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Get your week started with the latest news in women’s cycling
Suffering from post infectious syndrome, Marlen Reusser is unfortunately unable to participate in the Olympics. We wish her all the best for a complete recovery.
The reigning XCO Olympic champion Jolanda Neff will be unable to compete at the Olympics as well. The Swiss rider has to withdraw from the Games due to breathing difficulties. Sina Frei, silver medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, will take her place. We wish Jolanda a speedy recovery.
Better news for Ellen van Dijk, who broke her ankle six weeks ago. Last week, several performance tests indicated that she will be ready to represent the Netherlands on the road and ITT in Paris, alongside Lorena Wiebes, Marianne Vos and Demi Vollering.
Niamh Fisher-Black is set to transfer from SD Worx-Protime to Lidl-Trek on a two-year deal. The New Zealand rider won a stage at the recent Giro d’Italia and was the 2022 U23 Road World Champion.
Lizzie Deignan is set to extend with Lild-Trek for another year. The 35-year-old British rider’s next race will be in Paris, where she will represent Great Britain in the Olympics.
The UCI Ethics Commission has opened proceedings against the Sports Director of the UCI Proximus – Cyclis CT Women’s Continental Team, Gert Vervoort, for allegations of inappropriate behaviour. On the basis of information provided by several riders, the Ethics Commission has decided to provisionally suspend him in order to investigate the allegations further.
2023 U23 World Champion Sammie Maxwell was initially denied a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics by Cycling New Zealand, despite earning a quota spot. Suffering from an eating disorder for several years, Cycling New Zealand determined that the risk to Maxwell’s health was too high to put her name forward to compete in Paris. Maxwell appealed the decision and won because the panel from the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand found that officials had relied on inaccurate and out of date information when it considered Maxwell’s case.
The Zwift Academy will run again from 5 August to 3 November! Do you have what it takes to go pro? Join the Zwift Academy to test your limits and compete against the best for a chance to sign a pro contract with Canyon//SRAM. More details can be found here.
As women’s cycling becomes ever more popular, athletes are appearing in new media. Demi Vollering recently featured in a Q&A interview with Vogue. In the article, the Dutch rider explans that she’s spending the days ahead of the Olympics on a mountain in France. She also talks about how her morning rituals ensure that she makes the most of each training and rest day.
Results
Baloise Ladies Tour
Prologue: Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) ahead of Fien Van Eynde (Fenix-Deceuninck Development Team) and Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)
Stage 1: Lorena Wiebes ahead of Charlotte Kool and Rachele Barbieri (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)
Stage 2: Charlotte Kool ahead of Daria Pikulik (Human Powered Health) and Sara Fiorin (UAE Development Team)
Stage 3a: Lorena Wiebes ahead of Charlotte Kool and Daria Pikulik
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
Jeannine Lemaire
In 1952, the French rider Jeannine Lemaire, a two-time national road champion, set the hour record at 39.735 km. By that time, the record had only seen a 2.6 km improvement over 40 years. It wasn’t until 1958 that Elsy Jacobs surpassed Lemaire’s distance, breaking the 40 km/h mark. During this era, advancements in training, equipment, and track conditions were not as developed as they are today, making Lemaire’s achievement even more remarkable. The current record, set in October 2023 by Italian Vittoria Bussi, stands at 50.267 km, showcasing an incredible performance improvement over the past 70 years.
WorldTour highlight videos
Catch up on all the action from the latest WorldTour races, like the Giro d’Italia Women, right here.
