Vos in Valencia
+ Omloop is NEXT WEEK!
Hello lovely subscribers and welcome to Women’s Cycling Weekly! 🚴♀️
If you too have been sitting through the shaky, patchy footage of the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana then you will have seen yesterday’s sprint finish, won by Elisa Balsamo, with none other than Marianne Vos hot on her heels. It’s so good to see Balsamo back to her winning ways after the Italian suffered something of an annus horribilis in 2023, and ditto to see Vos — who has been plagued with injury and illness too — back up there. In the midst of all the frenzy and chatter around SD Worx’s dominance and the unstoppable force that is Lotte Kopecky we can’t forget that a bona-fide legend of the sport is still active in the peloton in the form of Vos.
After coming second in a sprint on stage one, Vos found herself in a reduced lead group on today’s stage over the top of the final 5.2 km long climb, Port d’Eslida, that saw off climbers such as Niamh Fisher Black and Katrine Aalerud. The Dutch rider missed the boat when Marlen Reusser attacked (and the group began to look at one another 🤦♀️) and had to settle for winning the sprint for second. The fact that she was so consistent over two very different stages is a reminder to us all of who she is, but Vos is someone won’t settle for second and will probably be eyeing up the final stage for a chance to trade second for first.
The early season races have been interesting, and I’m looking forward to the final two stages of Valencia (especially Xoret de Catí tomorrow) but, 🚨 the real season starts next week 🚨 — it’s almost Omloop time!
Enjoy the newsletter,
Amy x
News 📰
Lots of news came out of an AG Insurance - Soudal team presentation, including that Justine Ghekiere and Marthe Goossens have extended to 2026, and that Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio will retire this year.
Scans revealed that Movistar rider, Clare Steels, has unfortunately sustained two broken vertebrae after crashing at UAE Tour Women meaning the British rider will be out of action for a while.
Read 🗞️
‘You Can 100 percent Focus on Cycling Now:’ Elisa Longo Borghini on the state of women's cycling - Velo
Lotte Kopecky now coaching herself, loses 3.5kg during winter - Stickybottle
AG Insurance – Soudal launches 2024 team at presentation in Brussels - ProCyclingUK
18,000+ miles without a chamois: Lael Wilcox is aiming to set a world record by circumnavigating the planet in 110 days - Cycling Weekly
Lotte Kopecky Fires to First Mountaintop Win in Ominous Sign of All-Terrain Strength - Velo
Kraak cracks SD Worx-Protime’s dominance at UAE Tour with courageous attack - Escape Collective
'Winning is different' – Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig aiming at more than just consistency in 2024 - GCN
Demi Vollering’s one million euro contract offer: a wholly positive step for women’s cycling? - Rouleur
Tour De France Trailblazer Teniel Campbell: ‘Once I’m All In, I’m In’ - Velo
Watch 📺
Listen 🎧
Wheel Talk is unpacking all the action from the UAE Tour.
Results 🏆
Road
UAE Tour (2.WWT)
Stage 3:
Lotte Kopecky (SDW)
Neve Bradbury (CSR)
Mavi García (LAJ)
Stage 4:
Amber Kraak (FST)
Lorena Wiebes (SDW)
Daria Pikulik (HPH)
Overall:
Lotte Kopecky (SDW)
Neve Bradbury (CSR)
Mavi García (LAJ)
Setmana Ciclista Valenciana (2.Pro)
Stage 1:
Elisa Balsamo (LTK)
Marianne Vos (TVL)
Noemi Rüegg (EFC)
Stage 2:
Marlen Reusser (SDW)
Marianne Vos (TVL)
Évita Muzic (FST)
CX
Superprestige #8: Middelkerke
Lucinda Brand 🇳🇱
Laura Verdonschot 🇧🇪
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado 🇳🇱
Superprestige Overall:
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado 🇳🇱
Annemarie Worst 🇳🇱
Aniek van Alphen 🇳🇱
X2O Trofee #7: Lille
Fem van Empel 🇳🇱
Lucinda Brand 🇳🇱
Laura Verdonschot 🇧🇪
Upcoming races 📆
Road
15th - 18th February: Setmana Ciclista Valenciana (2.Pro)
How to watch:
Live on YouTube from 13:45 CET on Saturday and 12:30 CET on Sunday.
CX
Sunday 18th February: X2O Trofee #8: Brussels
How to watch:
Live on Eurosport from 13:40 CET.
Startlist here.
Friday fun 🕺
That’s all 👋
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Amy x