Women's Cycling Weekly Issue Ten
A weekly curation of women's cycling news and content straight to your inbox
Hello! Welcome to Women’s Cycling Weekly issue ten 🚴♀️
I can’t believe this newsletter has been going for ten weeks already. Thank you to everyone who has supported it so far, I really hope you are enjoying this weekly morsel of women’s cycling.
Sadly, we seem to be plunging into a state of deja-vu with race postponements and cancellations galore, I don’t know about you, but back in the midst of the wonky 2020 season I - perhaps naively - hadn’t imaged we’d be talking about races in May 2021 being postponed or cancelled. It’s not all bad news, though, read on to see what’s been happening in the world of women’s cycling this week.
News 📰
Sadly, more race postponements to report:
The Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, due to run from the 18th-21st Feb, and for the first time as a 2.1 event, has been postponed. The race - which has come to serve as a European season opener for the top teams - sent out a Tweet this morning stating that they have asked the UCI for a postponement until May. Fun fact: in 2019 this was my first UCI race and the last ever race of my illustrious cycling career.
Organisers of the Vuelta CV Feminas, scheduled for next Sunday, also announced that the race would be postponed.
The inaugural Itzulia Women race due to take place between the 14th and 16th May has also been postponed, a new date has yet to be announced.
The Ride London Classique (due to take place at the end of May) announced the cancellation of the 2021 race today.
In the UK the CiCLE classic race and the Klondike Grand Prix have both been postponed until 2022 and the Tour Series criterium races have been postponed from May to August.
Elsewhere:
Trek-Segafredo women’s team will be guaranteed to receive the remuneration they deserve as the team have committed to bringing their women’s minimum salaries in line with the UCI-stipulated men’s World Tour minimum wage. The team stressed that all of the riders are earning above the minimum wage already. All Women’s World Tour teams must bring their minimum salaries in line with men’s before 2023, but, Trek said, “we didn’t want to wait for a mandate, so we made the decision to do this on our own in the fall of 2020. It went into effect January 1, 2021.” Your move, remaining WWT teams.
Former pro Tara Gins has spoken out after being denied a job on a men’s team when bosses apparently became aware of either a photoshoot she did for Playboy or a topless calendar for a Belgian company. In an interview with CyclingNews Gins hits the nail on the head as she highlights the double standards at play when it comes to stances on the sexualisation of women in cycling:
“For example, in Belgium, in a men’s race they want flower girls to dress very sexy and that is ok, but then if someone wants a position in men’s cycling that used to be the sexy girl, like a hostess or a promo girl, or who makes pictures then it’s not ok.”
Boels rentals and Dolmans landscaping have announced that they will continue to sponsor team SD Worx after stepping back following 10 years as title sponsors. The head of Boels rentals stated that they will continue their involvement with the immensely successful women’s squad.
143-year-old Charity Cycling UK - formerly The Bicycle Touring Club - which promotes cycling safety and bike use will be headed up by an all-female leadership for the first time.
Dates for the USA Crits series have been announced along with a $150,000 price purse. Ten women’s teams will compete alongside the fourteen men’s teams over the ten-date series which will all be streamed live on usacrits.tv.
And Finally, Team Movistar have become the first WorldTour road team to launch an initiative aimed at recruiting for an e-racing team. The ‘Movistar Team Challenge’ is a four-stage process starting on Zwift next Wednesday (3rd February) with the winners being revealed after the final on the 1st March. Crucially, the team will have a 50/50 gender balance; five women and five men will be given a spot. Follow this link for more information.
Results 🏆
Ceylin den Carmen Alvarado seems to have come back to winning form just in time for this weekend’s cyclocross World Championships:
Ahead of defending her title this Sunday, the Dutchwoman took two wins in two days last weekend . At Flandriencross on Saturday Alvarado took the win ahead of Denise Betsema of Pauwels Sauzen–Bingoal and Manon Bakker of Credishiop-Fristads. On Sunday at the UCI World Cup in Overijse the Alpecin-Fenix rider recovered from a crash earlier in the race to break away from Lucinda Brand of Baloise Trek Lions taking a solo victory while Brand was left to sprint to second ahead of Bakker.
Over in the mythical Corona-less land of New Zealand, it was 22-year-old Olivia Ray, racing for the national team, who won the UCI 1.2 Gravel and Tar La Femme race, with team-mate Sharlotte Lucas in second and Rylee McMullen of Andy Schleck - CP NVST - Immo Losch in third.
Sarah Gigante, riding for Team Garmin Australia, absolutely dominated the Santos Festival of Cycling, taking the GC by 3 minutes 12 seconds after four days of racing (two of which she won including a solo victory on the first women’s stage to climb Willunga Hill). Lucy Kennedy of BikeExchange came in second and Ruby Roseman Gannon of ARA Pro-Racing in third.
Georgia Baker of Team Garmin Australia won the scorching-hot stage four criterium ahead of Roseman-Gannon and Peta Mullens of Roxsolt Liv SRAM.
Upcoming Races 📅
The Cyclocross World Championships in Oostende will take place this Sunday from 13:45 CET. Get the beers and snacks in, and settle in for an epic battle between the favourites as Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado attempts to defend her 2020 title.
The Australian national championships kick off next week starting with the women’s ITT on Wednesday (3rd Feb).
Read 🗞️
More team previews, this week for Jumbo-Visma, Ceratizit-WNT, and Alé BTC Ljubljana Cipollini.
The inimitable Marianne Vos on why she’s not ready to retire plus her fresh start with Jumbo-Visma.
Some pre-’cross worlds swotting up: Ceylin likes her chances. And cyclocross legend, American Katie Compton, prepares for her 15th straight appearance at the worlds ahead of her imminent retirement in 2022.
The maddest, longest women’s race you’ve never heard of.
The emergency department doctor who lit up the Santos Festival of Cycling as a solo rider.
Listen 🎧
The Freewheeling Podcast from CyclingTips: ‘The Future of e-racing with Ashleigh Moolman Pasio.’
I’ve recommended this podcast on numerous occasions but it’s still the best and most consistent podcast when it comes to women’s content (although honourable mention goes to the Cycling Podcast Féminin). In the latest episode, Abby spoke to Esports world champion Ashleigh Moolman Pasio about all things e-racing and her plans for the future.
Watch 📺
19-year-old Trek-Segafredo rider Elynor Bäckstedt on BBC Sport’s ‘Generation Next’ series which follows young British athletes. The talented young Welshwoman talks about coming back from a litany of major injuries - most recently a broken leg - as well as her career ambitions such as emulating her dad, Magnus Bäckstedt, by taking a Paris-Roubaix win.
Finally 🐕
I think I could really get into the Norweigan sport of Bikejoring which combines my two main interests: dogs and cycling.
This is not a new thing, or even a new story, but after a week filled with cancelled/postponed racing and awful Covid-related news it’s the story we needed.
That’s All 👋
Thanks so much for reading Women’s Cycling Weekly - I hope you enjoyed it! Have a lovely weekend 💕
Until next time,
Amy x
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