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Get your week started with the latest news in women’s cycling
Lidl-Trek has announced a trio of contract extensions last week. Australian riders Lauretta Hanson and Amanda Spratt will remain with the team for another two years, while their Italian teammate Ilaria Sanguineti will continue with the squad for an additional season. Hanson has been with the team since its inception in 2019, while Spratt joined two seasons ago. Sanguineti, recognised as one of the top lead-out riders in the peloton, became part of Lidl-Trek in 2023. In more news from the team, Lidl-Trek and Lisa Klein have mutually agreed to part ways. After two years with the squad, the German rider made the decision to focus on her health and own performance goals and take a step back from the WorldTour.
Daniek Hengeveld, who has been riding for Team dsm-firmenich PostNL since 2023, will join CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling for next year. The young Dutch rider is focused on enhancing her time trial skills and aims to achieve strong results in the classics.
French rider Dilyxine Miermont, formerly with St Michel – Mavic – Auber93, is making the leap to the WorldTour after signing with CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling for the upcoming season. Current Hungarian ITT champion Petra Zsanko will also join the squad. She has a background in speed skating and is currently combining her cycling career with her studies.
18-year-old French Kloe Saugrain is set to join Lotto Dstny Ladies for the next two years. Describing herself as a sprinter-puncheur, she reflects on her aspirations for the future: “While it’s too early to categorise myself, my main goal is to keep learning. However, a race like Paris-Roubaix is definitely high on my wishlist.”
Junior national ITT and road champion Kamilla Aasebø will join Uno-X Mobility through 2027. The talented young Norwegian rider has recently achieved impressive results, finishing in the top 10 twice at the World Championships.
Yanina Kuskova, a former member of the Tashkent City Women Cycling Team, has recently faced more setbacks. Not only did the four-time national Uzbek road champion have to purchase her own ticket to the Road World Championships in Zurich, but the Uzbekistan Cycling Federation also denied her the use of her own bike. On her Instagram, she shared that the Federation claimed she did not deserve to compete. Ultimately, she took her training bike to the championships. While it wasn’t the ideal choice, she was able to participate in the event.
Shirin van Anrooij of Lidl-Trek has ended 2024 road season early, citing pain and power loss in her left leg. She has not indicated her plans for the cyclocross season to come. We wish her the best for her recovery and hope to see her back soon.
Milano-Sanremo Women is set to debut in 2025, organised by RCS Sport. The race is scheduled for 22 March, which coincides with the men’s event. With the addition of this race to the calendar, the 2025 edition will mark the fourth of the five Monuments to feature a women’s race, joining the ranks of the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
The UCI President has expressed disappointment regarding the decision of cycling powerhouses the Netherlands and Belgium to skip the mixed team time trial. He stated, “I understand that this discipline stands on its own, but it’s disheartening to see major cycling nations like the Netherlands and Belgium opting out.”
The UCI has approved the 2025 calendar for numerous disciplines and reinforced its network of UCI WCC Development Satellites at its recent meeting during the World Championships. More details can be found here. It has also published data on the advances that women’s cycling has made: WWT budgets have increased by 300% in the last four years, nine teams have applied for Pro Team status, while riders’ minimum salary in this category will sit at €20,000.
The 2030 Cyclocross World Championships have been awarded to Namur. Over the next six years, four out of five championships will have taken place in Belgium and the Netherlands.
With the cyclocross season just around the corner, the UEC has announced the first ever Cyclocross Youth European Championships on 16 November in Slovakia. The competition will feature girls and boys in the 13, 14, 15 and 16 years categories.
The routes for the 2025 Road World Championships in Kigali, the first ever held in Africa, have been revealed. The course will feature some hilly terrain, with the women’s time trial measuring 31.2km, featuring an elevation gain of 460m. The road race, spanning 164.6 m, will have a total elevation of 3,350m. Notably, this year’s event will also introduce a separate U23 women’s race for the first time. Following the championships in Africa, the cycling world will look forward to Montreal in 2026, a SuperWorlds in the French Alps in 2027, Abu Dhabi in 2028, and Denmark in 2029. Brussels will host the event in 2030, with Trentino set to follow in 2031.
Finally and very sadly, some devastating news from the World Championships last week. Swiss rider Muriel Furrer suffered a serious fall during the junior road race. She was airlifted to the hospital after sustaining head injuries but tragically passed away. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends and teammates during this incredibly difficult time.
Results
UCI Road World Championships 2024
Elite Road Race: Lotte Kopecky (BEL) ahead of Chloé Dygert (USA) and Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA)
U23 Road Race: Puck Pieterse (NED) ahead of Neve Bradbury (NZL) and Antonia Niedermaier (GER)
Junior Road Race: Cat Ferguson (GBR) ahead of Paula Ostiz (ESP) and Viktória Chladoňová (SVK)
Elite ITT: Grace Brown (AUS) ahead of Demi Vollering (NED) and Chloé Dygert (USA)
U23 ITT: Antonia Niedermaier (GER) ahead of Jasmin Liechti (SUI) and Julie De Wilde (BEL)
Junior ITT: Cat Ferguson (GBR) ahead of Viktoria Chladoňová (SVK) and Imogen Wolff (GBR)
Mixed Team Trial: Australia ahead of Germany and Italy
Zwift Blog
Megan Jastrab shares a powerful reminder about the ups and downs of injury recovery, shifting perspective and trusting the process. “I hope this blog helps those reading to realise that you are exactly where you need to be on your journey to your goals. It might take a different timeline than originally anticipated, but staying focused on doing the best you can at where you are is the most you can ask of yourself.” Catch her must-read blog here.
The Women’s Cycling Podcast
In our latest episode, Rebecca Charlton is joined by Olympian Lucy Martin to discuss her racing career and subsequent work in pro cycling. They also explore the progression of women into top roles within the sport. We meet Moroj Adil, the first Saudi woman to sign for a WorldTour team, for an inspirational chat. Listen to it on Spotify here or on Apple podcasts here.
Voxwomen Club
Calling all cycling enthusiasts! Join the Voxwomen Club on Zwift for some exciting upcoming rides. The next one is coming up soon, so find out more here
This week in cycling history
Marie Morgan (formerly Purvis)
Born on 24 September 1961 on the Isle of Man, Marie Morgan began her sporting journey with running, but had to abandon the sport due to injury. At the age of 21, seeking a new challenge, she took up cycling. Morgan became a prominent figure in the cycling world, representing Great Britain at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. Her talent was further highlighted by her five victories in the British National Road Championships, establishing her as one of the country’s top riders. In a historic achievement, she also became the first British rider to win a stage of the modern Tour de France Femmes since its inception in 1984, after securing a stage victory in the 1993 race and following it up with another win in 1995. In addition to her road racing accomplishments, Morgan also set a new British Hour Record at the Manchester Velodrome in 1995, surpassing the previous record held by Mandy Jones since 1981 by over two kilometers.
Wilma van der Wal
Wilma van der Wal made history as the first Dutch rider to compete in the inaugural World Championships in Reims, where women had been newly allowed to race. Although the Dutch Cycling Federation initially denied her a racing license, van der Wal’s determination led her to seek support from the UCI, which ultimately granted her an international license.
Competing alongside athletes like Elsy Jacobs, who won the title that year, van der Wal finished last in the race. However, her participation was groundbreaking and helped pave the way for future generations of female cyclists.
WorldTour highlight videos
Watch the race recap of the 2024 Tour de Romandie Féminin here!
