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Organisers have been forced to make the decision to not hold the Drentse 8 of Westerveld in 2025. As a result of the elimination of police escorts in the north of the Netherlands in 2024, the increasing regulatory burden in the areas of safety, a lack of volunteers and rising costs, it became increasingly difficult to organise the event.
The saga surrounding Urška Žigart’s snub from the Slovenian Olympic road cycling squad for Paris 2024 has continued, with agent Alex Carera stating that the national coach “has damaged cycling” with her non-selection. Žigart is both the Slovenian national time trial and road race champion alongside being the nation’s highest-ranked rider. But she was left out of the two-rider team in favour of Eugenia Bujak and Urška Pinta. The selector noted: ”If we take a broader look at the selection: Urška Žigart has never been among the top 30 cyclists in a one-day race at a World Championship or a one-day WorldTour race. However, her quality on longer climbs cannot be disputed, here she has undeniable quality.”
Taylor Knibb (Trek Factory Racing), a U.S. triathlete who was due to compete in the Olympic road race in Paris, has resigned her position. She will still contest the time trial and triathlon events. U.S. national road champion Kristen Faulkner (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) will take her place in the road race.
A number of riders had to abandon the Giro d’Italia due to injuries or illness. Alice Towers of Canyon//SRAM Racing sustained a knee injury on the fourth stage. Initial x-rays did not show any fractures but she returned home for further investigations. Cedrine Kerbaol of CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling had to abandon the race on the same stage after feeling unwell. Dutch rider Rosita Reijnhout and teammate Fem van Empel of Visma | Lease a Bike had to abandon as well due to the consequences of a crash. Alice Maria Arzuffi of CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling was caught up in a crash on stage 5 and suffered some abrasions and a wound on her shin that required stitches, but was cleared to continue racing the next day. Elise Chabbey of Canyon//SRAM Racing had to leave the race due to a navicular fracture from a crash, which will hopefully not prevent her competing at the Olympics. Maude Oudeman of Visma | Lease a Bike also had to leave the race due to illness. In unfortunate news for EF-Oatly-Cannondale, Clara Emond and Kim Cadzow suffered from the heat and abandoned Stage 7, while Letizia Borghesi also left the race following crash. Teammate Megan Armitage also had to miss the Giro d’Italia Women due to illness. We wish all riders the best in their recovery.
Gladys Verhulst-Wild of FDJ-Suez is the winner of the L’Etape du Tour de France, a 136km race from Nice to the Col de la Couillole, featuring 4600m of climbing. The French rider took 5:36:24 to complete the race.
More national teams for the upcoming Olympics have been announced. Denmark netted three spots this year, and selected Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, Emma Norsgaard, as well as Solbjørk Minke Anderson, who recently won the Youth Classification at the Volta Catalunya. Lotte Kopecky will be leading the Belgian team, joined by Justine Ghekiere, Julie van de Velde and Margot Vanpachtenbeke. Italy will be fielding Elisa Balsamo alongside Elena Cecchini, Silvia Persico and Elisa Longo Borghini.
Results
Giro d’Italia Women:
Stage 1: Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) ahead of Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) and Brodie Chapman (Lidl-Trek)
Stage 2: Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ) ahead of Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)
Stage 3: Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx-Protime) ahead of Lotte Kopecky and Juliette Labous (DSM-firmenich PostNL)
Stage 4: Clara Edmond (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) ahead of Soraya Paladin (Canyon//SRAM Racing) and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-SUEZ)
Stage 5: Lotte Kopecky ahead of Chiara Consonni and Arlenis Sierra (Movistar Team)
Stage 6: Liane Lippert (Movistar Team) ahead of Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) and Erica Magnaldi (UAE Team ADQ)
Stage 7: Neve Bradbury (Canyon//SRAM Racing) ahead of Lotte Kopecky and Elisa Longo Borghini
Stage 8: Kim Le Court (AG Insurance – Soudal Team) ahead of Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) and Franziska Koch (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)
GC: Elisa Longo Borghini ahead of Lotte Kopecky and Neve Bradbury
Voxwomen Club!
Calling all cycling enthusiasts. The Voxwomen Cycling Club is hosting a series of exciting rides on Zwift with our ambassadors and we’re inviting YOU to join. Whether you’re a seasoned rider or just starting out, let’s pedal together, have fun and stay fit! More information can be found here.
The Women’s Cycling Podcast p/b Liv
Powered by Liv, our latest podcast episode now available on your favorite podcast platforms! In this second episode, host Rebecca Charlton is joined by Felt UN12D rider and gravel specialist Danni Shrosbree as co-presenter. She talks to Sarah Gigante about her sliding doors moment in changing teams mid-contract and going on to win the 2024 Tour Down Under. She meets professional driver Danielle Reilly, who is regularly in the thick of the action in the WorldTour peloton and Liv AlUla Jayco Director Shawn Clarke gives us an insight into team preparations for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, as well as some reflections from the recent racing on the calendar. Catch it here on Apple Music or here on Spotify!
Zwift Blog
Check out Megan Jastrab’s latest blog about bouncing back from injury and finding confidence again, as she navigates her return to racing after injury. A powerful reminder that recovery is not necessarily a straight path. Have a read of it here.
This week in cycling history
Maria Canins
Canins made history by becoming the first winner of the Giro Rosa, now named Giro d’Italia Women, an accomplishment that cemented her legacy in women’s cycling. The inaugural event took place in 1988, marking a significant milestone for female athletes in Italy and beyond. She defeated Australian rider Elizabeth Hepple and Petra Rossner of Germany, who rounded out the podium.
Patsy Maegerman
This week, the Belgian rider, who was part of the first generation of pro female riders in Belgium, celebrated her 52nd birthday. In 1994, Maegerman won the silver medal at the World Championships in the road race, and took second place in her National Championships. Initially, she rode with an amateur license, but with the advocacy of the Flemish Government, which supported the professionalisation of the women’s peloton, she became the first professional female rider in Belgium. This allowed her to give up her job as a secretary and concentrate full-time on her sporting career.
After retiring from active competition, she remained involved in cycling as a race director for the women’s editions of Gent-Wevelgem as well as the Flanders Classic races. Maegerman transitioned from being the first Belgian professional female cyclist to one of the first female race directors in the sport. Later on, she joined an athletics club with the aim of mentoring and coaching young athletes. Presently, she is also working in a managerial role in an international machinery manufacturing company specialising in equipment and services for agriculture and construction.
WorldTour highlight videos
Catch up on all the action from the latest WorldTour races, like the Giro d’Italia Women, right here.
