you warm. Get yours here!
