The spirit of Strade 🇮🇹
➕ Tilda is already wrong AGAIN and the Vuelta route is finally here
Hello! Welcome to Women’s Cycling Weekly! 🚴♀️
It’s Strade Bianche week, and if you don’t love this race then are you okay? The scenery, the chaos, I mean, look at last year’s finish!!
A new race means new predictions and this week’s podcast is freshly-published but –just like last week – Tilda’s prediction is already wildly off because her fav for the win, Elisa Longo Borghini, is out of the race with illness (😢) – unless she’s edited that part out to save face…
PLUS if you’re a paid subscriber then you will have seen our list of six things we’d love to see happen at the race including, wait for it, an AVV win???? If you aren’t already then please consider becoming a subscriber and supporting WCW! 💘
Seeing as we’re hopeless at predictions let’s throw it over to you guys, who will cross the line first in Siena tomorrow?
Enjoy this week’s issue!
Amy x
News 📰
The route for La Vuelta Femenina has FINALLY been fully announced! It includes a TTT opening stage as well as a summit finish atop the climb up to Lagos de Covadonga but due to calendar clashes a few teams will be giving it a miss.
In more route reveal news RideLondon announced all three stages of this year’s race which look like the usual sprinter’s affair! The organisers have also promised live coverage of all three stages to be broadcast on the BBC in the UK.
Still suffering from symptoms of the concussion she sustained in a crash at last year’s Tour de France Femmes, FDJ - SUEZ announced that Marta Cavalli will take a break from racing. Concussion is no joke so it’s good to see that the team are giving Marta the time she needs to recover!
Marianne Vos is back on the bike after undergoing surgery for a compressed iliac artery. She is training on Tenerife
Cyclocross legend Ellen Van Loy has retired at the age of 42.
Elisa Longo Borghini has been forced to pull out of racing Strade Bianche tomorrow due to illness 😢 get well soon Elisa!
Read 🗞️
An interesting Substack post on training with your menstrual cycle.
“This Single Mom Is on a Mission to Inspire Young Black Girls to Get into Cycling.”
“Black Cyclists Who Paved the Way for the Sport and Culture” including Kittie Knox who: “rode a male-specific bike instead of the traditional step-thru frame marketed for women. She opted for knickerbocker suits with baggy pants instead of dresses, to the consternation of many. When racing, she lined up with men, competing in races as long as 100 miles and consistently finishing in the top 20 percent.” What a woman.
Lotte Kopecky doesn’t feel any pressure ahead of Strade Bianche defense.
For the tech heads: Zoe Bäckstedt’s Cannondale SuperSix Evo4.
An interview with Lizzy Banks originally published in Rouleur’s “Body” issue.
Watch 📺
She’s back!!! 🫶
I wish I was as cool as Tahnée Seagrave
Track sprinter Emma Hinze answers some questions!
Listen 🎧
The one where Tilda gets her prediction wrong AGAIN. Featuring the lovely Sadhbh O’Shea!
Benji from the Lanterne Rouge Cycling Podcast chatted to Elisa Balsamo!
Results 🏆
Road
Omloop het Nieuwsblad
Lotte Kopecky (SDW)
Lorena Wiebes (SDW)
Marta Bastianelli (UAD)
Omloop van het Hageland
Lorena Wiebes (SDW)
Marta Bastianelli (UAD)
Audrey Cordon-Ragot (ZAF)
Le Samyn
Marta Bastianelli (UAD)
Maria Giulia Confalonieri (UXT)
Vittoria Guazzini (FST)
Upcoming races 📆
Road
4th March: Strade Bianche (1.WWT)
Starts 9.30 CET, finishes ~ 13.30 CET
Live on Eurosport/GCN+ from 11.30 CET
Start list here
8th March: GP Oetingen (1.1)
Start list here
Friday fun🕺
🤌🇮🇹
Mieke Kröger
Beryl 🫶
We are all excite!!!
Kate’s got the most watts for sure ⚡
That’s all 👋
Thanks for reading Women’s Cycling Weekly! 💘
If you want to see more from us then please consider becoming a paid subscriber!
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Amy and Tilda x
Have watched the first 15 min of SB. No racing yet I get the need to have the women on camera talking about the race and their form. Having heard that OHN was 42 min. of live coverage, that is the duration of a supposed 45-50 women’s cyclocross race. Coincidence? 😝.
They need to keep the interview time but push the coverage time earlier in the parcours.
Thanks as always. As for the Women's Cycling Podcast, I scoff at complaints about cycle races coming on early. Here in Kentucky, I'm used to getting up at 4 am to watch bike races!