Another fancy jersey for SD Worx?
➕ the TCA rider survey report is out and there's still work to be done
Hello lovely subscribers and welcome to Women’s Cycling Weekly! 🚴♀️
The WWT season is all but finished but we still have European champs weekend to see the top riders compete against each other for (probably) the last time in 2023. To that end I’ve been reminiscing on the season over on the paid newsletter in which I attempted a complete A-Z of the season (all 26 letters 🥲). SD Worx have truly been the story of the year and, after Marlen Reusser claimed a hat trick European ITT champ title, will we see the team add one last win to their tally on Sunday? The course is looking every bit like Lorena Wiebes is destined to defend her European title.
Whilst I was compiling the A-Z the other day it struck me how much growth we’ve seen in the sport over the span of just a few seasons. However, The Cyclists’ Alliance’s annual rider survey report released this week served as a stark reminder of the imbalance between those in the WWT and the level below. It found that, of the 140 riders surveyed, outside the Women’s World Tour, more than 70 % earn less than €10,000 a year. It’s impossible to live on that and focus on being a full-time athlete. Hopefully the introduction of a ProTeam tier from 2025 will alleviate this disparity somewhat but until then it remains tough for riders to develop under such circumstances without outside help or a second job.
Elsewhere, the XCO riders are in Paris testing out the course for 2024 Olympic Games and SORRY but HOW is it almost time for another Olympics already?!
Anyway, enjoy the newsletter!
Amy x
News 📰
In 2025, the organisation of the Amstel Gold Race will be taken over by Flanders Classics.
Check out Uplift, a new mentorship programme for women in cycling related careers.
The lineup for Red Bull Rampage was announced this week and for another year it sees no women competing, causing a lot of controversy within the community. This comes after the cancellation of the women’s freeride event Formation back in May, which has seen many women hitting the same features the men ride at Rampage.
Cat Ferguson will join Movistar as a stagiaire in 2024.
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, FDJ-Suez, and Lapierre-Mavic Unity will join forces to support Lauren Molengraaf in cyclo-cross, road and MTB.
Read 🗞️
Ruth's return to the road: 'I think I needed a sabbatical more than a retirement'
Breaking Barriers for Women Freeriders to Compete on the World’s Biggest Stage | The Big League
Opinion: The women’s WorldTour calendar is damaging the sport and urgently needs a rethink
Niewiadoma: I don’t have the easy answer for SD Worx ‘sandwich’
Lippert demonstrates that in a reduced sprint, timing is everything
Human Powered Health closes in on Women's WorldTour survival as points fight nears its end
Watch 📺
Listen 🎧
The pod is back! Rachel and I discussed the recent WWT racing and our fav parts of the 2023 season.
The Wheel Talk trio on the latest races!
The latest Cycling Podcast Féminin installment!
Results 🏆
Road
Tour de Romandie (2.WWT)
Stage 2: Demi Vollering (SDW)
Stage 3: Liane Lippert (MOV)
Overall:
Demi Vollering (SDW)
Kasia Niewiadoma (CSR)
Marlen Reusser (SDW)
Grand Prix Gatineau (1.1)
Megan Jastrab 🇺🇸
Alison Jackson 🇨🇦
Skylar Schneider 🇺🇸
European Championships
Junior ITT: 🥇 Federica Venturelli 🇮🇹 🥈 Stina Kagevi 🇸🇪 🥉 Hannah Kunz 🇩🇪
U23 ITT: 🥇 Zoe Backstedt 🇬🇧 🥈 Antonia Niedermaier 🇩🇪 🥉 Anniina Ahtosalo 🇫🇮
Elite ITT: 🥇 Marlen Reusser 🇨🇭 🥈 Anna Henderson 🇬🇧 🥉 Christina Schweinberger 🇦🇹
Junior Mixed Team Relay: 🥇 Italy 🇮🇹 🥈 Germany 🇩🇪 🥉 France 🇫🇷
Elite Mixed Team Relay: 🥇 France 🇫🇷 🥈 Italy 🇮🇹 🥉 Germany 🇩🇪
U23 RR: 🥇 Ilse Pluimers 🇳🇱🥈Anna Shackley 🇬🇧 🥉 Linda Zanetti 🇮🇹
Upcoming races 📆
Road
20th - 24th September: European Championships
Saturday 23rd: Elite RR
How to watch:
Sunday 24th: Junior RR
MTB
🇺🇸 UCI MTB World Cup: Snowshoe, USA DH #7 & XCO+XCC #7
Thursday 28th: XCC U23
Friday 29th:
DH Junior
XCC Elite
How to watch:
DH Junior: Live on Eurosport/GCN+ and YouTube from 18:40 CEST.
XCC Elite: Live on Eurosport/GCN+ from 22:15 CEST.
Friday fun 🕺
Me when someone says the season isn’t *actually* finished.
When I remember that cross is coming.
That’s all 👋
Thanks for reading Women’s Cycling Weekly! 💘
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Amy x