Your news
Get your week started with the latest news in women’s cycling
The Women’s Tour will be taking a one-year hiatus. Due to a combination of increased running costs and a reduced level of commercial support, it has been impossible for the organisers to deliver the event this year. The decision was taken following a three-week renewed appeal for funding, which included a very popular crowdfunding program.
The Ford Ride London Classique has revealed its participating teams. Seven of the top 10 teams in the UCI world ranking, ten WorldTour teams and three British teams will be competing from 26 to 28 May.
Unlike in Belgium, where volunteer motor bike pilots are allowed, in the Netherlands only trained specially liscenced C1 and C2 police motor bike officers are allowed on the road to enable road racing on open roads. However, Dutch police have now decided to not allow C2 officers to guide races. This will inevitably affect particularly the junior races, which will now be more difficult to run due a the lack of trained motorbike officers.
At Gent-Wevelgem, Trek-Segafredo rider Brodie Chapman sustained a fracture and mild concussion. We wish her well in her recovery. Amber Hulst of Liv Racing TeqFind will be out for six weeks as she has to have femoral artery surgery, while Fien Delbaere of Israel – Premier Tech Roland is out for the rest of the spring races due to a concussion she sustained last week.
Interesting statistics for Gent-Wevelgem: according to Dutch TV, the race had 639,000 viewers for the women’s race and 439,000 viewers on average for the men’s race.
After the recent disqualification of Kristen Faulkner from Strade Bianche due to her wearing a continuous glucose monitoring device (which was not transmitting live data), Supersapiens founder and CEO Phil Southerland requested a meeting with the UCI to discuss this issue. He noted that within the sports and cycling community, multiple men’s and women’s WorldTour teams, team doctors, and performance staff have advocated to overturn the UCI’s ban, on the basis of promoting rider health and safety.
This year, Italy will host the MTB Youth European Championships and the Stayer European Championships. The Union Européenne de Cyclisme Management Board awarded two Championships that will take place respectively in Il Ciocco resort in Lucca from 2 to 6 August (following the cancellation by the organising committee of the event planned in Switzerland in Trevano-Porza) and at the Pordenone Velodrome on 20 and 21 July
New scientific research suggests that attending live sporting events can improve levels of personal well-being and can reduce feelings of loneliness. The study used data from 7,209 adults, aged 16 to 85, living in England, and concluded that the size of this increase in perceived well-being is comparable to that of finding a new job. The report’s authors have suggested that the findings could be useful for shaping public health strategies.
After three years of absence, registration for the 56th edition of the European Junior Cycling Tour Assen is now open. Previous participants include Lorena Wiebes, Emma Norsgaard, Pfeiffer Georgi and many more. Currently there are already almost 500 riders registered, but spaces are still available in all categories. The event is open for riders from all over the world born between 2005 and 2015. From Monday 31 July, the event will run for five days on the course of the roads of Drenthe. More information here.
A new one-day gravel race in Finland called FNLD GRVL, the brainchild of Canyon//SRAM pro rider Tiffany Cromwell, has been announced. The event will take place on Saturday 10 June with a choice of three distances, providing options for both experienced cyclists and those new to gravel, with all of them starting and finishing in Lahti and aiming for some of the total prize purse of €20,000.
Dutch newspapers have reported that that the management of supermarket Jumbo is reconsidering its sports sponsorship after 2024 and that the Jumbo-Visma cycling and skating teams may have to look for a new main sponsor after 2024. With the passing of its founder Van Eerd last December and the earlier withdrawal of his son Frits from the family business due to alleged involvement in a money laundering case, the situation has changed for the supermarket chain. In a response last Wednesday, Jumbo stated: “At the moment we are looking at our positioning. We also check whether our sponsorship policy is still in line with our vision and ambitions and the needs of our customers.”
Results
Ronde van Vlaanderen: Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx) ahead of Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx) and Elisa Longo-Borghini (Trek-Segafredo)
Dwars door Vlanderen: Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx) ahead of Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ) and Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma Women)
Volta Limburg Classic: Misha Bredewold (Team SD Worx) ahead of Lonneke Uneken (Team SD Worx) and Noelle Ruetschi (AG Insurance-NXTG U23)
New Podcast: “Just 3 Questions”
Are you seeking to become a better version of yourself? Have you set yourself a sporting challenge and don’t know where to start with training, nutrition, tech or anything else? Then this brand new podcast is an essential tool for you!
In our very first episode, we provide a short and informative listen on helping you to achieve your sporting goals. Three questions asked by you are answered by experts Chris and David from Supersapiens and Precision Fuel and Hydration.
Listen on Spotify here!
Listen on Apple Podcasts here!
Listen on Amazon here!
Zwift Blog
U23 World Champion Niamh Fisher-Black of Team SD Worx writes all about the winter of a pro rider, from being back in New Zealand, to doing a bit of MTB, team camps, and getting back into race mode. Check out her latest blog here.
Vox Performance Project
After joining the project, Maria learned how to properly fuel and hydrate. Excited to try the Supersapiens sensors and armed with knowledge from Precision Fuel & Hydration, she tracks what she’s learned so far in her latest blog. Read all about it here!
This week in cycling history
Mandy Jones
Born on 24 March 1962, the British rider took third at the Road World Championships at the age of 18, and then followed up on this by taking out the world title two years later in 1982 in Sussex. She held national championship titles and was a world record holder on the track. However, she did not have much support in those days. When racing for British Cycling, her kit would have to be returned, and she often raced in men’s shorts and jerseys because that was what British Cycling provided. Sadly, a persistent calf injury then prevented Mandy from ever regaining her winning form. After her retirement she opened a bike shop, a business which she maintained until 2015. These days she still rides with her local club and runs a cycling business. She also runs an event for the Dave Rayner fund, which raises money for young riders to race abroad.
Monique Knol
The Dutch rider turned 59 on the 31st of March. She won a gold and bronze medal in the Olympics. In 1988 in Seoul, she won the road race, and four years later in Barcelona, she took the bronze medal in the same event. As a youngster, she wanted to become a skater but despite all her training efforts, she didn’t succeed and was then persuaded to try cycling, a sport in which she excelled, winning many one-day and stage races during her career. After her retirement, she took on the role of trainer and team manager in a Dutch UCI mountain bike team and later turned to equestrian sports, riding dressage competitions.
Performance Corner
Which race nutrition products are right for you?
Understanding how much carb you need per hour to sustain peak performance should be your #1 concern when putting together a fuelling plan.
Once you’ve got a handle on that, the next logical question is “what’s the optimal way to get that amount of fuel on board?” After all, there are practical and logistical considerations – not to mention preferences around taste – to take into account.
In this video, we explore the main pros and cons of each of the 4 major fueling formats commonly used by athletes: drinks, gels, chews and bars.
Questions? Email hello@pfandh.com. Click here to get 15% off fuel and electrolytes.
Zwift Rides of the week
The Voxwomen Club
Get ready for the next ride on 11th April! Celebrate women’s cycling through our new club on Zwift! Here, you can be part of the journey and complete rides that cater to the busy lives we live and find motivation and enjoyment through riding. The rides will be held every other Tuesday at 7am/11am/1pm PST (3pm/7pm/9pm GMT). Rides are approximately 40 minutes and feature special guests to lead the events.
It’s also open pace and no drop, thanks to the Zwift bubble feature, which keeps everyone together so you can ride at your own pace without being dropped from the group. The first ride is this Tuesday, so be sure to join us here!
