It's Flanders weekend 🇧🇪
+ what on earth is going on with Demi Vollering and SD Worx?
Hello lovely subscribers and welcome to Women’s Cycling Weekly! 🚴♀️
Flanders weekend is officially upon us 🥳 and what a race it is set to be. If Dwars door Vlaanderen is anything to go by then truly anything could happen and anyone could win — which is not something we were saying 12 months ago. Standing in a big tent in the freezing cold at the finish line of last year’s edition, I watched a tiny TV screen show SD Worx put everyone on the ropes before Lotte Kopecky served the final blow to take her second De Ronde. This time, while it would be overstating it to say that SD Worx are coming into this race on the back foot, they certainly have some work to do post-Dwars if they want to pull off another victory.
Meanwhile, the biggest story looming over the team right now is the drama surrounding Demi Vollering’s future. On Wednesday morning, SD Worx DS, Danny Stam, dropped in the comment that he didn’t expect Demi to continue with the team in an interview with GCN causing a huge furore. Bizarrely, the team chose to fuel the fire with a hasty comment released on social media and then more stirring of the pot from team manager, Erwin Janssen. And poor Vollering is trying to get her head down to race Flanders on Sunday.
All this while Lidl-Trek are poised to capitalise on any weakness SD Worx show, using their strength in numbers to put pressure on the Dutch squad and force their hand. If that wasn’t enough, Marianne Vos is well-and-truly back and riders like Kasia Niewiadoma will also be on the startline hoping to make the race as hard as possible.
I can’t wait.
Enjoy the newsletter,
Amy x
News 📰
AG Insurance-Soudal founder, Natascha den Ouden, has left the team and AG Insurance have become majority stakeholders.
With a win at Dwars door Vlaanderen, Marianne Vos celebrates her 250th road victory.
Puck Pieterse will miss the first two rounds of the Cross-country World Cup in order to make her race debut at Tour of Flanders.
SD Worx-Protime confirmed that Demi Vollering will leave the team at the end of the season.
Read 🗞️
'Even winning is possible' - Puck Pieterse dreams big ahead of Tour of Flanders debut - Cyclingnews
'Back then I was on the edge of life – but now I'm a multi world champion': Para-cyclist Lizzi Jordan's golden comeback from near-fatal food poisoning - Cycling Weekly
Marianne Vos: I expect SD Worx-Protime to be extra sharp at Tour of Flanders - GCN
Trouble at Team SD Worx - a dramatic day for the Dutch team at Dwars door Vlaanderen - Rouleur
Lotte Kopecky: I’d rather win Paris-Roubaix than a third Tour of Flanders - GCN
'I've never seen the cobbles as bad as this' - Inside one team's Paris-Roubaix recon - Cycling Weekly
Watch 📺
Listen 🎧
The Wheel Talk crew dissect Brugge - De Panne and Gent - Wevelgem.
Results 🏆
Road
Gent - Wevelgem (1.WWT)
Lorena Wiebes (SDW)
Elisa Balsamo (LTK)
Chiara Consonni (UAD)
Dwars door Vlaanderen (1.Pro)
Marianne Vos (TVL)
Shirin van Anrooij (LTK)
Letizia Paternoster (LAJ)
Upcoming races 📆
Road
Sunday 31st March: Ronde van Vlaanderen (1.WWT)
How to watch:
Monday 1st April: Ronde de Mouscron (1.1)
How to watch:
Live on Eurosport/Discovery+ from 13:15 CEST.
Startlist here.
Wednesday 3rd April: Scheldeprijs Vrouwen Elite (1.1)
How to watch:
Live on Eurosport/Discovery+ from 13:15 CEST.
Startlist here.
Friday fun 🕺
Who's celebrating like Lorena?
🫶🫶
That’s all 👋
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Amy x