It ain't over until it's over 🫣

The last European WWT race of the season is here 🤯

Hello lovely subscribers and welcome to Women’s Cycling Weekly! 🚴‍♀️

Did anyone else get a bit emosh last weekend at Annemiek’s last ever race? I’ve written about it for the paid newsletter but the TL;DR is that the legacy she leaves is a huge one that spans the myriad incarnations of women’s cycling throughout the last decade, from unpaid ‘pro’ riders with little coverage of their races to the professional peloton with their own Tour of today. We may have balked at her dominance in the past, but she deserved every win and every accolade, she trained like no other and her ability to bounce back was second to none. The women’s peloton won’t be the same without her but it is better for her having been part of it.

Here’s the highlight video from my fav ever AVV moment. Let me know what yours was in the comments!

Elsewhere, the last WWT race of the European season got underway today with the Tour de Romandie 🤯 where has the season gone? It feels like two seconds since I was shivering outside the Canyon//SRAM bus at Flanders with Rachel.

If today’s stage was anything to go by then it’s at least going to be a pretty exciting race to finish on. The best thing about late season races is how open they tend to be, and we saw so many attacks and moves from riders who have come to the fore now that others have ridden out their peak for the year. The lessons from today, though? Don’t look back (Faulkner) but also, look back!! (Schrempf).

A bonus third lesson: Clara Honsinger is well and truly on form for CX season 🔥.

Enjoy the newsletter!

Amy x

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News 📰

• Kristen Faulkner is back racing at Tour de Romandie after being hit by a car in June.

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Read  🗞️

• "It's not goodbye; it's see you later" 

• Gallery: A dusty day in Les Gets for the MTB World Cup 

• 'One of the hardest years I've ever had' – 2023 has not been kind to Sarah Roy 

• This former world champion downhill mountain biker took on a 630km gravel ride. What could go wrong?  

• Gallery: The remarkable career of Annemiek van Vleuten 

• British BMX champion Iris Hajda on jumps, racing friends & dreams of Olympic podium 

• Lauren Stephens soloes to the stars and stripes at USAC gravel nationals 

• Finals Photo Epic: Les Gets DH World Cup 2023 

• 'I was crying on the start line' - from horror crash to double champion in two months 

• Thank you, Annemiek

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Watch 📺

All about the shredders this week

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Listen 🎧

Wheel Talk ofc!

 Bobby and Jens chat to Tiff Cromwell

 And Niamh Fisher Black answers 20 questions on The Press Room Podcast

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Results 🏆

Road

Simac Ladies Tour (2.WWT)

Stage 4: Lotte Kopecky (SDW) 

Stage 5: Lorena Wiebes (SDW)

Overall:

1. Lotte Kopecky (SDW)

2. Lorena Wiebes (SDW)

3. Anna Henderson (JVW)

Tour Feminin l'Ardeche (2.1)

Stage 5: Marta Cavalli (FST)

Stage 6: Barbara Malcotti (HPW)

Stage 7: Olivia Baril (UAD)

Overall:

1. Marta Cavalli (FST)

2. Erica Magnaldi (UAD)

3. Anastasiya Kolesava (ARK)

Grisette Grand Prix de Wallonie (1.1)

1. Marta Lach (WNT)

2. Silvia Persico (UAD)

3. Victoire Berteau (COF)

Chrono de Gatineau (1.1)

1. Anna Kiesenhofer (IPT)

2. Amber Neben (USA)

3. Emily Ehrlich (USA)

Tour de Romandie (2.WWT)

Stage 1: Sofia Bertizzolo (UAD)

MTB

🇫🇷 UCI MTB World Cup: Les Gets, France DH #6 & XCO+XCC #6

DH Elite: 🥇 Marine Cabirou 🇫🇷 🥈 Monika Hrastnik 🇸🇮 🥉 Nina Hoffmann 🇩🇪

XCO U23: 🥇 Samara Maxwell 🇳🇿 🥈 Ronja Blöchlinger 🇨🇭 🥉 Ginia Caluori 🇨🇭

XCO Elite: 🥇 Mona MitterWallner 🇦🇹 🥈 Puck Pieterse 🇳🇱 🥉 Pauline Ferrand-Prevot 🇫🇷

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Upcoming races 📆  

Road

15th - 17th September: Tour de Romandie (2.WWT)

How to watch:

• Live on Eurosport/GCN+ from 12:35 CEST on Saturday and 14:10 CEST on Sunday.

• Startlist here.

• Preview here. 

20th - 24th September: European Championships

Wednesday 20th: 

• Junior ITT

• U23 ITT

• Elite ITT

How to watch:

• Elite ITT: Live on Eurosport/GCN+ from 14:30 CEST.

Thursday 21st:

• Junior Mixed Team Relay

• Elite Mixed Team Relay

How to watch:

• Elite Mixed Team Relay: Live on Eurosport/GCN+ from 15:30 CEST.

Friday 22nd:

• U23 RR

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Friday fun 🕺

Annemiek started her last day as a pro by saying a huge thank you to her entire team 🫶

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That’s all 👋

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Amy x