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Get your week started with the latest news in women’s cycling
A new season of racing kicks off in just a few days, starting in Australia with the National Championships in Perth on 8 January. This is followed by the Tour Down Under around Adelaide, taking place from 17 to 19 January. An additional race in South Australia, the Schwalbe Women’s One-Day Classic, will be held on 26 January. The schedule continues with the inaugural Women’s Surf Coast Classic on 29 January and concludes with the Women’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on 1 February in Victoria.
There have been several changes to the UCI Women’s World Tour, aimed at creating a structure equal to the men’s WorldTour, which came into effect on 1 January. This includes removing the UCIWWT classification in favour of a World Ranking system, similar to the men’s. Feeding zones on foot are now mandatory and signposted, where staff must hold a UCI license, wear team gear, and stay roadside behind a marked line. Feeding on foot outside these zones is banned. Riders who have competed in the Elite road race or ITT in the past World Championships will not be able to compete in the U23 road race or ITT in Rwanda. More details can be found here.
The Tour Down Under has released its provisional start list. Riders include Lizzy Deignan, Amanda Spratt, Elise Chabbey, Ruth Edwards and Alison Jackson. See the full list right here.
Juliana Londoño will wear Team Picnic PostNL’s colours through at least the end of 2026. Hailing from Medellín, Colombia, Londoño only began competing in cycling at the start of 2022, having previously used the sport as part of her training for skating competitions. She quickly made an impact, racing extensively on the Colombian domestic scene in 2022 and sharpening her skills both on the road and track. In her final junior year in 2023, she made a strong statement, winning the Pan American Time Trial Championship title and securing second place in the road race.
U.S. rider Krista Doebel-Hickok, who raced this year for Human Powered Health, is retiring after an impressive 11 years in the peloton. The California native enjoyed a successful career, with notable victories including the GC at the Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées, two stages at the Tour of the Gila, and a stage win at the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche.
UAE Team ADQ has revealed its new kit for 2025. The design concept draws from the unique formations of the UAE’s desert sands, while the gradients of dark blue reflect the deep waters surrounding it. The team aimed to develop the campaign for its 2025 kit in line with the country’s focus on sustainability in 2024 and 2025.
AG Insurance – Soudal has announced Dani Christmas as a new Sports Director. As a former rider, middle-distance runner, Sports Director, and Eurosport commentator, the Brit brings a wealth of expertise and a unique perspective to the team. “When the team approached me for the role of Sports Director, working with both the World Tour and U23 teams, the decision was an easy one,” she explains. “I strongly believe in creating an environment where everyone – both riders and staff- can reach their full potential. No two individuals are the same, so it’s important to adopt a personal approach. This allows us to perform at our best as a team,” she said about her joining the squad.
Several riders from the Women’s WorldTour currently do not have contracts for next season. These include Lisa Klein, who raced with Lidl – Trek this year, Anna Kiesenhofer, and five of her teammates from Roland, as well as four riders from Fenix-Deceuninck.
British Cycling has capped off a historic year, with four Olympic and six Paralympic gold medallists recognised in the 2025 New Year Honours list. Following their groundbreaking achievement at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where they became the first-ever British women’s team sprint squad to win Olympic gold, Sophie Capewell, Emma Finucane and Katy Marchant have each been awarded an MBE. In addition, inspirational Yorkshire cycling volunteer Val French has been honoured with a BEM for her exceptional services to cycling. Val made history as the first British Cycling Breeze Champion to lead 1,000 women-only bike rides. Breeze, British Cycling’s pioneering program, aims at encouraging more women to ride for leisure.
There has been a change to the UCI regulation for cyclocross: UCI Cyclo-cross Pro Teams will be required to field a minimum of three riders in the Elite Women’s category at each World Cup race. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the team losing its professional status. Consequently, the team will be ineligible to register as a UCI Pro Team for the following season.
Voxwomen Sharon Laws Awards
Your votes have been tallied, and the results are out!
Rider of the Year: Kristen Faulkner
Young Rder of the Year: Puck Pieterse
Team of the Year: CANYON//SRAM Racing
Results
Superprestige Diegem: Lucinda Brand ahead of Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and Inge van der Heijden (all NED)
Badkamers Trofee-Baal: Fem van Empel ahead of Lucinda Brand and Puck Pieterse (all NED)
Badkamers Trofee Koksijde: Puck Pieterse ahead of Lucinda Brand and Fem van Empel (all NED)
Voxwomen Cycling Hub
Voxwomen has launched the Voxwomen Cycling Hub, a paid membership packed with exclusive content, behind-the-scenes access, discounts, and more. By joining, you’re not only unlocking premium perks, but also directly supporting the growth of women’s cycling. Don’t miss out on this chance to dive deeper into the sport you love and be part of a community that’s driving real change. Sign up today and help us elevate women’s cycling together!
Blog
Why isn’t pro cycling leading the charge on sustainability? From excessive travel to wasteful practices, Lizzie Stannard’s blog explores how women’s cycling can embrace climate action and make meaningful changes for a greener future. Read her ideas right 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
Emma Trott
Born on 24 December 1989, Trott is a decorated retired English rider. She rode for the Dutch women’s professional team Dolmans-Boels from the 2012 to the 2014 season. Following her retirement she became a personal trainer and cycling coach in New Zealand before returning to the UK to join the coaching team for British Cycling’s women’s academy program from 2018. Since 2023 she has been the Performance Manager of EF Pro Cycling. Emma is the older sister of fellow cyclist and Olympic gold medalist Laura Kenny.
Sabine Spitz
Cross country rider Sabine Spitz was born on 27 December 1971 in Germany. Among her achievements are the bronze medal at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics, silver at the 2012 London Olympics and gold in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. She also became the Cross Country Mountain Bike World Champion in 2003. After her retirement, she started running MTB camps and offering coaching to aspiring young athletes. Four years ago, she joined South African outfit dormakaba as both a rider and mentor to the team’s younger riders.
