Hello 2023 season 🤩
➕ the answers to Tilda's emoji quiz!
Hello! Welcome to Women’s Cycling Weekly! 🚴♀️
There’s been lots of new subscribers this week so we thought we’d reintroduce ourselves and say 💘 THANKS 💘 for subscribing!!
If you’re wondering what the hell this is, who we are, and what we’re doing in your inbox: Women’s Cycling Weekly is your one-stop-shop for all things women’s cycling. From news, race results and schedules, to the best things to read, watch, and listen! We’re Amy and Tilda 👋 we write about women’s cycling for a living, and we run this thing.
Now, back to regular programming.
It’s TDU week!! The Women’s WorldTour season officially kicks off this weekend with the Santos Tour Down Under and, okay, if you’re pretty much anywhere but Australia (or maybe in America, how do time zones work?) then you won’t be able to watch it live but it means that the 2023 season is officially underway! Read on for more details on the race as well as all the usual good stuff!
Amy x
P.s Update: we now have Instagram and Twitter and we’d love for you to give us a follow. It’s pretty dead over there right now but we promise it will be ✨ fun ✨ once we get going.
Emoji quiz answers 🤠
Sorry that we missed this in last week’s edition - we know you’ve all been patiently waiting for the answers - but here’s the solutions to our emoji quiz from our Christmas issue! Did you work them out? Was it way too obtuse? Answers on a postcard (if there’s no feedback I’ll assume you loved it and it will be back at Christmas x)
Marianne Vos’s disqualification for the puppy paws position at Vargarda, where the win then went to Audrey Cordon-Ragot.
Mavi García colliding with her own team car on the gravel stage of the Tour de France Femmes
Marta Cavalli’s iconic celebrations winning Fleche Wallonne.
The Women’s Tour final day drama when Elisa Longo Borghini snatched overall victory from Grace Brown, coming down to bonus seconds in the final sprint.
Of course, Lorena Wiebes and the baby on the podium of the first stage of the Tour #NotHerBaby
News 📰
Good news over at the team FKA Le Col-Wahoo - after Le Col pulled out at the last minute, they’ve secured a new title sponsor and will race this year as Lifeplus Wahoo. Race programme and team roster announcements expected soon.
As well as their newly-promoted WorldTour team, Fenix-Deceuninck will have a women’s development team in 2023. The squad features largely former Plantur-Pura riders who have come across from the main squad, plus riders from their off-road team.
SD Worx have made a late signing in the form of 19-year-old Luxembourger Marie Schreiber. Currently a CX ride with Tormans, Schreiber will join SD Worx in February on a three year contract as she looks to pivot towards the road.
And in some essentially non-news, the route for the men’s Vuelta was announced this week, but we are still none the wiser about the route of the newly revamped week-long Vuelta Femenina, coming in May.
Read 🗞️
“Meet Abi Smith, the British youngster who strives to be 'valuable' at EF Education-TIBCO-SVB.”
AG Insurance Soudal Quick-Step’s new recruit, Justine Ghekiere, on how it’s never too late to start.
Veronica Ewers on navigating the balance of leadership and inexperience.
Charlotte Kool on stepping into Lorena Wiebes’ shoes at Team DSM.
Some lovely pics in here in the Mark Gunter photo awards longlist.
Dutch study: Two thirds of pro riders have poor bone health.
[Paywall]Former WCW podcast guest, Imogen Cotter on the accident that changed her life: “When I see the impact my body made on the car, I think it’s a miracle I’m still alive.”
Watch 📺
Puck Pieterse has deviated from the GoPro lap videos to film a bike check with Lauren Molengraaf. Would I usually watch a bike check video? Absolutely not, but this one is from Puck and it’s hillar.
Listen 🎧
Results 🏆
Road
Australian National Road Championships 🇦🇺
Road race: 1. Brodie Chapman (TFS) 2. Grace Brown (FST) 3. Amanda Spratt (TFS)
Time trial: 1. Grace Brown (FST) 2. Georgie Howe (JAY) 3. Brodie Chapman (TFS)
Criterium: 1. Amber Pate (JAY) 2. Alex Manly (JAY) 3. Matilda Field (Roxsolt Liv SRAM)
CX
Superprestige Gullegem (Rnd 7)
Elite:
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado 🇳🇱
Inge van der Heijden 🇳🇱
Denise Betsema 🇳🇱
Junior:
Lise Klaes 🇫🇷
Roxanne Takken 🇳🇱
Haylee Johnson 🇺🇸
UCI Cyclocross World Cup Zonhoven (Rnd 12)
Elite:
Shirin van Anrooij 🇳🇱
Puck Pieterse 🇳🇱
Fem van Empel 🇳🇱
Junior:
Lauren Molengraaf 🇳🇱
Célia Gery 🇫🇷
Isabella Holmgren 🇨🇦
Upcoming races 📆
CX
14th-15th: various National Cyclocross Championships
Road
Santos Tour Down Under (2.WWT)
Live on Eurosport/GCN+
Stages starting between 2am and 2.40am CET (cry)
Start list here
Preview here
Friday fun 🕺
Not entirely sure what’s happening here but go off girls.
One last thing
If you’re keen to join “a platform for all women around the globe that can connect and interact via the Slack app for free or your computer browser” then check out The W Forum founded by Sami Sauri - here [link opens Slack].
That’s all 👋
Thanks for reading Women’s Cycling Weekly! 💘
If you want to see more from us then you can now become a paid subscriber!
Subscribed
Or you can
Amy and Tilda x