Your Monday Briefing

After a challenging final round at the Zwift Academy, Australian rider Emily Dixon has earned a contract with CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto for the 2025 season. Based in Melbourne, Australia, she represented her country in the Junior Road Race at the UCI World Championships, finishing 23rd despite a mechanical issue. Balancing her studies and a competitive cycling career, Emily has raced in Europe and specialises in climbing and multi-stage events.

Estonian road and time trial champion Laura Lizette Sander has signed with Team Coop-Repsol for the next two years. She previously rode for AG Insurance-Soudal NXTG and Hess Cycling. Known for her strength in the classics, Sander is determined to not only achieve strong results individually but also to play a key role in supporting her team’s ambitions and help them to make significant progress.

The official route of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es, scheduled from 4 to 10 May, has been revealed. The race will take the peloton from Barcelona to Asturia, featuring the hardest stage in the race’s history. The city of Barcelona will host the start of the event with a time trial. The following three stages are predominantly rolling. Climbers are set to prevail, though, in the two mountaintop finishes that are separated by a flat stage. The finale consists of a 152-kilometre-long stage starting from La Robla, in León, which features no less than three climbs. All these challenges add up to more than 2500 meters of altitude gain, the most ever recorded in a stage of this Spanish Grand Tour.

Disappointing news for the 37th edition of the LOTTO Thüringen Ladies Tour. which was scheduled from 17 to 22 June. The German stage race is at risk of being cancelled. The event is lacking the necessary funding from the state of Thuringia, which cannot provide the required 200,000 Euros. According to the State Chancellery, it is not in a position to continue supporting the event on this scale. In the previous edition, where Ruth Winder secured the overall victory, the more than 100-rider-strong starting field included ten WWT teams and numerous top riders.

Created in 2018, the Grand Prix d’Isbergues Women has been called off for 2025. The decision comes primarily due to financial difficulties. The 2024 race incurred costs of 38,000 Euros, with 23,000 Euros in subsidies, including 13,000 Euros from the city. In December 2024, a letter from the Pas-de-Calais department highlighted a “particularly tight budgetary context” and the need for the local authority to implement cuts due to its own financial constraints this year. However the organisers remain hopeful, saying: “we are suspending the women’s race, but we are not cancelling it.”

Demi Vollering continues to solidify her position as one of the most marketable athletes in the women’s peloton, announcing last week her partnership with Swedish electric car brand, Polestar. Her growing personal brand is proving increasingly valuable, as more businesses recognise the return on investment in supporting female athletes. Vollering’s ability to align with brands that resonate with her values is evident. As a passionate advocate for outdoor living and the beauty of the natural world, a partnership with an electric car brand like Polestar appears to be a natural fit

Trofeo Oro in Euro: Karlijn Swinkels (UAT Team ADQ) ahead of Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Dominika Wlodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ)

Ixina GP Oetingen: Julie de Wilde (Fenix-Deceuninck) ahead of Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ) and Chiara Consonni (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto)

Susanne Ljungskog

The Swedish rider celebrated her 49th birthday on 16 March. A multiple-time national champion, she represented Sweden at the Olympics on four occasions and triumphed at the World Road Championships in 2002 in Belgium and 2003 in Canada, winning the gold medal twice. In addition to her world titles, she claimed victory in two World Cup events and several stage races. Starting her cycling journey at the age of 12, she quickly became one of Sweden’s most successful riders after winning numerous races. After being diagnosed with hemochromatosis, a condition that causes the body to accumulate excessive iron, leading to complications like joint issues, heart problems and diabetes, she retired from competitive racing in 2010. Following her retirement, she transitioned into a career as a commentator for Swedish broadcasting and radio. Today, she works as a consultant for Pema, a company that offers staffing solutions. In her free time, Ljungskog remains passionate about cycling and encourages others, particularly women and girls, to take up the sport. She has created a popular cycling network where she coaches groups, teaching them not only how to race, but also how to enjoy the freedom and beauty of exploring the world on two wheels.