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Get your week started with the latest news in women’s cycling
The 2022 Zwift Academy Road winner is Alex Morrice, who has signed a pro contract with CANYON//SRAM Racing for 2023.
After her first season in professional cycling with Valcar Travel & Service, Polish rider Karolina Kumiega joins the WorldTour. She will be riding for UAE Team ADQ next year, which completes the squad’s 2023 roster.
The spanish squad, Zaaf Cycling Team, has announced its 2023 roster. It consists of 15 international riders including the likes of Audrey Cordon-Ragot (FRA), Heidi Franz (USA), Michaela Drummond (NZL), and Maggie Coles-Lyster (CAN).
Jumbo-Visma Women has completed its roster for 2023 with the signing of Eva Van Agt. The former hockey player made her debut in the professional peloton with Le-Col Wahoo this year and participated at Le Tour de Femmes avec Zwift.
Georgia Baker was voted the female Track Cyclist of the Year by Australian Cycling while Grace Brown is the female Road Cyclist of the year.
Trek-Segafredo’s Lizzie Deignan may return to racing in May after returning from maternity leave.
35-year-old UAE Team ADQ rider Marta Bastianelli will retire after a 17-year-long career next July, with the Giro d’Italia Donne as her final race.
Several teams have started their training camps getting ready for the next season: UAE Team ADQ gathered in Tuscany; FDJ Suez Futuroscope met in Altea; Movistar Team was in Almería, Team DSM and Trek-Segafredo stayed in Calpe, Israel-Premier Tech-Roland trained in Girona, where Jumbo-Visma will also be heading to later in the month. Human Powered Health was also in Girona, while EF Education-TIBCO-SVB met in California.
It was new kit day last Wednesday for UAE Team ADQ. The team introduced their new jersey, which features a twist on their 2022 design. The Emirati squad will have a 16-rider roster for the coming season, and welcomes new sports directors Cristina San Emeterio, Davide Arzeni, Marcello Albasini and Nicolas Marche to their staff.
Israel-Premier Tech Roland also introduced their new kit, featuring light blue interspersed with pink and white.
As reported last week, high school senior Hayley Yoslov petitioned organisers of the Sea Otter Classic to change the starting sequence of women racers at the event, and the Sea Otter team has now announced that at next year’s race, elite men and women will start first in the 40km cross-country mountain bike race, followed by all remaining women’s categories. Organisers are also looking at the gravel race to see if a change of starting sequence is required.
Specialized has cut its global ambassador program, which supported adventure riders who provide content and other services for the company in exchange for products and a salary.
The new U.S. National Cycling League raised $7.5 million in the hopes of achieving diverse ownership, gender equity, and sustainability. The NCL is the first major professional sports league that is majority-minority and female owned, and plans to offer equal pay for men and women. It hopes that its diverse ownership and team make up will inspire others to own a team, as well as attract new audience members from diverse backgrounds to become professional riders. In 2023, the NCL will host a number of closed-course, criterium races, kicking off in April in Miami, Atlanta, Denver and Washington D.C.
Results
UCI Cyclocross World Cup Val di Sole
Puck Pieterse ahead of Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and Manon Bakker (all NED)
Vox Performance Project
When the opportunity to join the project arose, Claire jumped at the chance to kickstart her training and represent women over 50. Now, Claire is implementing nutritional and training tools to reach her goals. Read more here!
Vox Performance Project participant Yannika Propach reflects on how she’s striving to achieve her cycling goals while juggling a busy life at the same time. Check out her blog here!
Voxwomen Podcast p/b Liv
Hannah Walker and Lia Hervey recap the inaugural Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and also look to the next edition. Featuring Demi Vollering, Annemiek van Vleuten, Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Shirin van Anrooij and Zwift’s Kate Veronneau, you can listen here!
Zwift Blog
EF Education-TIBCO’s Abi Smith writes about the art of off-seasoning in her latest blog! She also reveals some of her hidden talents in addition to cycling. Have a read here!
This week in cycling history
Alison Powers
The US rider celebrated her birthday on 14 December and was a professional rider between 2006 and 2014. A former US Ski Team downhill racer, the now 43 year old decided to switch to cycling and is the only person ever to win the road race, time trial, and criterium national titles. After retiring from competition, she became the owner and head coach of ALP Cycles Coaching in Colorado where she runs cycling camps and skills clinics.
Zwift Rides of the week
Zwift Pro Training Camp
Consider this your invitation to four different camps, hosted by four top-tier teams. Training camps have a rich history in cycling. They’re where teammates come together, get to know each other, and work hard. Closed to all except official team members…until now. More information here!
ZRacing: Race Like a Pro
Get ready to Race Like a Pro throughout multiple worlds while wearing some of the most iconic team kits in cycling. Stage 2 kicks off December 12 – 18 with one lap of the Richmond Rollercoaster route. Complete all four routes in this month’s series to pick up the “Race Like a Pro” badge for your trophy case. Find out more 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!
