Your Monday Briefing

Kristen Faulkner of EF Education-Oatly has experienced a delayed start to her 2025 season. After a standout 2024, which saw her secure gold in the Olympic Road Race, she acknowledges that she has yet to hit her peak form this year. In an effort to get back to her best, she ventured on her first-ever altitude training camp, traveling from Italy to Sierra Nevada. Faulkner is now setting her sights on the Ardennes Classics, followed by the Vuelta, as she aims to ramp up her form for the season ahead.

Megan Armitage of EF Education-Oatly has decided to step away from professional racing with immediate effect. She was in her second year of a three-year contract with the American team. Previously active in running, she took up cycling in 2020 and became the first Irish female rider to win a UCI ranked stage race.

Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini delivered a spectacular solo attack in the final 30 km of the race to seize a brilliant victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen, marking the 50th win of her professional career. The UAE Team ADQ leader was able to benefit from the support of her teammates before making a decisive solo move to bridge the gap to the leading duo of Kraak and Reusser. She then surged ahead in the closing kilometers, crossing the line with a commanding 29-second lead over the chasing group, which was led in the sprint by World Champion Lotte Kopecky.

The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has revealed its 22 participating teams. There are the 15 WorldTour teams plus EF Education-Oatly and Parkhotel Valkenburg, the first two Continental teams in 2024. There are also invitations for Arkea B& B Hotels, Team Cofidis, LABORALKutxaTeam, St Michel – PREFERENCE HOME – Auber93 and Winspace Orange Seal Women Cycling Team.

Visma-Lease a Bike hit the Tour of Flanders in its new Wingbeat kit. The jersey builds on its image as the “killer bees” and uses the slogan “Power of the Beehive”. The squad has announced there will be more special kits throughout the year.

Lotto Cycling is celebrating 40 years of racing with a distinctive new jersey for both its men’s and women’s teams. The special design honours the team’s rich history while making a bold statement for the future. In 2025, the Lotto Cycling Team will commemorate four decades of partnership with the National Lottery – an impressive milestone in the world of professional cycling. The team revealed the striking new kit during the Tour of Flanders.

The Life Time Grand Prix is set to implement a major rule change ahead of the 2025 edition of the series. Starting this year, riders will be prohibited from drafting behind those outside of their designated category, effectively putting an end to one of the most controversial tactics in gravel racing. This new rule is expected to have the most significant impact on the women’s field, where female riders have been spotted drafting behind male riders.

Jamaica is renowned for producing world-class track and field athletes, but until recently, the island has had little representation in the world of cycling. That changed in 2022 when Lori Sharpe made history as the first Jamaican cyclist, male or female, to join a UCI-registered team, signing with Canyon-SRAM Generation. The Jamaica International Cycling Classic aims to further boost representation by inspiring more participation in cycling among both men and women for years to come. While there were hopes of including a women’s race in last weekend’s event, the organisers’ efforts did not come to fruition this time. However, the event’s long-term goal remains to elevate cycling in Jamaica and create more opportunities for future female riders.

UCI XCO Mountain Bike Athletes have signed a petition advocating for the preservation of the 5-rider podium, arguing that it offers more opportunities for riders to shine. This petition comes in response to a decision by Warner Bros. Discovery, the broadcast partner for the series, to reduce the podium from five to three riders, marking a departure from the traditional five-rider format unique to mountain biking. The petition gained significant support, with all of the top 30 XC riders and many downhill athletes lending their signatures. However, both Warner Bros. Discovery and the UCI have since issued a statement confirming their intention to maintain the three-rider podium model moving forward.

Ronde van Vlaanderen: Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx-Protime) ahead of Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Liane Lippert (Movistar Team)

Dwars door Vlaanderen: Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) ahead of Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx-Protime) and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl Trek)

Monique Knol

Monique Knol, the renowned Dutch rider, celebrated her 61st birthday on 31 March. Her journey through the world of sports is a remarkable one, filled with achievements that have left a lasting impact on cycling and equestrian sports alike. Knol’s early aspirations in skating might have faced obstacles, but this did not deter her, and she switched over to racing bikes. Her crowning moment came at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, where she won the gold medal in the road race. Subsequently, she continued to make her mark on the cycling world, taking bronze at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Beyond her Olympic successes, Knol’s career was studded with victories in numerous one-day and stage races. She forayed into dressage competitions later in her career, while her decision to then swap to a trainer and team manager role after retiring from competitive cycling speaks volumes about her commitment to nurturing the next generation of riders.

Juliana Furtado

Furtado’s 58th birthday was on 4 March. The American was a successful slalom skier who, after six knee injuries, switched to cycling, not willing to give up on a sporting career. Starting out as a road racer, she quickly discovered her passion for maintain biking, winning the inaugural championships in Colorado in 1991. This success was followed by five national titles, three world cups and another world championships. After her retirement, she launched Juliana, the first ever women-specific mountain bike.

Daphny van den Brand

Van den Brand left her mark on the world of cycling through her remarkable achievements and tireless advocacy for women’s participation in the sport. Born on 6 April 1978, she began her cycling journey at the tender age of eight, initially focusing on road cycling before expanding her repertoire to include mountain biking and cyclo-cross. In cyclo-cross, she took eight national championships and the Cyclo-cross World Championship title in 2003. She also secured four World Championship bronze medals, silver at the European Championships in 2005, and gold at the Cyclo-cross European Championships in 2006. In mountain biking, van den Brand continued to succeed, earning a gold, silver, and bronze medal in national championship events between 2001 and 2003. Beyond her achievements on the bike, van den Brand also emerged as an advocate for women’s participation in cyclo-cross. Her efforts played a pivotal role in advocating to organisations like the UCI to provide women with more opportunities, including the establishment of the women’s inaugural World Championships in 2000. She also campaigned for increased payouts for female riders, advocating for equitable start and prize money. In her retirement following 25 years in the sport, van den Brand remains connected to cycling, channelling her passion and expertise into various initiatives. From conducting cycling clinics to offering training sessions and organising cycling tour experiences, she continues to inspire and empower the next generation of riders.