Women's Cycling Weekly Issue 18
A weekly curation of women's cycling news and content straight to your inbox
Hello! Welcome to Women’s Cycling Weekly issue 18 🚴♀️
The races are coming thick and fast now. On Sunday, Troefeo Alfredo Binda was a work of art from Elisa Longo Borghini in the Tricolore at her home race, and we had an SD Worx 1-2 in Belgium. Then, Grace Brown threw out the rule book at Brugge-De Panne yesterday. I need a lie down.
More where all that came from this weekend! For now, have a cheeky read of all this:
CyclingTips are still sharing and supporting WCW — if you came here via the site then hello 👋 and thanks to CT!
News 📰
Paris Roubaix is cancelled…or is it postponed? Or is it still on? Who knows. ASO are expected to make an official announcement next week.
Cyclocross riders on the road have shaken up the men’s peloton, but will we see the same effect with Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and co. in their new team, Plantura Pura? Granted, yesterday’s Brugge-De Panne wasn’t a roaring success for the team but it was only their first WWT race. Give the team a follow on social media @planturpura.
Rejoice! GCN/Eurosport have only gone and got the rights to broadcast ALL of the Flanders Classics races and, yes, that includes the women’s races too, starting this Sunday with Gent-Wevelgem and then on to Dwars Door Vlaanderen on Wednesday, Flanders on the 4th, the first edition of Schelderprijs women on the 7th, and Brabantse Pijl on the 14th.
USA Cycling have said they are planning to put on the national championships in Knoxville, Tennessee this June 17th-20th.
After a crash on the tram tracks in De Panne yesterday, Jess Allen of Team BikeExchange is out of action with a broken collarbone — get well soon, Jess!
Results 🏆
At the second round of the Women’s World Tour on Sunday, Trofeo Afredo Binda 1.WWT, it was Trek-Segafredo this time who showed the rest of the peloton a tactical masterclass. After using Ruth Winder, Audrey Cordon Ragot and Tayler Wiles to wear everyone’s legs down, Elisa Longo Borghini went on a imperious solo attack which took her the way to the line. Longo Borghini’s eventual lead was 1:42 over the chasing group of favourites. Reluctant to tow Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) to the line, the group didn’t cooperate and Vos took second with Cecille Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Nouvelle Acquitaine Futuroscope) in third.
If you didn’t get to watch the race you can view a full broadcast here, or highlights here.
At the Oxyclean Classic Brugge-De Panne 1.WWT yesterday Grace Brown of Team BikeExchange pulled off a 2020 Brabantse Pijl move and took the glory from the sprinters after going solo with 10km to go and never coming back. Emma Cecille Norsgaard of Movistar had to settle for second for the third time this season and 2018 winner Jolien d’Hoore of SD Worx took third.
ICYMI (what have you got a job or something?) you can watch a highlights video here.
Also last weekend, Hayley Preen became the new South African national champion and as we found out on Sunday at Binda, it’s going to be that liiiitle bit harder spotting Ashleigh Moolman Pasio in the peloton’s favourite colour: purple. Chloe Bateson took the junior title.
Upcoming Races 📅
The fourth round of the Women’s World Tour, Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields 1.WWT will take place this Sunday. With absolutely 0 help from the official race website I can tell you that the route will feature the iconic Kemmelberg cobbled climb and be ~140 km long. The race starts at 1:45 and will be broadcast live from 15:45 CET on all the usual places. View provisional startlist here. View last year’s profile here. Preview of the race here.
On Wednesday it’s the next in a series of races containing the word ‘Flanders’ and featuring climbs ending in ‘berg’: Dwars door Vlaanderen - A travers la Flandre 1.1. (Provisional startlist, 2019 profile). The ~110km race will also be broadcast LIVE but from what time I do not yet know. So bunk off work that day and get in front of the telly to see if Ellen van Dijk can win a third creepy, stiff-looking horse.
Read 🗞️
The incredible trajectory of Anna Henderson.
How do you solve a ‘problem’ like SD Worx?
This fairly rare and candid interview with Laura Kenny (love her work).
The absolute queen that is Lael Wilcox.
What’s happening in a post-Van Vleuten BikeExchange?
This article on how better cycling infrastructure is needed to encourage more women to cycle:
“Interventions to get women cycling often focus on building confidence, rather than designing infrastructure differently. While well-intentioned, these initiatives reinforce the narrative that it is women’s behaviour that needs to change – not men’s actions or the way we plan cities, towns and transit routes.”
Follow 💜
Is there a women’s pro bike race on today? This Twitter account will not only tell you if there is, it will point you in the direction of how to watch/follow:
Listen 🎧
Yes indeed it’s the Freewheeling podcast, friends. This week’s recording came hot off the back of De Panne which we discuss alongside Trofeo Alfredo Binda and the Plantur Pura team as well as Abby’s interview with fan-fav Cecille Uttrup Ludwig - download, rate, review subscribe etc.
Not like I’m the BBC or anything but for balance: I listened to an old(ish) ep of Matt Stephens — who I’ve come to view as the Adam Buxton of cycling podcasts (mainly ‘cos jingles)— Unplugged podcast earlier this week with Lizzie Deignan which I really enjoyed. Lizzie is super down to earth and if you were wondering where she keeps her rainbow jersey? In a box.
Watch 📺
Alright, get in quick with this one because it’s happening TONIGHT. Kingston Wheelers are putting on a panel discussion between some top-notch women all about ‘equality for women in cycling’ — we like a bit of that around here, don’t we? It starts at 7:00pm GMT so GO!
And if you missed that boat (it’s probably stuck on the Suez Canal) check out this debrief from Binda ft. dog chat.
Names You Should* Know 💡
Tillie Anderson and I have the same birthday (although 119 years apart) — but that’s not the only reason she’s featuring here today. Born in 1875 in Skåne, Sweden she emigrated to Chicago in 1891, aged 16. Much like Kittie Knox, she saved money to buy her first bike by working as a seamstress. Tillie broke the century record aged 20 and went on to break virtually every record across multiple distances. That year, the League of American Wheelmen recognised her as the best woman cyclist in the world.
Her focus was mainly on the track, where she regularly raced —and won— at the hugely popular Six-Day events. She retired in 1902 as society went backwards and started to shut down women’s racing (see also: the suppression of women’s football in 1920 after 53,000 people gathered to watch a women’s match on Boxing Day).
To find out more about Tillie check out:
*To clarify: the ‘should’ in this heading refers not to a lack of awareness on the reader’s part, but is instead a comment on how these women have been erased or overlooked in the telling of the history of the sport or were cut off in their prime due to the patriarchal views of the time.
Feel Good Friday 💕
Look, if this doesn’t make you smile then you’re a lost cause, pal, because check out 85-year-old regular cyclist Angela who took her bike in to be repaired at her local bike shop in Limerick, Ireland. When the bike shop owner realised her old bike was beyond repair they gifted her a new one:
What absolute gems, and Angela doesn’t look a day over 70 never mind 85! Read the full story here.
That’s All 👋
Finito. Thanks for reading and for supporting women’s cycling and if you like what you see you can support WCW on Ko-Fi:
Have a great weekend!
Until next time,
Amy x