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Three-time European time trial champion Marlen Reusser will join Movistar Team for the next three seasons. Her impressive achievements include victories in events such as Itzulia, the Tour de Suisse, Setmana Valenciana, and stages at both the Tour de France avec Zwift and La Vuelta. “The idea of being part of Movistar Team is something we’ve worked on together for a long time – it’s been a dream of mine. I’ve been excited for quite a while, and now we can finally make it happen. We share the same vision for what we can achieve together, and I truly believe this is the right environment for me to develop and reach my full potential,” said the Swiss rider about her future with the Spanish squad.
Chantal van den Broek-Blaak has signed a contract extension with Team SD Worx-Protime for another year, marking 2025 as her 11th season with the Dutch squad and her final year of racing. “It’s clear that Chantal is not finished with cycling yet, and I’m confident we’ll get to enjoy her talent again next year,” said Sports Manager Danny Stam. “It’s fantastic to have her on the team, especially as the Dutch champion in red, white, and blue. Last year was tough for her with injuries and illnesses, so we hope she experiences fewer setbacks in 2025 and can fully showcase the champion’s jersey once again.“
Swiss champion Noemi Rüegg will continue to ride for EF-Oatly-Cannondale next year and beyond. She started her season with a win at the Trofeo Felanitx-Colònia de Sant Jordi in Mallorca. Her win at the Swiss road race championships and seventh place at her first Olympics have been among her best achievements. “I’m quite a punchy rider, so I like the classics, especially the races in Flanders with explosive climbs. I really want to do well there, but also in races like Liège. After the Liège Tour stage, I fell in love with that course. I see myself doing well in those kinds of races, Amstel as well. I want to win classics,” the Swiss rider said about her aims for 2025.
U23 European champion Sofie van Rooijen has signed a two-year contract with UAE Team ADQ. The Dutch sprinter had a successful 2024 season with VolkerWessels, achieving her first victory at the Drentse Acht van Westerveld and finishing fourth at Danilith Nokere Koerse. Eager to advance her sprinting and tackle the Spring Classics next season, van Rooijen believes her fast finish will be a significant asset to the team. She is particularly excited about the opportunity to work with a full-time sprint coach for the first time.
Urska Zigart will join AG Insurance – Soudal through 2026. Her personal goals for the 2025 season are to continue improving in all aspects, particularly on hilly terrains and continue working on her time trial skills. “It’s been four years since my last team change, and I have to admit, I’ve grown very comfortable at Greenedge, and I really felt at home there. It was hard to think about changing, because change brings new people, new relationships, new equipment, and new challenges. But change can also bring growth, and from everything I’ve heard about the team, I feel calm, confident, and ready to meet everyone soon,” the Slovenian rider says about her switch to the new team.
Chiara Consonni has signed a two-year contract with Canyon//SRAM through to the end of 2026. The Italian is one of the world’s top-ranked riders and has consistently proven herself to be a leading sprinter. With victories across key races like Dwars Door Vlaanderen and Flanders Diamond Tour, she has established herself as a rider known for her explosive speed. Chiara is a three-time stage winner at the Giro d’Italia and has also won stages at the UAE Women’s Tour, the Tour of Chongming Island and the Simac Ladies Tour. Consonni is also an accomplished track rider, having recently competed in her first Olympic Games where she won a gold medal in the Madison. The Italian has clear goals for the next season with the team: “My objectives for the upcoming seasons are to improve as a person and as an athlete and to win a classic race in the north, which are also my favourite races.”
Nastya Kolesava will move from CANYON//SRAM Generation to the World Tour Team until the end of 2026. In 2023, she won a stage of the Giro Toscana and finished third overall at the Tour de l’Ardéche. This year, joining the development team CANYON//SRAM Generation, Nastya took on a road captain’s role and added second place at the GP Lucien Van Impe in Belgium to her palmares. Rosa Klöser will also join the team on the road until the end of 2026. Rosa is an emerging rider who started competitive cycling in 2022 while studying for her PhD. She comes from a gravel racing background, most notably as the winner of Unbound 2024. Several podium performances at various UCI World Gravel Series races over the past two seasons have demonstrated her talent.
Babette van der Wolf will join EF-Oatly-Cannondale in 2025. Babette turned pro in 2023 with Lifeplus Wahoo and quickly earned top ten results on stages at the Baloise Ladies Tour, Antwerp Port Epic Ladies, Drentse Acht van Westerveld, and Grote Prijs Beerens. Having grown up in the Netherlands, Babette loves racing in the wind. “If there’s a lot of wind, that makes me excited. I know I am really Dutch when I say that I love a hard echelon day. Maybe add in some cobbles and punchy climbs. I just enjoy a hard race,” she said.
Lonneke Uneken will be leaving Team SD Worx-Protime after five seasons with the Dutch squad and will join VolkerWessels. During her time with the team, she delivered several notable performances, winning stages at the Simac Ladies Tour and the Healthy Ageing Tour, as well as securing victories at the Baloise Ladies Tour, EasyToys Bloeizone Fryslân Tour, and Thüringen Rundfahrt. The Dutch rider is expected to have more freedom in the sprinting department at VolkerWessels. Her new team is keen to give her the space to thrive, especially after losing a key rider such as Sofie van Rooijen.
Mara Roldan will join Team dsm-firmenich PostNL through 2027. Roldan first tried road cycling in 2019 and quickly progressed, racing primarily at the national level in the junior ranks in 2021 and 2022 before stepping up to the elite level last year, while still competing in some U23 events. The 2024 season has been particularly successful for the young Canadian talent, who rode most recently with Cynisca Cycling. She clinched the U23 national time trial title and finished third in the elite road race, earning her the U23 jersey as well. “I believe my strengths lie in my mental resilience and grit, my ability to race across various terrains and conditions, and my positivity. I always strive to find the bright side and learning opportunities in every situation,” she commented.
Reigning Spanish champion Usoa Ostolaza will join LaboraKutxa Team through 2027. This year, she won the Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées as well as the queen stage.
Lucy Bénézet Minns, the Irish junior road and ITT champion, has signed her first pro contract with Lotto Dstny Ladies. “I’m really excited for this new step”, the Irish rider said. “It will be special to try out some bigger races. As I come from the juniors, I still need to learn and discover a lot. I became national road and time trial champion in Ireland, which was nice. I had a good end of the year with winning the points race on the Junior Track European Championships. I want to discover more about which type of rider I am and try out as many as courses as possible.”
Dutch rider Roos Müller, who was part of the winning junior mixed relay team at the European Championships will join NXTG Racing next season. The young rider loves time trialling and long sprints.
Cynisca Cycling is making significant changes to its 2025 roster. Notably absent will be multi-discipline veteran Lauren Stephens, who claimed both the Pan-American road race and U.S. gravel championships in 2024, along with Irish national road and time trial champion Fiona Mangan and Canadian time trial champion Mara Roldan. The focus for the upcoming season is to nurture North American talent within a global racing calendar. Alexis Magner and Heidi Franz will lead the charge for the U.S. team, taking on mentoring roles to support emerging athletes.
Junior mixed relay European Champion Jente Koops will join NXTG Racing next season. This year, the young Dutch rider raced for AG Insurance-NXTG’s U19 team.
Double Olympic gold medallist Katie Archibald has been forced to withdraw from the newly launched London 3 Day track event due to a dislocated shoulder. The Scottish rider sustained an injury back in June when she tripped on a step at home. Archibald expressed on her Instagram page: “This is just a small setback. It looks like I’ll be able to continue with my racing schedule as planned, just not starting tonight.” We wish Katie all the best for her recovery.
Belgian Cycling has announced the elimination of bonuses for riders who win medals at major events, including the UCI World Championships, citing that the outstanding performances over the past five years have rendered the practice “unsustainable. “Belgium secured five road world titles in the last three years, with Lotte Kopecky notably winning back-to-back road race championships. Previously, bonuses for these achievements included €25,000 for Kopecky’s victories in the road race. The Belgian federation made this decision in response to the tripling of both the number of medals won and the associated bonuses between 2019 and 2023, which it said posed a threat to the organisation’s financial stability.
The UEC Cyclo-cross European Championships are around the corner. The event will be held in Pontevedra, Spain, from 1 to 3 November. The Belgian elite team will consist of Sanne Cant, Alicia Franck, Marion Norbert Riberolle and Laura Verdonschot. The Dutch team includes Fem van Empel, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, Lucinda Brand, Manon Bakker, Inge van der Heijden, Aniek van Alphen and Denise Betsema.
The Commonwealth Games organisers are working to cut costs for the upcoming 2026 event, scheduled to take place from 23 July to 2 August. Following Victoria’s withdrawal from hosting, Glasgow has stepped in to hold the games. However, this edition will be more streamlined, with several sports missing from the schedule due to budget constraints. Notably, road cycling and mountain biking will not be included, although track cycling will still take place. Women’s road racing has been a feature of every Commonwealth Games since 2006, with notable winners including Lizzie Deignan, Chloe Hosking, and Grace Brown in the time trial.
The 118km long Women’s Surf Coast Classic in Australia has been confirmed for 29 January 2025 as a race lead-in for the Deakin University Elite Women’s Road Race. The Surf Coast Classic replaces last year’s Geelong Classic Criterium. The Deakin University Elite Women’s Race will be the final women’s race in Australia’s summer of cycling, which traditionally opens the international racing calendar.
Marianne Vos has been named Dutch Cyclist of the Year for 2024. While she has received multiple accolades as the best female cyclist in previous years, this marks the first time she has been recognised as the overall best rider. She also won the Keetie van Oosten-Hage Trofee for the best female rider, an award she wins for the tenth time, winning it the last time in 2014. Other nominees for this award were Fem van Empel, Demi Vollering, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, Puck Pieterse and Lorena Wiebes.
At the end of the 2024 season, the final World Ranking has been published, with Lotte Kopecky taking the top spot followed by Demi Vollering and Elisa Longo Borghini.
Thirteen new inductees were welcomed into British Cycling’s Hall of Fame last weekend, celebrating the significant contributions and achievements of these outstanding individuals. Among the honorees was Carole Gosling, who played a pivotal role in the UK’s BMX scene, and Carole Leigh, who has held various influential positions in cycling over the years. Dame Laura Kenny, Britain’s most successful female Olympian, was also recognised for her remarkable career, which includes five Olympic titles across three Games. Aileen McGlynn, a leading figure in para-cycling, and Tracy Moseley, the 2010 mountain bike downhill world champion, also received accolades. Shanaze Reade, a four-time world champion in BMX racing and two-time World Champion on the track, was celebrated for her impressive achievements, alongside Joanna Rowsell, a five-time World Champion and four-time European gold medallist, who now serves as a commentator for Eurosport and works full-time with Women in Sport. Dani Rowe, a multiple World Champion on the track and a medal winner on the road, was also among the distinguished inductees.
Gian Paolo Mondini will join Team SD Worx-Protime after 14 years at Specialized. After several years as a professional cyclist, Mondini pursued university studies in psychology, and then became the point of contact at Specialized for pro cycling teams and riders. ‘‘Of course, I also have a lot to learn. I have never sat in a Sport Director’s car before. But within Team SD Worx-Protime, I am surrounded by people full of expertise. After one conversation with Team Manager Erwin Janssen and Sports Manager Danny Stam, I was convinced: this is my dream job,” the Italian commented about his new role.
The Life Time Grand Prix series has long been known for its substantial prize purse in gravel racing. While the total amount will decrease slightly in 2025, the potential payouts for individual events will actually increase, with each event now offering $30,000 in prizes. In 2024, a total of $300,000 was available to be shared among the top ten riders in both the men’s and women’s divisions of the series. Next year, that total will drop to $200,000, with an additional $180,000 available across the six events that comprise the series. The most significant change, however, isn’t just the prize money itself, but who can access it. While Life Time prize money is reserved for selected athletes participating in the series, riders who compete in individual events will now be eligible for those specific race prizes.
In 2025, Lauf Gravel Worlds, scheduled for 22 August, will put up US $100,000 for the top 10 male and female elite racers who are the fastest to the finish line; the event will also donate that amount to local bike-based charities. This means the top male and female riders will each take home $17,500. This will be gravel racing’s largest pay-out of a single day gravel race. Last year, the race offered live streaming of men’s and women’s races from start to finish, and offered a prize bonus for elite women.
Results
Kiremko Nacht van Woerden Cyclocross: Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) ahead of Marie Schreiber (SD Worx-Protime) and Fem van Empel (Team Visma Lease a Bike)
Heerdestrand Cyclocross: Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (NED) ahead of Inge van de Heijden (NED) and Laura Verdonschot (BEL)
UCI Esports Word Championships: Mary Kate McCarthy (NZL) ahead of Gabriela Guerra (BRA) and Kathrin Fuhrer (SUI)
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.
Voxwomen Club
Calling all cycling enthusiasts! Join the Voxwomen Club for some exciting upcoming rides. The next one is coming up soon, so find out more here
This week in cycling history
Honouring cycling pioneer Eileen Sheridan
A commemorative plaque was unveiled last week at the Butts Park Arena in Coventry to honour cycling pioneer Eileen Sheridan, who passed away last year at the age of 99. Sheridan, a champion rider in the 1940s and 1950s, broke a total of 21 records, some of which still stand today, such as the London-Edinburgh record of 1954. Nicknamed the Mighty Atom due to her height of 1.49m, she joined Coventry Cycling Club in 1944. Sheridan “blazed a trail for countless female riders before women were even allowed to compete on the Olympic or world stage”, British Cycling said about her legacy.
Sarah Storey
Born on 26 October, 1977, Dame Sarah Storey made history as the first disabled rider to compete for England alongside non-disabled athletes, despite being born without a functioning left hand. She began her Paralympic journey in swimming before transitioning to cycling, where she has amassed an astonishing number of medals. At her ninth Paralympics in 2024, the now 47-year-old secured her 19th gold medal, winning the women’s road event for the fifth consecutive time. Storey is also the co-founder and team captain of Storey Racing. As Greater Manchester’s Active Travel Commissioner, she is dedicated to creating a world-class walking, wheeling, and cycling network that is accessible to everyone.
WorldTour highlight videos
Catch up on the action from the Tour of Guangxi right here.
