Voxnews

Get your week started with the latest news in women’s cycling:

• Ciska Austin became the first female president of Cycling South Africa. She is planning to reform the organisation, making cycling more attractive as a sport and securing sponsorship that would fit within a new business model.
• British Cycling’s performance director Stephen Park, has raised the possibility of some 2020 Olympic events taking place without spectators, if the coronavirus crisis does not subside. He cited the example of the World Cup finals in skiing in a week’s time in Cortina, which may be held in closed circuit with no fans depending on the situation at the time.
• 17 year old Dutch cyclocross rider Puck Pieters joins Alpecin- Fenix.
• Kristina Vogel was honoured with the UCI Merit Award by the UCI president at a ceremony this week for her accomplishments and contributions to the sport.
• Christian Prudhomme has expressed renewed interest last week in re-launching a Tour de France for women but stated it would not be running at the same time as the men’s edition.
• Trofeo Binda and Trofeo da Morena have been postponed until 2 June due to the current health situation in Italy.
• Proximus and Alphamotorhomes will become a UCI cyclocross team next season. Helen and Stefan Wyman will be coaching the squad.
• The route for the 2020 HSBC UK National Road Series and HSBC UK  National Circuit Series has been announced. The events provide British domestic riders with a great platform on which to compete. The women’s race starts with the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix in May.
• Several teams including Parkhotel Valkenburg, Mitchelton-SCOTT and Movistar have decided to put their racing plans for the rest of the month on hold due to the outbreak of the corona virus. The UCI has announced that those teams who will not be participating at races will not be penalised.

Results

• At Le Samyn des Dames, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Boels-Dolmans) won the race ahead of teammate Christine Majerus and Lotte Kopecky (Lotto Soudal Ladies)

Zwift Blog

• Ella Harris tells us about her journey from being a Zwift winner to a professional rider. Find out about the challenges she faced by stepping up to racing in Europe and some of the joys she experienced during the past year.
• In her first blog for us, Junior World Champion Megan Jastrab writes on how she sets her goals, and plans for her season ahead.
• Ruth Winder, who had a very successful start to the season in Australia, has written about her first experience at the Olympics in 2016, and what has changed for her since then.

#ICYMI from Voxwomen

• In our latest edition of the Sunday Supplement, Voxwomen spoke to Pauline Ferrand Prevot about how she got into cycling, her successes and setbacks, and what MTB means to her.
• Here’s an inspiring read about Chloe Hosking, who was involved in a project with Voxwomen last year. Be inspired about this rider who once felt down and out, but now plays a pivotal role in her team.

The Voxwomen Podcast

• The first episode of our podcast 2020 is here. Chloe Hosking, Amanda Spratt, Ina-Yoko Teutenberg and Kimberley Conte talk about the Tour Down Under, giving their insights and comments on the Australian cycling event. Join us and be part of what’s happening in women’s cycling.

This week in cycling history…

• Elsy Jacobs’ birthday was on 4 March. Elsy was a Luxembourgish road cyclist who became the first ever women’s World Road Race Champion, after taking the inaugural race on 30 August 1958. In the same year, she broke the women’s hour record in the Vigorelli Velodrome in Milan, a record that stood for 14 years. Jacobs also held the national championship title 15 times. In 2008, the Grand Prix Elsy Jacobs, a race that leads around her hometown of Garnich was established on the UCI race calendar.

Voxwomen Online Shop

• Looking for cycling clothing and accessories? Then visit our online shop for a selection of quality items. Every purchase from our online store will support Voxwomen and make it possible for us to provide you with the latest from the world of women’s cycling. So check out our online shop!