Roubaix from the sofa 📺

➕ a cheeky April transfer and the cobbles claim their first victim

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

This time last week I was a frazzled gal. One delayed flight, a dodgy rental car pick up, a traffic-laden drive and a whole heap of parking anxiety later I had finally arrived in Kortrijk ready to go for Flanders. Finishing off this newsletter from my lonely little Airbnb with it’s weird layout and bring-your-own-towels policy I was excited for my first time at De Ronde and to return to Roubaix the following week.

I documented my Flanders experience in this week’s paid subscriber-only content and also the reason why I’m going to be following this year’s Paris Roubaix Femmes from the sofa instead of the velodrome 😢. But that doesn’t mean I’m any less excited for tomorrow’s race, on the contrary I can’t WAIT to watch every second of coverage we get and see the madness unfold.

Here she is again with another poll:

Enjoy this week’s newsy!

Amy x

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News 📰

• French national champion Audrey Cordon Ragot has quit Zaaf Cycling after not being paid for months (fair enough!!) and has now signed for Human Powered Health.

• Sadly, FDJ - SUEZ rider Vittoria Guazzini crashed during the team’s Paris Roubaix recon and has fractured her pelvis. Get well soon, Vittoria!

• Team Jumbo Visma women manager Esra Tromp has announced that she has left the squad.

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Read  🗞️

SO MUCH to read this week guys!!

• I went to the Tour of Flanders and was shocked by the exodus of people before the women's race went past.

• Behind the scenes of FDJ - SUEZ’s Paris Roubaix recon.

• Elinor Barker: I don’t think many riders had to scoop baby poo out of a bath before the Tour of Flanders.’

• Kopecky says that ‘only a win is good enough’ for SD Worx at Roubaix.

• Paris-Roubaix Femmes: The biggest talking points ahead of the iconic cobbled Classic.

• “We really have to ride it like cowboys” Alison Jackson on Paris Roubaix.

• Zoe Bäckstedt: 'I'm a first-year pro, racing Paris-Roubaix. It's pretty big'.

• Five-star Arenberg 'too dangerous' due to proximity to start at Paris-Roubaix Femmes, says ASO.

• ‘A spanner in the Worx’ Silvia Persico’s valiant effort against SD Worx at the Tour of Flanders.

• After two years of patient TV viewing, Elynor Bäckstedt’s Roubaix start line approaches.

• Elisa Longo Borghini wants teams to do more to break SD Worx dominance.

• … and she says that Trek have a strong squad ahead of their attempt at a Roubaix team hat-trick.

• 'When I’m on my bike I feel free' - Kopecky makes Tour of Flanders history

• Lotte Kopecky on SD Worx dominance and what really happened at Strade Bianche.

• The women’s sprint rivalry we’ve all been waiting for.

• After Flanders there has been a vibe shift in the women’s peloton.

• Flanders reactions from riders.

• Sarah Gigante builds back to fitness, looks to racing return in European summer.

• Lizzie Deignan: Remembering Paris-Roubaix.

• Favourites and dark horses for Paris Roubaix.

• Paris Roubaix Femmes predictions and contenders.

• The peloton found it’s fight at Flanders.

• Van Vleuten at peak of power for final Tour of Flanders but crash ruins chances.

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Listen 🎧

Roubaix preview with Abby and Loren ft. Alison Jackson

Charlotte Kool ily

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Watch 📺

AG Insurance’s Flanders experience

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Results 🏆

Road

Tour of Flanders (1.WWT)

1. Lotte Kopecky (SDW)

2. Demi Vollering (DSM)

3. Elisa Longo Borghini (TSF)

Scheldeprijs (1.1)

1. Lorena Wiebes (SDW)

2. Charlotte Kool (DSM)

3. Chiara Consonni (UAE)

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Upcoming races 📆

Road

8th April: Paris Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift (1.WWT)

• Starts 13.45 CEST, finishes ~17.45 CEST

• Live on Eurosport/GCN+ from 15.00 CEST 

• Start list here

• Preview here

10th April: Ronde de Mouscron (1.1)

• Starts 14:00 CEST, finishes ~ 17.00 CEST

• Live on Eurosport/GCN+ from 15:15 CEST

• Start list here

12th April: Brabantse Pijl (1.1)

• Starts 10:20 CEST, finishes ~ 14.45 CEST

• Live on Eurosport/GCN+ from 12:20 CEST

• Start list here

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Friday fun🕺

Guys Substack and Twitter are beefing or something because I can’t embed anything!!! But promise these are all worth clicking on x

Is there anything she can’t do?

https://twitter.com/GWarrink/status/1642537535938220033?mc_cid=45fcdf3bc0&mc_eid=71a9eccf50

https://twitter.com/RondeVlaanderen/status/1643312478875705346?s=20

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That’s all 👋

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Amy and Tilda x