SILVER CITY, New Mexico (February 5, 2024) — DNA Pro Cycling, which won the points classification at the Tour of the Gila 2023, will bring a squad of six riders to the 37th Tour of the Gila this April.
Last year, DNA Pro Cycling attended 31 events in eight countries, earning spots on over 55 podiums and finishing 2023 as the top-ranked UCI Continental Women’s Team in the Western Hemisphere. “We’ve been meeting our goal of being an internationally competitive women’s cycling team,” DNA Pro Cycling Team Principal and Sports Director Catherine “Cathy” Fegan-Kim says.
Photo courtesy Tour of the Gila
In its twelfth year, DNA Pro Cycling has raced Tour of the Gila nine times. “We started this team to give opportunities for women to race stage races in the U.S. such as Gila which have challenging competition and logistics,” Fegan-Kim says. “As a U.S.-based professional team, it’s important for us to have opportunities to get UCI points closer to home. Our budget limits us to only three or four international trips. Tour of the Gila is one of only two UCI road events in the U.S. We’re thankful that Gila continues to register as an international UCI event.”
On an individual level, Tour of the Gila is where riders gain street cred. “It’s a monumental race, especially for climbers, and this goes into a lot of our decision making on rosters,” Fegan-Kim says, divulging that DNA riders like Heather Fischer and Colombian National Champion Diana Peñuela remain proud of their stage wins at Tour of the Gila. “For a lot of riders, Gila is a big goal. If you podium or win the Gila Monster, it’s bragging rights.”
Shayna Powless won the green Sprinter’s jersey at the 2023 Tour of the Gila. Photo courtesy Tour of the Gila
This year, DNA Pro Cycling aims to win the General Classification. “That is a big goal for the team,” Fegan-Kim says. “We’re just going to be bold and say it: We’re going for it. We’ll take the best squad we can possibly have for it.”
While Fegan-Kim would not confirm the roster at the time of this interview, possible riders include the two-time Colombian road champion and current time trial champion Peñuela, 2023 Gila Points winner Shayna Powless, former Mexican Road and Time Trial Champion Anet Barrera, 2023 Tour of the Gila alumna and 2023 Vuelta a Colombia stage winner Kaitlyn Rauwerda, and current Canadian U23 Road Champion Sarah Van Dam. Other possible DNA riders on this year’s Tour of the Gila squad include Maeghan Easler and Nadia Gontova, both joining from the UCI Continental Team Roxo Racing. With her climbing and breakaway prowess, Sara Poidevin, who joined DNA from Women’s WorldTour team EF Education-Tibco-SVB, is also a potential selection.
Tour of the Gila typically brings DNA Pro Cycling’s riders and staff to southwest New Mexico for about eight days total each spring. “We love the area, from the incredible scenery to the warm welcome from Silver City residents to the burritos and coffee in the local shops,” said Fegan-Kim. “Even beyond the competition, there are always good stories we can take home with us.”
Event Details:
April 24-28 — Tour of the Gila, Silver City, NM, 5 stages, UCI men, UCI women, amateur categories, great spring racing!, Jack Brennan, 575-590-2612, [email protected], tourofthegila.com
U23 national champion to combine racing with finishing her degree
Natalie Quinn (Harrisville, Utah.; CCB p/b LLG) won the 2023 U-23 National Championship on Knoxville, TN on June 25, 2023. She joins EF Education-Cannondale for 2024. Photo by SnowyMountain Photography SnowyMountain Photography; on Instagram @snowymountainphotography
Natalie Quinn is still taking it all in.
It’s been a big year for the 21-year-old. This summer she became the American U23 national road race champion and now she is set to join EF Education-Cannondale.
“When I first heard from Esra, it almost seemed too good to be true,” Natalie says. “Then I talked with Tim, my director from my current team, CCB, and then my personal coach and it began to sink in that this was real and I started getting really excited. This roster has some pretty amazing people that I’ve watched race and it’s super exciting that I will be working with them this year.”
Winning the U23 national road race was a big moment in Natalie’s career. Going into the combined elite and U23 race, she surprised herself in more ways than one.
“My plan was to hang onto the front group as long as I could and I was happily surprised to find that was a totally achievable goal,” she says. “By the time I fell off the front group, I was the last U23 rider to hang on. When I crossed the finish line, I wasn’t super happy with my result because I hadn’t realized I had won. I was kind of beating myself up because I didn’t make it to the line with the front group but then my team director told me I won and it was kind of like, ‘Oh…I won the race!’”
Natalie has been an athlete for most of her life, starting with downhill ski racing at age eight after her parents taught Natalie and her sister to ski. By the time she turned 16, she was on the cusp of turning pro but ultimately decided she didn’t love the sport enough to dedicate her life to it.
Looking for a new sport, Natalie tried out for her high school softball team but didn’t make the cut. When she found out her school had a mountain biking team she could join, Natalie decided to give it a try. That led to her becoming a scholarship athlete in Colorado on Fort Lewis College’s varsity cycling program.
“It’s one of the few varsity programs in the country. We race all the disciplines and so I raced cyclocross, mountain biking, road, and a little bit of track with them – basically, whatever national championships they’d take me to. There are not many women on my team and so I was asked to be part of the road team my freshman year and I found I really enjoyed the racing,” Natalie says.
The 2023 season was Natalie’s first where she focused on the road. She joined the domestic team CCB which led to her first opportunity to race in Europe, an experience she relished. In turn, those results in Belgium landed her a spot with USA Cycling racing the Tour de l’Avenir Femmes and Tour Feminin Ardèche.
Still new to road cycling, Natalie is savoring the process of discovering her strengths.
“I’m figuring it out a little bit. I love cobbles and punchy climbs. I consider myself a really solid descender and technical handler. But what I’ve found out about myself is that I’m pretty aggressive and I’m not afraid to take risks. I’m not afraid to chase down attacks or to go on the attack myself. I’m not afraid to get into a breakaway and then go as far as I can with it,” Natalie says.
Team general manager Esra Tromp explains how Natalie is the perfect fit with what the team was looking for.
“In the team, we had a spot for a rider who was young, new to the sport, and would benefit from gaining experience racing in Europe,” Esra says. “It’s important that we are creating an opportunity for the sport to grow by seeking out new riders. We are also an American team so I was searching and Natalie popped up. She is the current U23 national champion which is interesting, but especially when we spoke to each other and she talked about how she sees her future and development both as a rider and as a person, that’s when I knew she would be a good combination with the team. She comes from CCB which is a super development team in the US but the racing there is limited. She wants to develop but she wants to take it slowly which I think is really important. She’s from alpine skiing so this is really cool because she’s not scared at all which is helpful in an intense sport like cycling. And she’s going to inspire a lot of girls and women in the US to jump on the bike.”
In addition to racing and training, Natalie is in the midst of earning her bachelor’s degree in environmental conservation and management.
“It’s a pretty broad degree but I’ve found myself focusing more on food accessibility and sustainable agriculture because a lot of the biggest problems related to climate change are agricultural related. If and when I decide to focus professionally on something other than cycling, I’d really like to work either in a legal capacity to help create protections and policies related to creating a more sustainable agricultural system or just going straight to the source and having some interaction with a farm, whether it’s working with one or starting one,” Natalie says.
Until then, Natalie is thrilled to have signed her first professional racing contract. She never imagined her path to turning pro would include a national champion’s jersey and signing with one of her favorite organizations.
“I’ve followed EF Pro Cycling for a long time and I’ve really enjoyed being a fan,” Natalie says. “I also love Cannondale bikes and being on an American team as an American is really awesome. I think it’s really great that the women’s and men’s teams are among the few American teams still going so it’s exciting to get to be part of this.”
BOULDER, Colorado —Venus de Miles, Colorado’s first and largest all-women’s bike ride and celebration of sisterhood, held its 16th annual event on Sat., Aug. 26 at Bohn Park in Lyons, Colo.
More than 800 riders from 22 states took part in the 2023 annual event. Participants ranged in age from 13 to 82. Venus de Miles riders raised approximately $30,000 for Greenhouse Scholars, an education nonprofit focused on sustainable, generational community change.
2023 Venus de Miles Photo by Dejan Smaic
The ride is designed for cyclists of all abilities and skill levels, as riders chose between a 30-mile, 64-mile or a 100-mile course, all of the options running through scenic northern Colorado.
2023 Venus de Miles Photo by Dejan Smaic
CEMEX was the signature sponsor of this year’s ride and contributed $5,000 to the event. Top fundraisers were Doris Cheung of the Venus Bike Club, who raised nearly $8,200, Kat Mann of Team WOGA, who raised $5,175, and Stephanie Adams-Ball, who raised more than $3,000.
2023 Venus de Miles Photo by Dejan Smaic
In addition to the funds raised, riders raved about this year’s event experience.”This is such an amazing event,” said Kathy Waller. “The staff, volunteers and riders are so supportive, encouraging, and gracious. I love this ride!”
The World Famous Tutu Crew at the 2023 Venus de Miles. Photo courtesy Venus de Miles
Snacks and hydration were provided at whimsical themed rest stops, staffed by encouraging volunteers and fans, with technical assistance provided by Venus de Miles’ famed “Tutu Crew,” the world’s best-dressed on-course bike mechanics.
2023 Venus de Miles Photo by Dejan Smaic
“This was my first time participating in Venus de Miles, but I’ve done a lot of races and triathlons in the past, and the vibe at the aid stations was unmatched,” said Lauren Bratten. “We nicknamed them the party stations because it was so much fun!”
At the end of their rides, participants enjoyed Venus de Miles’ iconic Finish Festival, featuring complimentary lunch and drinks, live music from three fun bands, unique local vendors, and a relaxing recovery zone with massages, skin care, wellness needs, and more.
2023 Venus de Miles Photo by Dejan Smaic
In-kind sponsors at the Finish Festival included J Marie Skin Studio providing facials, Suja providing organic, cold-pressed juice, Gruvi providing non-alcoholic beverages, Swoon Jewelry selling handmade jewelry, Eldorado Spring Water donating all water, Moe’s Bagels donating bagels for breakfast, Stem Cider and Howdy beer providing alcoholic beverages, J&L Distilling providing vodka, and Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice. In addition, food vendors offered Greek fare, pizza, lobster rolls, German food, and Kona shaved ice.
Women from around Colorado and the nation participate annually in the Venus de Miles as a celebration of sisterhood, women’s empowerment, cycling, fitness and fun. For more information on the ride, to donate or to shop in the Venus de Miles store, please visit: https://www.venusdemiles.com/.
The 2024 Venus de Miles ride is scheduled for Sat., Aug. 24, 2024, at Bohn Park in Lyons, Colo. The organizers are also planning other events and group rides throughout the coming year to help grow the event community.
By Jen Scott & Erica Tingey, Women in the Mountains — If you are a multi-sport, mountain athlete, you’ll likely want to have strategies to move between seasons with ease. Some people are able to move between skiing and mountain biking smoothly, but others may need some adaptive exercises to prepare for the upcoming season.
Skiing and mountain biking at first glance seem like similar sports, since they are both gravity-powered downhill thrills that include cornering and descending through the trees. The similarities pretty much end there though since the physiology of the two are quite different.
Cycling is a concentric movement of the muscles (lengthening), bodyweight is supported by the bike and generally longer duration cardio exercise.
Skiing is an eccentric movement of the muscle (shortening), fully weight bearing on lower-body joints with significant force being created and on average, 90 second bursts of all-out skiing.
Skiing is a great way to cross train for mountain biking. Photo by Miranda Galbraith, mirandagphotos.squarespace.com
This is exactly why preparing your body for the upcoming season should take place over several months. Starting slow is key, especially in preparation for the ski season. The body needs to develop tissue tolerance for the amount of force created on the joints.
You can start to build a base at home with bodyweight squats, lunges, and core exercises. After your initial adaptation period (1-3 weeks), start to incorporate these movements with jumping and low weights in your hands, then start to hold the weights above your head. The bonus of using overhead weights is it will also stabilize your core muscles which will only improve your skiing! If bodyweight squats and lunges are uncomfortable to begin with, you can shorten your range of motion to a smaller movement. As you get stronger, you will be able to add more reps, add more weight or even add in some interval sprints.
Skiing is a great way to cross train for mountain biking. Photo by Miranda Galbraith, mirandagphotos.squarespace.com
Year-round strength training with weights (or bands) is a huge benefit to all mountain sports because it combines both the eccentric and concentric movements. It also helps women maintain muscle mass and bone density. Adding a few simple exercises specific to skiing 8-12 weeks before ski season will give you the ability to jump on your skis the first day of the season and feel like you stopped skiing!
Plan an early season review with your friends and your favorite coach. Review the fundamentals with a trained eye to give you feedback on your movement patterns and to give you cues to use the rest of the season. This will lead to a full winter of hard charging and fun!
If you have an injury or significant one-sided weakness, seek advice from a physical therapist or sports medicine specialist.
Jen is a strength and conditioning coach for female mountain athletes, mountain bike skills coach and ski instructor. Contact her for personalized training plans: 801-597-9094
U of U students prepare for ski season. Photo by Miranda Galbraith, mirandagphotos.squarespace.com
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (September 26, 2023) — DNA Pro Cycling is delighted to unveil its 15-member team for the 2024 season. The team is coming off a highly successful season celebrating domestic and international success with numerous wins and podiums at stage races, one-day road races, criteriums and gravel events. DNA Pro Cycling is currently the top-ranked UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Continental Women’s Team in the Americas.
Members of the DNA Pro Cycling Team at the Tour Cycliste Feminin International de l’Ardèche. Photo by Florian Frison
The 2024 global roster boasts representation from the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Colombia, and Mexico, and is composed of 4 new riders and 11 returnees. New riders:
Sara Poidevin: Currently with the WorldTour team EF Education-Tibco-SVB, Poidevin is recognized for her climbing, breakaway riding, and vital contributions to team results.
Makayla MacPherson: MacPherson, the 2021 US junior national road race champion, is a fast-rising U23 rider with 2 years of European racing experience under the WorldTour team Human Powered Health.
Maeghan Easler and Nadia Gontova: Joining from the Continental team Roxo Racing, Easler made her mark in US stage racing this year with 2 podiums at the Tour of the Gila, while Gontova, a young Canadian climber, has celebrated success with stage wins at La Vuelta a Colombia and the Redlands Cycling Classic.
Returning riders include Diana Peñuela, the reigning and 2-time Colombian national road race champion and Sarah Van Dam, the current Canadian U23 road race champion who recently clinched her first European podiums at Le Tour de l’Ardeche.
2024 Roster
Anet Barrera (MEX)
Holly Breck (USA)
Olivia Cummins (USA)
Maeghan Easler (USA)
Heather Fischer (USA)
Nadia Gontova (CAN)
Rachel Langdon (GBR)
Kimberly Lucie (USA)
Makayla MacPherson (USA)
Harriet Owen (GBR)
Diana Peñuela (COL)
Sara Poidevin (CAN)
Shayna Powless (USA)
Kaitlyn Rauwerda (CAN)
– Sarah Van Dam (CAN)
“Our 2024 lineup boasts a versatile blend of climbers, sprinters, and all-rounders, each of whom have proven their dedication as team players. By harmonizing up-and-coming talent with experienced riders, we’ve strategically positioned ourselves for success in our ambitious calendar ahead,” said Catherine Fegan-Kim, Sports Director and Co-Owner.
Other notable 2023 results of returning riders: Kimberly Lucie, winner of the American Criterium Cup 2023 Sprint Points Competition; Kaitlyn Rauwerda, stage win at La Vuelta a Colombia and Most Combative Award winner at Le Tour de l’Ardeche; Shayna Powless, Points Competition winner at the Tour of the Gila; Holly Breck, Points Competition winner at the Redlands Cycling Classic; and Harriet Owen, winner of Colby Omnium at the Tour of America’s Dairyland.
In 2024, DNA Pro Cycling is set to compete in an extensive array of US and international UCI races, major US criteriums, and marquee gravel races.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (August 1, 2023) — DNA Pro Cycling, a UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Women’s Continental Team, is proud to announce that five of its world-class athletes, representing three countries, have been selected to participate in the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. The Championships, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, will feature the biggest collection of cycling talent ever assembled, with riders competing for the highly coveted rainbow jersey across 13 disciplines.
Diana Peñuela winning the 2023 Colombian National Championships. Photo by Anderson Bonilla, courtesy DNA Pro Cycling
DNA Pro Cycling’s Diana Carolina Peñuela (COL), Sarah Van Dam (CAN), Heidi Franz (USA), Shayna Powless (USA), and Olivia Cummins (USA) will represent their respective nations and vie for the top spot on the podium. Peñuela, a two-time and current Colombian national road champion, will compete in the world championship road race and the individual time trial.
Image courtesy DNA Pro Cycling
Van Dam, gold medalist in four events at the 2022 Pan American track cycling championship and the current Canadian U23 national road champion, will demonstrate her versatility by participating in both the track and road world championships.
Franz, who claimed 5th place at this year’s USA Cycling national championship road race, will compete in the world championship road race.
Powless, winner of the Points Classification at the 2023 Tour of the Gila, and Cummins, the 2022 U23 US criterium national champion, will both test their mettle in world championship track events.
Sports director and team co-owner, Catherine Fegan-Kim, shared her excitement for the team’s strong representation at the World Championships, saying, “We are absolutely thrilled to see five of our talented athletes representing their countries and DNA on the global stage. Their selection is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and talent of our riders and staff. These athletes will not only represent their nations, but also the DNA Pro Cycling ethos of perseverance and excellence.”
Team SD Worx completed their dominant Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 with an absolute triumph. Marlen Reusser powered to the stage win in the closing ITT of Pau, ahead of Demi Vollering, 2nd on the day but the winner of the Maillot Jaune after she conquered the Tourmalet on Saturday, and Lotte Kopecky, whose performances also bring her the second place in the overall standings! Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram) delivered a strong performance but she finishes 3rd due to the split seconds recorded in the ITT. The Polish climber conquers the polka-dot jersey, while Kopecky wins the green jersey on top of her GC achievement. Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT) is the best young rider and Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) was named the Super Combative of the race.
Among the very first starters, the U23 ITT world champion Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ-Suez) immediately sets a strong reference: 30’36” to cover the 22.6km at an average speed of 44.3km/h. Anna Henderson (Jumbo Visma) is 3” faster at the intermediate point (km 12.1) but she can’t keep up with Guazzini’s pace all the way to the finish and eventually drops 15” on the line.
BROWN AND REUSSER UP THE ANTE
The intensity rises with the starts of the Australian ITT champion Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez), a silver medallist in last year’s Worlds, and the European ITT champion Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), a bronze medallist in the Worlds. Brown is 35” faster than her teammate Guazzini after 12.1km … But Reusser starts even stronger, already putting 27” between herself and the Australian champ!
Brown eventually betters Guazzini’s reference by 40” … But Reusser powers to the finish with an average of 51.8km/h in the last 10.5km to build the same gap to Brown and clock a time of 29’15” (46.3km/h).
KOPECKY EDGES NIEWIADOMA BY THE SMALLEST MARGIN
The top-10 riders on GC begin their effort as Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) sets off at 16:43. Demi Vollering (SD Worx) is the last rider off the ramp, at 17:01. But she’s the best of the GC contenders at the first intermediate point, only 12” behind Reusser, while Kopecky (+30”) threatens Van Vleuten (+1’01”). Niewiadoma is off to a strong start (+31”).
In the end, Vollering seals the overall victory with a 2nd place in the ITT (+10”). Kopecky (+37”) makes it a 1-2-3 for SD Worx … And Niewiadoma eventually drops 1’22”. Kopecky moves past her in the overall standings due to the split seconds recorded in the ITT (27 hundredths of a second for Kopecky vs 48 for Niewiadoma).
“I’m really proud to be on the podium today. My crash from two days ago was harder than expected. I felt really bad yesterday and it was a bit like that in the TT as well. We fought through it and I’m proud to win the Super Combativity award. This one is for the team. The stage win was my first pro victory. I still don’t really realise it. In the Tour, you go from one day to the other and you have to stay focused. Tomorrow I’ll go home and then I will realise how strong this was and how cool this is. I have a criterium in the Netherlands and then I’ll go on holiday!”
30/07/2023 – Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 – Etape 8 – Pau / Pau (22,6 km CLM) – KASTELIJN Yara (FENIX-DECEUNINCK)
CÉDRINE KERBAOL: “I AM THE FIRST FRENCH TO WIN A JERSEY”
“The whole team is happy, I’m happy, it’s a success! I am the first French woman to win a jersey in the Tour de France, that’s something. Today, I was hoping to do better but I made do with what I had left. The legs were really tired. It wasn’t terrible, but I did what needed to be done. I have a lot of relatives, friends who are there … It was a great week.”
KASIA NIEWIADOMA: “THE TOURMALET GAVE ME AN AMAZING FEELING”
“It feels amazing to climb again on the podium of the Tour de France. It was a goal of ours. We lost the 2nd place by so little but we have the polka-dot jersey and that’s an extra-bonus. We always kept in mind that we wanted to take every opportunity, for the stages, for the jerseys … So it’s very nice to be in the place I’m in right now, especially after the very hard last two days. The Tourmalet gave me an amazing feeling.
The team has changed this year with Mag [Magnus Bäckstedt, the sports manager] and a lot of new young riders. They changed the whole dynamics. When you have the same people around you, you get into some patterns and you miss the extra trigger to aim for more. I love working with young riders. Once you’ve spent a couple of years in the peloton, you’ve seen some crashes, you experience failure, and you lose some confidence. The younger girls calculate less, worry less, they see less obstacles … And it brought me back to better times.
I’m also happy I’m getting closer to my 30s because every race I do I feel like it’s the hardest race of my life. Every year it gets harder, faster, more professional … I can’t imagine what the level will be like 10 years from now!”
“I still haven’t had time to realise. Yesterday, I arrived at the hotel at 11:30, we had a very quick massage, shower and off to bed. But then, I couldn’t sleep so I thought about things and I realised a little bit … This morning, I was a bit too relaxed when I woke up and then I reminded myself I still had the goal to do a good time trial.
Yesterday, I just focused on my own effort, and when Annemiek [van Vleuten] crossed the line, I was happy with the gap. I didn’t want ti to be too close before the time trial, I didn’t know if I could do a good time trial.
It’s amazing what we did this week. We’ve had lots of ups, also some downs, and we showed how strong our team is and how motivated we are to get the best of each day, to fight for the wins. We make each other stronger. I love to see it, and I think it’s nice for the world to see you can conquer everything with good people around you. It inspires me a lot.”
“I surprised myself quite a lot, especially yesterday. I’ve been one of the best sprinters, one of the best climbers, a good time-trialist … This Tour was just amazing for me! It’s not how I approached it but everything went really good. It’s really nice to be 2nd and to also have an amazing team around me. I didn’t think about it before the Tour so I had nothing to lose today, I just stayed relax and I tried to give everything I had left.
Trying to become a GC rider and to win the Tour is not something on my mind at the moment. I’m really happy with the type of rider I am, I still love the classics the most. I’m not going to try to change, at least not in the coming years. Maybe in a few years but so far I’m happy!
Now I fly to Glasgow for the Worlds and I have my first event on the track next Sunday … I’ll try to recover as much as possible from this Tour.”
“I’ve been working all week and I’m quite tired, so I’m very happy with this result. I was aiming for this time. I’m super happy there’s a timer, I think it’s good for the Tour. And to be honest, I’m a bit in shock at our accomplishments. We knew how strong we are coming here. But to conclude like this is crazy.
I am super happy that my work for the team has paid off and that it was seen. Sometimes, you do a lot, and it’s not visible. Going full gas for myself and winning is important for me and it makes it nicer. We are friends with Demi [Vollering] and I knew the deal was to help her and give up on my own ambitions. It’s special, sometimes weird, but I know why I do it.”
TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES 2023 | STAGE 7 | LANNEMEZAN > TOURMALET BAGNÈRES-DE-BIGORRE
The queen stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 saw an all out battle over the Pyrenean summits. Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) already put the hammer down up Col d’Aspin, to try and wear down her rivals, but she couldn’t repeat her one-woman-show from last year, with Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram) throwing everything she had in this fight, before Demi Vollering (SD Worx) surged on the iconic ascent of the Tourmalet. Through the mist, the Dutch star covered the last 5 kilometres on her own to open significant gaps on the line: 1’58” to Niewiadoma and 2’34” to Van Vleuten. Vollering also takes the Maillot Jaune on the eve of the closing ITT in Pau.
The higher summits of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 lie ahead of the 130 riders starting from Lannemezan (after they finished inside the GC top-10 last year, Elisa Longo Borghini and Veronica Ewers don’t start due to physical issues). And many riders are inspired according to the flurry of attacks on the way to the first ascent of the day, up to Col d’Aspin.
With an average of 41.6km/h all the way to km 48, Margot Pompanon (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) and Susanne Andersen (Uno X) are the last attackers to be reeled right at the bottom of the climb.
VAN VLEUTEN OPENS UP THE BATTLE
Annemiek van Vleuten’s Movistar immediately set a strong pace that wears down the peloton. And the winner of the Tour 2022 puts the hammer down with 5km to go to the summit of the cat-1 ascent up Col d’Aspin (12km at 6.5%). Only Demi Vollering (SD Worx) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram) can accompany her. At the summit, Lotte Kopecky, Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), Juliette Labous (DSM-Firmenich), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, Marta Cavalli (FDJ-Suez), Ane Santesteban (Jayco-AlUla), Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) trail by 45”.
Niewiadoma accelerates on the downhill towards the final ascent of the day. Vollering and Van Vleuten look at each other. They’re eventually caught by the chasers, while Niewiadoma keeps pushing. She faces the HC ascent to Col du Tourmalet with a lead of 45”.
With Reusser setting the pace, the gap drops down to 5” with 12km to go. But the Swiss powerhouse is done with her work, and the gap increases again, up to 35” for the last 10km. Labous tries to attack several times. Vollering, Van Vleuten, Moolman Pasio and Kopecky match her moves.
Vollering eventually attacks with 5.5km to go. And nobody can react. Niewiadoma is caught 500 metres later and the Polich attacker can’t keep up with the pace set but the Dutch climber.
Through the mist, Vollering never looks back. And she celebrates an iconic success with significant gaps: 1’58” to Niewiadoma, 2’34” to Van Vleuten, 2’43” to Moolman Pasio, 2’46” to Labous and 3’32” to Kopecky, who gives her Maillot Jaune to Vollering on the eve of the final ITT, in Pau.
DEMI VOLLERING: “I WENT FULL GAS AND NEVER LOOKED BACK”
“In the team, we said: ‘Let’s not talk about seconds, let’s make it minutes.’ I wanted to take as much time as possible and I’m happy I did it for my team. They kept saying: ‘You’ll set things straight on the Tourmalet.’ But I told them, it’s one thing to say it but I need to do it, and I was a bit nervous. I know they said it because they truly believe in me and that gives me a lot fo strength. I told Annemiek [van Vleuten] it was not up to me to ride with her because I had teammates behind, and if the girls wanted to drop Lotte [Kopecky], then it was up to them. At one point, I felt it and I just went. With the mist, I knew that if I opened a gap quickly, then they wouldn’t be able to see me. I went full gas and never looked back. When I crossed the line, I was just happy that it was over, that I had made it happen.”
“It’s the stage I was waiting for, but also the stage I feared. My direct rival [Ella Wyllie] was very, very strong on the climbs today. But I built confidence in myselfand I figured: ‘Do as you always do, find your pace like in time trial and you’ll come back.’ The third time she attacked, she put a harder pace. I tried to be not too far. I had a lead of 2’45”, I tried to control my losses, and I still have 2 minutes.”
KASIA NIEWIADOMA: “DEMI SHOWED HOW STRONG SHE IS”
“On the climb, I could see that Demi [Vollering] didn’t want to work with Annemiek [van Vleuten] so I knew that they would look at each other and I decided to take my chance on the downhill, go quite fast and see if I would be able to go. It was a perfect scenario. I heard at the bottom of the Tourmalet that the chasers got back together so that wasn’t ideal but I just rode my pace and tried to stay in my zone. I was just hoping they would be looking at each other more and I could get more time. But Demi showed how strong she is when she passed me. Somehow on the first stages, I knew I would get the polka-dot jersey. I was the only favourite scoring points here and there, so I had a feeling it was gonna be mine. I definitely believed I would get the victory! But I often come 2nd or 3rd … Maybe I need to come to terms with that [she laughs].”
LOTTE KOPECKY: “THE CHANCE OF MY LIFE TO GET ON THE PODIUM OF THE TOUR”
“This is why we came here, to win the Tour with Demi [Vollering]! And I think the way she did it, she showed she is the best. I wanted to enjoy my last day in yellow … But it was pretty painful [she laughs]. I just went all out and we wanted to see where I could get. Now I’m less than 10 seconds behind Annemiek [van Vleuten] … So tomorrow, one last day full gas, and maybe I can be on the podium of the Tour! Winning the green jersey is also something that won’t happen every year. I’d like to say I’ll enjoy it tomorrow but I will go full gas. This is the chance of my life to get on the podium of the Tour! One last day and then it will be recovery mode.”
TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES 2023 | STAGE 6 | ALBI > BLAGNAC
Emma Norsgaard Bjerg (Movistar) was beautifully inspired by the previous attackers’ successes in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 as she powered to a thrilling success in Blagnac, at the end of a fast stage 6. The Dane is among the fastest riders in the bunch … and she decided to make the most of her raw power in the breakaway, joining Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (Canyon//Sram) and Sandra Alonso (Ceratizit-WNT) at the front of the race. The peloton almost came back … but for the third day in a row, an attacker claimed glory, as Charlotte Kool (DSM-Firmenich) dominated the sprint from the bunch and finished 2nd, 1″ behind the 24 year-old Dane, who celebrated her birthday on Wednesday. After a fast and furious six days of racing, the riders head into the decisive final week-end of the race, with a summit finish at Col du Tourmalet on Saturday and the Pau ITT on Sunday.
ANOTHER BREAK, OR A SPRINT?
After they saw breakaway riders succeed on days 4 and 5, many riders want to race aggressively. April Tacey (Lifplus Wahoo) is the first attacker to open a proper gap but she’s caught ahead of the first ascent of the day, the cat-4 Côte de la Cadène (summit at km 30.9).
Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (Canyon//Sram) sets off at km 29 and Sandra Alonso (Ceratizit-WNT) tries to follow her, unsuccessfully. Emma Norsgaard Bjerg (Movistar) attacks over the top, joins Alonso, and the two of them eventually get back to the Polish ITT national champion on the second ascent of the day, the cat-4 Côte de Puycelsi (km 51.3). The peloton trail by 2″. But more aggressive racing is about to unfold.
Lidl-Trek and FDJ-Suez are determined to get on the move, with several attacks from Amanda Spratt, Lizzie Deignan, Jade Wiel and Grace Brown. With a very hard pace on the Côte de Puycelsi and the following Côte du Clos Pourtié (cat. 4, km 58), the gap to the front trio drops down to 40″ and Charlotte Kool (DSM-Firmenich), one of the hot favourites of the day, is momentarily dropped.
Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck), leader of the QOM standings, and Veronica Ewers (EF Education-Tibco-SVB), a contender for the GC top 10, are involved in a crash with 49km to go. The polka-dot jersey quickly resumes racing while the American struggles to get back up but refuses to give up.
ANOTHER THRILLING FINALE
An intense battle is engaged between the front trio and the peloton, mostly led by Charlotte Kool’s DSM-Firmenich, Marianne Vos’ Jumbo-Visma and Chiara Consonni’s UAE Team ADQ. The gap is down to 45″ into the last 10 kilometres, and 18″ with 5 kilometres to go …
Norsgaard Bjerg ups the ante with 4km to go and Alonso is dropped. But Skalniak-Sojka is still up there and the gap is still up to 10″ with 1 kilometre to go! The Dane opens up her sprint with 400 metres to go. Her Polish companion is caught inside the last 100 metres but Norsgaard Bjerg manages to maintain a gap of 1″ to Charlotte Kool on the line!
EMMA NORSGAARD BJERG: “IT’S MY BIGGEST VICTORY EVER, I’M SO EMOTIONAL”
“I am lost for words, really. It’s been a very difficult start of the year. I want to thank everyone, my family, my husband, the team for believing in me after being out the whole spring. It’s my biggest victory ever, I’m so emotional, so happy. A few years ago, I might have gone for the sprint, but I need to realise that I’m not as fast Charlotte Kool or Lorena Wiebes anymore, and I need to find other ways to find success. This morning, when I woke up, I was like: ‘Oh no, another day where I have to work, another day where I have to suffer …’ I was in such a bad mood I needed three cups of coffee before anyone could speak to me. And then my sports director came to tell me about that plan of going in the breakaway. I was thinking: ‘Are you kidding me?’ Now I love him! Obviously the big goal is to win the GC with Annemiek [van Vleuten] and we truly believe she can finish it off. But it’s nice that we can also chase stage wins. I was so emotional when Liane [Lippert] won. It gave me a huge boost.”
YARA KASTELIJN: “I’M HAPPY THAT I DIDN’T LOSE POINTS”
“After my crash, in the beginning, it felt a bit bad. After 20-30 km, it was fine again. So normally it will be fine tomorrow, I hope so! I’m really happy that I didn’t lose points today, because Anouska [Koster] was not in a break. I am 4 points ahead of her, I will give everything tomorrow to keep the jersey. Here, I feel strong on the climbs. We will see tomorrow.”
LOTTE KOPECKY: “WINNING THE GREEN JERSEY OF THE TOUR IS A REALLY NICE THING”
“I don’t know why the break has won three times already in the Tour. Maybe we need to start and learn how to count. But the break was really strong, teams were fully chasing behind. Again, it went pretty fast and in the finale the breakaway was probably stronger. It’s really nice [to be out of reach in the points standings]. At the end of your career if you look back an can say you won the GJ of the Tour de France, it’s a really nice thing. We’ve won two stages, we’ve had the yellow jersey since the start. Now, we have one goal, so we hope we can help Demi [Vollering] tomorrow and hopefully she can finish it off and make big differences on the Tourmalet.”
AGNIESZKA SKALNIAK-SOJKA: “I WANTED TO FIGHT UNTIL THE END”
“For sure, I’m disappointed about the ending, but I’m happy about my performance today and how we ride as a team. What I can say? I’m happy with this red number for tomorrow, and tomorrow it will be a new day for us to fight for the win. From the car, they said that two riders were behind me, like 40″, I just kept going, and then they said it’s like 25″ so I waited for them on the climb. It’s easier to work with three than by myself. We rode full gas until the end, but Emma [Norsgaard Bjerg] was sitting on my wheel with like 1km to go. But I wanted to fight until the end, and they caught me 25m from the line. I think I gave my whole, it’s cycling, and it happens.”
CÉDRINE KERBAOL: “I’M EVEN MORE HUNGRY FOR TOURMALET”
“With 50km to go, we got thrown off road with the polka-dot jersey, so that was not nice but we quickly came back to the bunch. Then it was quite calm, we didn’t have to worry too much. Sandra [Alonso] was at the front, she did a very good job. I didn’t suffer too much from the crash, it’s just a bit of skin, so everything is good. There was another crash with 1km to go, around 15 riders went down but nobody from the team was involved. After crashing, I’m even more hungry for Tourmalet! It’s usually like that: when I crash, I want to smash everything on the next day. I look at as an uphill time trial, I’ll give it everything.”
TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES 2023 | STAGE 5 | ONET-LE-CHÂTEAU > ALBI
At 23 years old, Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon//Sram) delivered a stunning performance to take the solo victory in Albi on day 5 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. After a furious battle over the first climbs of the day, the young German champ attacked with 36 kilometres to go. And nobody was able to come back to her as she soloed her way to the greatest victory of her young career. Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) and Liane Lippert (Movistar) round out the stage top 3 after they escaped the peloton in the final kilometres.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) was the fastest from the bunch as she retained the Maillot Jaune on a day also marked by the withdrawal of her teammate Lorena Wiebes. Stage 6 will offer a new battle between sprinters and attackers ahead of the final fireworks for the overall standings this week-end.
WIEBES ABANDONS
A 140-woman peloton sets off from Onet-le-Château without Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx), winner of three stages of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, whose team reports she suffers stomach issues. Mie Bjorndal Ottestad (Uno X) and Jenny Rissveds (Coop-Hitec Products) are non-starters as well. And the relentless pace from the start quickly leads to three abandons of riders weakened by several physical issues: Kaja Rysz (Lifeplus Wahoo), Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Cofidis) and Évita Muzic (FDJ-Suez), who finished 8th in last year’s edition.
AN ALL OUT BATTLE ALL DAY LONG
Eleven riders try to get away: Paula Patiño (Movistar), Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx), Amber Kraak (Jumbo-Visma), Olivia Baril (UAE Team ADQ), Loes Adegeest (FDJ-Suez), Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), Claire Steels (Israel Premier Tech Roland), Hannah Ludwig (Uno X), Clara Koppenburg (Cofidis), Ella Wyllie (Lifeplus Wahoo) and Clara Emond (Arkea).
But the peloton is not willing to let them go and a huge battle ensues over a rolling terrain, much more demanding than the speeds suggest. The attackers cover 42.4 kilometres in the first hour but their lead never gets higher than 50″. They’re eventually caught on the slopes up the first categorised climb, the cat-3 Côte de Najac (summit at km 74.9). Some 40 riders remain at the front due to the relentless pace.
BAUNERFEIND’S SOLO
Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) chases the QOM points in Najac and on the next climb as well, the cat-3 Côte de Laguépie (km 85.2). Then Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon//Sram) attacks at km 90. Claire Steels (Israel Premier Tech Roland) tries to follow and comes 2nd at the Bonus point, with Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) sprinting to the 3rd position.
Bauernfeind pushes her advantage, up to 1’30″ as she summits the cat-4 Côte de Monestiés just inside the last 25km. She then tries to resist the bunch. Her lead is down to 38″ with 10 km to go… But she maintains a gap of 37″ with 5km to go.
Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) and Liane Lippert (Movistar) get away from the bunch in the finale but it’s too late to get back to Bauernfeind, who maintains a gap of 22″ on the line. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) dominates the sprint in the bunch and retains the Maillot Jaune.
RICARDA BAUERNFEIND: “IT’S JUST INCREDIBLE”
“To be honest, I can’t believe it, it’s just incredible. I had the support from my teammates, from the car behind, all the partners… Everyone helped me and supported us. It was an incredible team ride. First we had to chase the breakaway because we didn’t have anyone there. My teammates did a fantastic job. Then, it was up to me, I tried to attack and it worked out. It’s fantastic. As a team, we waited for such a win all year, and now we did it.
A few years ago, I made the decision to focus on my studies. I wanted to become a teacher. Then there was the pandemics, I did a lot of Zwift to stay in form. When I stopped, it was because I had lost a bit of fun, I was always pressuring myself. Then I got the opportunity to join Canyon//Sram Generation. They focus on developing the riders without pressure. It was the best step for me. And now I’m here with Canyon Sram.”
CÉDRINE KERBAOL: “IT WAS VERY FAST ALL DAY”
“Mentally, it was really intense. Even in the neutral start, the whole peloton started to rub shoulders. I was behind the car, normally I was safe but I got pushed straight away! There was a lot of tension. I told my teammates: ‘Be careful, when the flag goes up, something is going to happen. It didn’t miss.’ The bunch split in several groups… The 2nd in the best young rider classification [Ella Wyllie] was in the breakaway. We were not too worried, there was a maximum gap of 45″. But we said to ourselves that at some point we would have to bridge the gap. Sandra |Alonso] rode a lot, then Canyon//Sram took over as well. It came back on a climb, it was very intense, it was very fast all day. When Bauernfeind attacked, I was a little more focused on Ella Wyllie, because she had also tried to put in attacks. I was playing it safe. I wanted to try something in the sprint. But without a teammate, it was complicated to position myself.”
LOTTE KOPECKY: “IT’S DEFINITELY NOT THE BEST DAY FOR US”
“I think I was the reason why nobody wanted to chase! It’s a missed opportunity but I can’t ask Demi [Vollering] to start pulling the bunch. In the end, the general classification is the most important thing, we don’t want to waste energy we will need later on. And it’s also nice that the women who attack also get a reward. It’s definitely not the best day for us. Losing Lorena [Wiebes] was not nice to start the day. And Demi receiving a 20″ penalty is bullshit I think. If you get dropped, I think it’s normal, but if you have a mechanical, it happens all the time.”
TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES 2023 | STAGE 4 | CAHORS > RODEZ
On the day after Julie Van de Velde’s heartbreak in Montignac-Lascaux, attackers ruled the longest stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023. An impressive breakaway surged at the front early in the day, built a gap of more than 10 minutes and eventually battled not only for the stage win but also the Maillot Jaune. Yara Kastelijn, a teammate of Van de Velde in the ranks of Fenix-Deceuninck, tamed the final ascents of the day to power her first professional victory on the road (she’s also a cyclo-cross European champion). After an explosive finale, Demi Vollering (SD Worx) surged to the 2nd position, ahead of another early attacker, Anouska Koster (Uno X). It took an impressive effort from Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) to retain the overall lead, 43″ ahead of Vollering, while Kastelijn moves up the rankings (7th, +1’).
After Julie Van de Velde (Fenix-Deceuninck) came agonisingly close to the upset on day 3, attackers are inspired by the length and the uphill challenges of stage 4. Henrietta Christie (Human Powered Health) leads the way early in the stage but she’s caught on the first ascent, the cat-4 climb to Col de Crayssac (summit at km 16.5).
Anouska Koster (Uno-X) takes the 2 QOM points at the summit and a flurry of attacks follows, with 14 riders rapidly opening a gap: Sheyla Gutierrez (Movistar), Christine Majerus (SD Worx), Coryn Labecki (Jumbo-Visma), Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), Kathrin Hammes (EF Education-Tibco-SVB), Thalita De Jong and Jeanne Korevaar (Liv Racing Teqfind), Yara Kastelijn et Marthe Truyen (Fenix-Deceuninck), Anouska Koster (Uno-X), Célia Le Mouel (St-Michel-Mavic-Auber93), Romy Kasper (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), Alice Arzuffi (Ceratizit-WNT) and Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Human Powered Health).
More riders try to join this strong group, unsuccessfully. On the longest stage in the young history of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the gap reaches heights never seen before in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift: up to 10’35″ at km 100 (the largest gap a group of attackers had managed to open so far was 3’45″ on day 5 of the 2022 edition, a 175.6km stage).
SD Worx, Canyon//Sram and UAE Team ADQ eventually react. And the gap is down to 7 minutes at the bottom of the third climb of the day, the cat-3 Côte de Colombiès, to be summited with 34.4km to go to Rodez. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) attacks on the ascent. Lidl-Trek and then FDJ-Suez restore order in the bunch. The gap drops down to 4’ at the summit. Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) also tries to get away on tricky roads, laying the groundwork for an intense finale.
On the main ascent of the day, the cat-2 Côte de Moyrazès (4.6km at 5.5%), Yara Kastelijn drops her breakaway companions inside the last 20 kilometres. Kopecky enjoys the same ascent to power away from the GC group. At the summit, Kastelijn’s chasers trail by 42″, Kopecky by 3’03″ and the bunch by 3’25″.
VOLLERING SURGES BEHIND KASTELIJN
Kastelijn tames the final ascent of the day and flies towards the stage win. Can she also take the Maillot Jaune? She was trailing by 2’41″ in GC at the start and she took 4 bonus seconds through the stage, with 10 more seconds up for grabs on the line. Behind her, Annemiek van Vleuten and Demi Vollering attack and a group of leaders get back together with Kopecky.
Kastelijn maintains a strong pace on the run-in to Rodez, where the road rises again for the last 600 metres. At the summit, she takes her first professional victory on the road, 1’11″ ahead of Demi Vollering. Early attacker Anouska Koster rounds out the stage top 3. Kopecky finishes with a gap of 1’27″ and saves her Maillot Jaune.
YARA KASTELIJN: “THE FINAL METRES WERE INCREDIBLE”
“We started the race with the goal to take points for the polka-dot jersey, but I’m not that explosive so Anouska [Koster] and [Kathrin Hammes] took the points. I was very happy to have Marthe [Truyen] with me so I could stay relax and we had a gap of 10 minutes. I didn’t expect that in the beginning. When I went alone on the penultimate climb, then it was just about staying focused and riding to the line as hard as possible. The final metres were amazing. Yesterday we were really proud of Julie [Van de Velde]. It’s incredible just to be here. We’ve taken two jerseys. And today we have a victory. It’s just amazing. I think tonight we deserve champagne.
My mom and dad were also at the finish and my brother will join us. My family is everything to me so I’m very happy and proud to celebrate with them.
This winter, I spoke with my coach to change things a bit, do less cyclo-cross and focus on the road. In the spring classics, I was a bit annoyed, I was always up there but I couldn’t finish it off. To take a victory here is crazy and amazing.”
“It’s a really nice jersey! At the beginning of this Tour, it was not a goal but I grabbed some points in the first stages and we made a goal of it. I feel strong, especially on the climbs, so it’s nice to have been part of this good breakaway. The polka-dot jersey is a nice reward after a hard day at the front. The biggest goal was the stage win so I collaborated well with the girls, only Yara [Kastelijn] didn’t work much. It was nice to almost make it to the finish, only Demi [Vollering] passed me right at the end. For sure I will keep fighting for that jersey. The team supports me really well and I’m happy we can show the colours of Uno-X like that.”
CÉDRINE KERBAOL: “IT WAS A BIT STRESSFUL”
“We had a teammate in the break and the gap quickly rose to 10 minutes. It was a bit stressful because then we thought we might finish the stage with a gap of 5 minutes. It wouldn’t have been good for GC. Then the peloton really accelerated in the final quarter of the race. I tried to hang on for as long as possible in the group for the main contenders. On the penultimate climb, I couldn’t stay with the big guns but I finish in the group right behind, with some impressive girls. I still lack a bit of power to follow the strongest moves.”
LOTTE KOPECKY: “I TRIED TO HELP DEMI ATTACK”
“My moves were mainly to help Demi [Vollering] attack, maybe drop GC contenders and help her towards the finish. At one point, the situation was confusing, I didn’t know the time gaps. On the final climb, we managed to bridge a few riders but I heard on the radio that Yara [Kastelijn] was at the front with a 1 minute gap. We raced a bit different because it was such a long stage. At some point, the break had a very big advantage. I don’t mind having long races like this.”
By Nancy Ziegler — What Is it like for me to bicycle tour? I become totally immersed in the journey. Every part of my body is performing. My body sets a rhythm that moves me forward. I am aware of every feature of every bit of pavement over which I move. My brain is totally “on”. I am listening to every subtle change of sound that registers in my brain. I hear the variations of the sounds of vehicles approaching from behind. My body adjusts and prepares for the passing of the vehicle. Is it a school bus, a semi, a slow-moving car or truck, a souped-up car? Sometimes, I know it is roaring down the road far too close to me.
Nancy’s Ziegler’s final stop in Duluth, Minnesota on a 100 mile day (with a smile on her face). Photo by Nancy Ziegler
What is absolutely most frightening is when an oncoming car does not see me and passes a slower moving vehicle in its lane. I bale! That is, I hit the gravel on the side of the road. In those circumstances, the driver usually notices me at the last second and swerves back into the other lane. By that time, my adrenaline has peaked, and I am thanking God I was not hit.
Then, I move along. Yes, there by the grace of God go I. I smell the different livestock on those large farms. I enjoy the peacefulness of watching animals quietly graze in green pastures. I see and smell plants growing, blooming. I love the smell of the wet earth after a rain storm. Oh, those rain storms that come on the winds of huge, dark, foreboding storm fronts. It is great to have those winds push me along on my journey. The phenomenal layering of steel grey clouds threatening, getting ever closer. I pedal hard and fast, hoping I will reach my destination before the lightening, thunder and rain hits.
And, when the rain comes there is always the gamble of when to stop to put on the rain gear. Oftentimes, I optimistically wait just a little too long. That means wet clothing. If it is warm, that’s okay. There have been many times when I go into a restaurant with water dripping off me. I quietly shed the rain gear. I take napkins and clean up dripping water. I put my feet up on the chair opposite me and let my legs relax while I gather the warmth of the room. I am re-energized after some food and rest. Hopefully, the rain has stopped, and I am ready to move on.
There is an energy, a joy that fills me when I re-count my cycling day. I see something in my mind that opens up an incredible horizon of the beauty of this earth. It is when I am by myself, rolling through the country. It is when I am away from the urban world, away from the barrage of our media.
Hills? Yes, they exist. I just downshift and climb. I move at a slower pace, but the rhythm is continuous. I have certain tunes I always sing when climbing. Sometimes I say repetitive prayers that are my “hill climbing” mantra. How funny?
I imagine most folks would assume flying down hills is absolutely great. Sometimes yes, sometimes, no. If the pavement is smooth and straight and not too steep, it is great. Most of the time, there are patched spots, or holes, or curves or possible other vehicles on that downhill. Applying the pumping action of breaking is very tiring on the hands. “Heads up!” I say. Keep alert.
I come across some very interesting sites along my routes. I am able to check on some needed information using a smartphone, but some of the richness of the journey comes from interacting with local folks. They are often curious. I almost always have a friendly smile to offer. I often get good directions of local roads and their conditions. The GPS doesn’t give me what someone who travels the back roads every day can give me.
When all is said and done, the whole experience of solo bike touring fills my whole being like no other experience. I am still able to do it after 45 years of touring. I need to lessen my miles. I need to stretch before and after I ride. I need to rest and let my body re-energize. A good night of sleep in my tent is perfect for that.
I have the stars and moon in my eyes. I bicycle and am alive.
Nancy Ziegler is a retired high school teacher living in Duluth, Minnesota. She took her first self-contained bicycle tour in 1974 through the Canadian Rockies and down into Glacier National Park.
TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES 2023 | STAGE 3 | COLLONGES-LA-ROUGE > MONTIGNAC-LASCAUX
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) showed her speed to dominate the sprint at the end of stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift… But victory almost escaped the Dutch sprinter in the streets of Montignac-Lascaux as Julie Van de Velde (Fenix-Deceuninck) was caught with only 200 metres to go. On the line, Wiebes got the best of Marianne Vos (Jumbo Visma), with Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) rounding out the stage podium. Wiebes is the first rider to make it three stage wins in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (Vos and Van Vleuten have 2), and the first to win both in 2022 and in 2023. Most combative rider of the day, Van de Velde will wear the polka-dot jersey as the new Queen of the mountains on stage 4, the longest of this edition with 177.1 km to go from Cahors to Rodez.
25/07/2023 – Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 – Etape 3 – Collonges-la-Rouge / Montignac-Lascaux (147,2 km) – HAMMES Kathrin (EF EDUCATION – TIBCO – SVB)
The uphill start inspires early attackers but Kathrin Hammes (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) is the only one who manages to get away, after 4 kilometres of battles. The German rider opens a gap of up to 2’10″. Meanwhile, the different attempts to counter-attack are neutralised by the bunch. And two riders, weakened by physical issues, are forced to abandon: Marte Berg Edseth (Uno-X) and Lucie Jounier (Coop-Hitec Products).
Hammes takes the most QOM points atop the ascents of Côte du Peyroux (cat. 3), Côte de Pératel (cat. 4) and Côte de l’Escurotte (cat. 4). She racks up 7 points, but Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) also takes one point to defend her polka-dot jersey, with a tally up to 8 points.
The peloton accelerates and Hammes is caught with 83km to go. A flurry of attacks ensue, with Jumbo Visma’s Anna Henderson and Amber Kraak, Lidl Trek’s Lizzie Deignan and Lauretta Hanson, Canyon//Sram’s Agnieszka Skalniak Sojka and Fenix-Deceuninck’s Julie Van de Velde among the most active riders. But Lotte Kopecky reacts in person to control the moves and SD Worx eventually restore order.
Onto the penultimate ascent of the day, Van de Velde attacks again. This time, she opens a gap of 45″ atop the cat-4 Côte des Andrieux (km 89.4), and still leads by 25″ atop the cat-4 Côte de Saint-Robert (km 92.2). With a total of 9 QOM points, she all but secures the polka-dot jersey at the end of the stage.
VAN DE VELDE ALMOST RESISTS WIEBES
Counter-attacks fail while Van de Velde keeps pushing – her gap is up to 2’30″ into the last 30km of the stage. But Canyon//Sram try to spilt the bunch through the wind, and DSM-Firmenich up the ante as well with Lidl-Trek. The attacker’s lead is down to 1’05″ with 20km to go. And 25″ as the riders enter the last 10km… But Van de Velde pushes her lead back up to 35″ under the 5km-to-go arch.
The Belgian attacker was only caught with 200 metres to go. Sprinters flew past her, with Lotte Kopecky launching Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) to victory, ahead of Marianne Vos. Kopecky rounded out the podium herself, cementing her status as the leader of the race.
WIEBES: “SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO GAMBLE”
“I didn’t think too much. The most important is to have full trust in your lead-out and that’s how I feel with Lotte [Kopecky]. We went into the last corner and I realised we were gonna catch Julie [Van de Velde]. Lotte was pulling really fast and hard. I was also looking to the side of the road to see the distance to the finish and when Marianne [Vos] went, I also went and I’m happy to win like that. We felt it was not up to us to start the chase because hard days are coming and we don’t our teammates to give their whole now and not play a part in the GC battle. I also know DSM from riding with them last year and I had a feeling they would commit to the chase for Charlotte [Kool]. Sometimes, you have to gamble. We also found ourselves in this situation many times where we had to lead the chase. It’s part of the game.”
“It’s a bit of mixed feelings because I came so close to the stage victory. But it’s a dream to be in the polka-dot jersey, it’s an amazing day… With Yara [Kastelijn], we were 1 and 2 in the QOM classifications, so we could try both as long as the jersey stayed in the team, that was the most important… I heard that the teammates were doing a great effort to try to block the speed in the bunch. And I heard my sports director saying that the gap was growing again, so I tried to give everything, tried to not look back, but unfortunately they came in the last few hundred meters.”
“Julie [Van de Velde] was very strong and it was nice to see but in the end, it’s always hard for a lone leader out for so long against the peloton. I tried to stay calm, because if I got nervous, so would have Lorena [Wiebes]. In the final corner, I could see Julie and I went on instinct. I just felt I had to go and I felt really good. Lorena passed me, I kept going, she won, and I got 3rd, it’s really nice. We’re having a very special year. And everything is going great in this Tour. I don’t mind doing a bit more effort to help my teammates. Demi [Vollering] is well positioned in GC, we have two victories, a place of 2nd, the green jersey… But in the end, having the yellow on the final day is most important and we focus on that.”
Despite low numbers, our research has found three in four women in one state (Victoria) are interested in riding their bikes, which raises the question, what is stopping them?
Our new study, published over the weekend, found that women experience gendered barriers to riding a bike compared with men. This includes a lack of supportive infrastructure, such as bike paths or protected lanes, to make them feel safer in traffic.
We found involving women in decisions about implementing new bike infrastructure, as well as expanding the use of e-bikes through financial incentives, are key to getting more women on the road.
Becka Roolf of Salt Lake City Transportation designed the Downtown to University of Utah Bike Route. Photo by Dave Iltis
Women face substantial barriers to bike riding
Our study involved a survey and in-depth interviews with over 700 people across Melbourne. Women in the study described a lack of confidence about bikes, from buying and maintaining them to riding them.
When trying to buy one, for instance, women described being treated as “just a girlie with a bike”, often leaving shops with a bike insufficient for their needs.
Becka Roolf of Salt Lake City Transportation designed the Downtown to University of Utah Bike Route. Photo by Dave Iltis
We found that inclusive community groups such as Wheel Women and Chicks Who Ride Bikes can play a key role in tackling this by empowering women to ride.
Many women in the study also expressed a desire to ride more, but said lighting on bike paths was non-existent, inadequate or turned off after hours, leading them to fear for their personal safety. This limited how much they were willing to ride their bikes in winter, or for other trips outside of daylight hours.
To compound this, women reported bike paths often detouring into dark underpasses. While underpasses protect bike riders and walkers from overhead traffic, they often feel hidden from public view and have inadequate lighting and limited escape routes.
The brand new 300 West Bike Path in Salt Lake City was designed by Blaire Tomten of Avenues Consulting. Photo by Dave Iltis
And yet, when it comes to creating spaces for people to bikes in cities, women do not have a clear seat at the table.
In Australia, the majority of biking infrastructure is implemented by transport engineers, of which only 15% are women.
The brand new 300 West Bike Path in Salt Lake City was designed by Blaire Tomten of Avenues Consulting. Photo by Dave Iltis
Our study highlights the critical importance of protected bike lanes to encourage more women to ride a bike. Protected bike lanes limit interactions between bikers and car drivers, minimising risk of injury and potential harassment from motorists. Despite these benefits, a 2018 study found that 99% of all bike lanes on Melbourne roads remain unprotected.
Women with children described wanting to make trips by bike in their local areas, but had concerns about “missing links” between bike paths, leaving them vulnerable to motor vehicle traffic.
Building protected bike lanes across cities is a difficult task, but there are other options. For instance, Australian cities could design networks of protected bike lanes that stitch together 30km/h speed zones and low-traffic neighbourhoods.
E-bikes are out of reach for many
Over half of the women in our study were concerned about collisions with motor vehicles. And significantly more women reported concerns about their physical ability to ride a bike. They described feeling like they could not “keep up” with traffic or worried about their physical fitness to escape tricky situations.
E-bike financial incentives, such as tax rebates and car trade-in schemes are common all over the world, but do not yet exist anywhere in Australia. Such incentives are critical to enabling a greater number and diversity of women to ride a bike.
As we move toward net-zero-emission cities, the shift to sustainable and active modes of transport is essential. Empowering women to drive the conversation about what they need to be able to ride a bike – and increasing the number of women designing and planning biking infrastructure – is crucial to ensure women aren’t left behind.
TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES 2023 | STAGE 2 | CLERMONT-FERRAND > MAURIAC
Rising through the ranks as one of the best puncheurs in the world, Liane Lippert (Movistar) showed the extent of her talent to power to the stage win on day 2 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. After an explosive finale, the German national champion edged Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) on the uphill sprint to Mauriac, with Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) rounding out the podium of the stage. Kopecky retains the Maillot Jaune after her dominant performance in the opening stage. More hills await the riders on day 3 but the fast women believe the road to Montignac-Lascaux gives them a proper opportunity to try and control the race.
RISING TEMPS, RISING ROADS INSPIRE ATTACKS
The temperature quickly rises with an uphill start that inspires attackers as soon as they leave Clermont-Ferrand. After several attempts, Georgia Williams (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) and Hannah Ludwig (Uno-X) manage to get away from the bunch at km 9. Meanwhile, many riders are dropped, including the likes of Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) and Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma). The pace is too much for Amandine Fouquenet (Arkéa), who started despite a stomach problem and is forced to abandon. Lara Viecelli (Israel Premier Tech Roland) was a non-starter due to a similar problem according to her team.
Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) sets off in pursuit but she’s reeled in at km 20. The situation settles, allowing the attackers to build a gap of one minute while the stragglers return to the bunch. Williams goes first atop the first two climbs of the day, the cat-4 ascents of Côte du Mont-Dore (km 42.6) and Côte de la Stèle (km 51). The following downhill allows the two leaders to increase their lead up to 1’35″.
THE RACE EXPLODES
The peloton accelerates on the valley leading to the main climb of the day, the cat-2 Côte des Plaines (summit at km 105.1). Williams and Ludwig shake hands as the peloton get back to them after 88km together at the front. And more attackers light fireworks on the 4.5km climb (average gradient: 5.5%), quickly followed by the cat-4 ascent of Côte des Boissières (1.2km at 7.2%, summit at km 108.4).
Julie Van de Velde leads the way to the first summit, ahead of her Fenix-Deceuninck teammate Yara Kastelijn. The bunch explodes due to the pace and to a crash involving Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek). They both quickly get back on their bike while Kastelijn goes solo on the climb up Côte des Boissières.
AND IN THE END, A GERMAN WINS
Eva van Agt (Jumbo Visma) and Anouska Koster (Uno X) join Kastelijn at the front to enter the final lap (36.7km) with a lead of 40″ to the bunch. Kastelijn also dominates the cat-4 Côte de Merlhac (km 128.6). She leads the QOM standings with a total of 7 points.
The three attackers enter the last 20 kilometres with a gap of 45″. Kastelijn is dropped by her two breakaway rivals as she misses a turn with 10km to go. And Van Agt crashes with 6km to go. Koster and Kastelijn are eventually reeled in with 4km to go.
The likes of Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram), Juliette Labous (DSM-Firmenich), Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) all try to get away on the final slopes of the stage but it comes down to an uphill sprint in Mauriac. Demi Vollering (SD Worx) leads out Lotte Kopecky but Liane Lippert (Movistar) goes past the Belgian icon right before the line.
ANOUSKA KOSTER: “MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH EVA”
“I felt really good in the race today and the team performed really well so it’s a nice reward to be on the podium after a day of hard work. But after the race, I was a bit in a state of shock. Eva [van Agt] crashed on the downhill and it was really not nice to see. I just hope she’s alright and my thoughts at the moment are fully with her. We had a good cooperation in the front group, trying to build a gap as big as possible before the finale. The ambition was to win the stage. We came really far… Maybe next time it will work out!”
“This is so special. I’ve been waiting for so long for such a win. I won the national championships but to win in a race like this means so much to me. I feel like now I’ve had my breakthrough and I can keep winning. I didn’t believe it, even when I crossed the line. We knew this was one of the hardest stages. There was a break and it all came together for the final climb. The girls put me in a good position. I felt really good, in control, and I think I did a good sprint. It’s great to be alongside Annemiek [van Vleuten]. I also think it takes pressure away from me and we’re different riders. I’m more punchy and she’s more about the longer climbs. I can climb but I’m not a GC rider. My next ambition is to win classics. Coming here, we all knew the big goal is to win the GC with Annemiek. Sometimes it means we can’t fully play our own cards but we get our reward when we all step on the podium like we did at the end of the Giro. I’m also grateful for the team to have given my chance.”
LOTTE KOPECKY: “I SPRINTED TO THE LINE AND I SAW I HAD A FLAT TYRE”
“It was a nervous finale with the rain. And I felt there was something wrong with my bike. Demi [Vollering] started the lead out, I started my sprint, and I didn’t feel much grip on my back wheel. I didn’t know what it was. I sprinted to the line and then I saw I had a flat tyre. But this finish was also very good for Liane Lippert and I think she deserves this win. I’m disappointed because I didn’t finish it off after the work of my teammates but we should be really happy no one crashed and we’re in a very good position in GC. Tomorrow is not as hard as today. The finale is also more flat. It really suits Lorena [Wiebes].”
