Your news
Get your week started with the latest news in women’s cycling
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will change its date away from the end of July 2024, as this would clash with the Olympics in Paris. A new date has not yet been confirmed.
The teams participating in the 2023 Paris Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift have been announced. Find out all you need to know here.
The calendar for the next season’s Cyclocross World Cup will be released on 24 February. Beekse Bergen is out and negotiations are underway to have only one race in the USA. This would reduce travel and costs for riders coming from Europe.
The Fenix Deceuninck Development Team has signed a tenth rider, Flora Perkins, who has moved from Lifeplus Wahoo and is developing as a strong one-day rider.
The next Cyclocross World Championships will be held in Tabor, Czech Republic, on 1 February 2024. The course will almost be identical to the World Cup course this year.
The Cyclists’ Alliance had their first rider meeting of 2023, discussing the number of World Tour teams, and the possibility and role of a Pro Continental category, maternity leave in MTB/CX, the new UCI prize money platform, the role of UCI arbitrators, and the implementation of concussion protocols in races. The Cyclists’ Alliance also announced that Jean-François Reymond has been appointed as its new Director, while Dani Christmas has been appointed to replace Gracie Elvin as co-manager of the mentor program.
Tamara Dronova of Israel-Premier Tech Roland had to abandon the UAE Tour due to injuries sustained during stage 1. We wish her a speedy recovery.
Strade Bianche has announced the teams that are participating this year. In addition to the WWT squads, 11 continental teams have also been invited.
In tragic news, 18 year old Estela Domínguez, a promising young Spanish rider who was to make her debut in the professional road peloton this season with the Sopela Women’s Team, passed away after being hit by a truck while cycling in the municipality of Villares de la Reina. Estela is the daughter of former pro rider Juan Carlos Domínguez. We express our sincere condolences to her family and friends.
Results
Parkcross Maldegem: Annemarie Worst ahead of Manon Bakker and Denise Betsema (all NED)
Superprestige Middelkerke: Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado ahead of Lucinda Brand and Annemarie Worst (all NED)
European Track Championships
Scratch: Maria Martins (POR) ahead of Eukene Larrate Arteaga (ESP) and Daria Pikulik (POL)
Team sprint: Germany (Lea Sophie Friedrich, Pauline Grabosch, Emma Hinze) ahead of Great Britain (Lauren Bell, Emma Finucane, Katy Marchant) and The Netherlands (Kyra Lamberink, Steffie van der Peet and Hetty van der Wouw)
Team Pursuit: Great Britain (Katie Archibald, Neah Evans, Josie Knight, Anna Morris) ahead of Italy (Martina Alzini, Elisa Balsamo, Martina Fidanza, Vittoria Guazzini) and Germany (Franzisca Brausse, Lisa Klein, Mieke Kröger, Laura Süssmilch)
Elimination: Lotte Kopecky (BEL) ahead of Valentine Fortin (FRA) and Maike van der Duin (NED)
Omnium: Katie Archibald (GBR) ahead of Daria Pikulik (POL) and Lotte Kopecky (BEL)
Sprint: Lea Sophie Friedrich (GER) ahead of Pauline Grabosch (GER) and Sophie Capewell (GBR)
500m TT: Emma Hinze (GER) ahead of Taky Kouame (FRA) and Hetty van der Wouw (NED)
Individual Pursuit: Franzisca Brausse (GER) ahead of Josie Knight (GBR) and Mieke Kröger (GER)
Points race: Anita Stenberg (NOR) ahead of Shari Bossuyt (BEL) and Marie Le Net (FRA)
Keirin: Lea Sophie Friedrich (GER) ahead of Emma Finucane (GBR) and Emma Hinze (GER)
Madison: Great Britain (Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker) ahead of France (Victoire Becteau, Clara Copponi) and Italy (Elisa Balsamo, Vittoria Guazzini)
New Zealand championships
Elite ITT: Georgia Williams ahead of Georgia Perry and Sharlotte Lucas
U23 ITT: Ally Wollaston ahead of Henrietta Christie and Ella Wyllie
Road: Ally Wollaston ahead of Georgia Williams and Sharlotte Lucas
UAE Tour:
Stage 1: Charlotte Kool (Team DSM) ahead of Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) and Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ)
Stage 2: Lorena Wiebes ahead of Charlotte Kool and Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM)
Stage 3: Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) ahead of Gaia Realini (Trek-Segafredo) and Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ)
Stage 4: Charlotte Kool ahead of Chiara Consonni and Lorena Wiebes
GC: Elisa Longo Borghini ahead of Gaia Realini and Silvia Persico
Clasica de Almeria: Emilie Fortin (Cynicsa Cycling) ahead of Alison Jackson (EF-Education-TIBCO-SVB) and Floortje Mackaij (Movistar Team)
Vox Performance Project
Vox Performance Project participant Holly Seear describes her experience doing a sweat test with Precision Fuel & Hydration and shares what she learned, in her latest blog. Read more here!
Jade Evans reflects on a very important topic in her latest blog as she shares her story about how she improved her relationship with food and body image.
Zwift Blog
In her latest blog, Megan Jastrab of Team DSM shares some things she wish she knew when she started racing. Some are simple concepts, but can sometimes be hard to accept, and she still reminds herself of them today. Have a read here.
This week in cycling history
Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå
Born on 10 February 1973, this Norwegian mountain biker’s palmarès includes ten World and nine European Championships in cross-country and marathon, as well as the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. During her 20-year career she overcame serious illness in 2007 but was able to get back onto the podium only two years later. After her retirement in 2018, she took on the role as brand ambassador for Merida, having ridding for the bike manufacturer since 2002. Besides travelling the world to promote cycling as a sport and mode of transport, she picked up ultra endurance cycling and e-mountain biking and still shows her competitive spirit at various cycling events.
Performance Corner
Are female athletes’ energy needs different to men’s?
Are you fueling adequately to maintain health and performance? Big training loads require a commitment to eating enough to support the work you’re doing. If you’re ramping up your volume or intensity, don’t be tempted to skimp on the carbs, or get too caught up with weight loss goals, because energy restriction will, more often than not, do more harm than good.
Learn more about the dangers of underfueling and the concept of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) here.
Questions? Email hello@pfandh.com. Click here to get 15% off fuel and electrolytes.
Zwift Rides of the week
The UCI Cycling Esports World Championships will be back this year on 18 February. The fastest racers in the world will fight for the rainbow jersey in our brand new map: Scotland. Get an early look at the map by joining a Tour de Zwift event, training ride, or community race to experience it for yourself. More info here!
