Curlew Cup 2014

22.06.2014 Official Site
England, 103km Road Race
Women's National Series

Now in its third edition, the Curlew Cup has become one of the most popular National Series races among riders and fans alike for numerous reasons: the high-calibre field it attracts (Sarah Story won in 2012, then Hannah Barnes in 2013), the beautiful route running through the Northumberland countryside, a respectable prize fund (£2000 in 2014) and, perhaps most of all, a hard and testing parcours - while some races organisers, even to this day, seem to think that female cyclists can't cope with difficult roads, the Curlew organisers know they relish a challenge and appreciate an opportunity to show their athletic ability and technical skills, so they've come up with a testing 103km circuit that has much in common with the (in)famous Flemish Classics and promises some very exciting racing indeed. Two especially notable sections are the very narrow roads stretching between the points marked as the 14th and 15th corners and the 16th and 17th corners on our map. In addition to a variety of hazards caused by loose road surfaces and mud, both of these sections are sufficiently narrow that team cars may experience problems reaching a rider who finds herself in difficulties, which can easily result in loss of a significant amount of time.

The Parcours

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Altitude profile

Something of a sprinters' race in previous editions, the Curlew Cup features more climbing this year - but not too much; the organisers seem to be aiming for a similar concept to Italy's Trofeo Binda, a race that takes place on a near-perfectly balanced parcours that does not allow either the sprinters or the climbers to gain a race-winning advantage until near the end. However, their bike-handling skills will be put to the test: in addition to the gravel and mud on those narrow roads, much of the parcours - especially the hilltops - are very exposed and subject to powerful crosswinds, another factor that riders with experience of the Flemish Classics will be best placed to deal with.

The Women's National Series race consists of three laps of the shorter 22.37km (13.9 miles) circuit depicted in blue on our map followed by one lap of the 35.89km (22.3 miles) circuit, depicted in red on our map. The official distance given is 62 miles, which is equal to 99.78km; I think it's more like 103km.

22.37km Circuit
A number of small climbs along the parcours seem, at first, to present little challenge; however, the effect of the brief steeper points on them will accumulate as the three laps progress. Although that seems to give climbers a small advantage, the heavier riders and sprinters have plenty of opportunity to take back time over the last half of the circuit as it's almost entirely downhill from the 7th Corner to Stamfordham - with a number of difficult corners where the lightweight climbers find it harder to maintain control at high speed still to come, there is little opportunity for anyone to gain an unassailable lead before starting the longer circuit.

Start
Riders set out from Stamfordham's attractive village green near to the 18th Century market cross (which can be seen circa 1900 in this photo), on section of road sufficiently straight and wide for a fast start to the neutral zone.

1st Corner
In the first kilometre, a slight climb leads into the first corner, a wide left-hander to join the B6309 heading north, then up another short but steeper climb (maximum, though only briefly, 7.7%) and into a flat and exposed section through fields to Heugh, 1.25km from the start. Beginning at 2.2km, a little past Heugh, is another short climb nearing 4% at the steepest point. The top is marked by some farm buildings on the left and the descent isn't long enough to make much difference to anyone.

2nd and 3rd Corners 
1st lap: (2.98km, 4.44km)
2nd lap: 25.35km, 26.81km
3rd lap: 47.72km, 49.18
At 2.97km lies a relatively tight right-hand bend which, due to a wide gap in the left-side hedge at the apex, could prove technical if strong winds are blowing from the north-west. A short flat section follows, leading into a wide left-hand bend which marks the beginning of a gentle 1.7km climb carrying the race through Black Heddon and on towards the 173m summit 4.93km from the start - the road is protected by high hedges, but exposed sections may be subject to string crosswinds. The 3rd Corner at Black Heddon carries the race right and may be a hazardous spot - loose verges on both sides tend to lead to mud on the road, and the stone wall on the right is close enough at the apex on the right to catch elbows.

Once the riders pass the summit 4.93km from the start, there is a 1.52km descent with a steepest section of -5.9% by the woods on the left. Loose, muddy verges and a slight left-hand bend make this section technical and it would be easy for tyres to lose their grip in wet conditions; there is also a lot of bramble growth, making punctures a possibility.

4th, 5th, 6th Corners
1st lap: 6.45km, 7.25km, 7.37km
2nd lap: 28.82km, 29.62km, 29.74km
3rd lap: 51.19km, 51.99km, 52.11km
The race reaches a junction and turns left to join a narrower road heading west towards Ingoe - once again, muddy verges may lead to slippery conditions, especially on the left at the apex of the corner. Immediately after the corner, the riders begin the most difficult climb of the lap, rising 54m in 1.58km - that's an average gradient of under 3.5%, but there a steeper sections. The steepest, just beyond the 5th Corner at 7.25km (the bend isn't technical, but is quite exposed and may be subject to crosswinds), is around 7%. The 6th Corner is wide and relatively non-technical, but crosswinds may be an issue.

7th Corner 
1st lap: 11.2km
2nd lap: 33.57km
3rd lap: 55.94km
From 8.9km, by a row of bungalow cottages on the right, the riders begin climbing towards the highest point (222m) on this circuit, marked by the 7th Corner. However, it is not a challenging climb: the vertical gain is 39m in 2.23km, giving an average gradient of less than 2% and even the steepest point at 10.2km is manageable at 4.5%. The 7th Corner has a drain cover near the left verge just beyond the apex; as water tends to collect along this side, it may be very slippery during and after wet weather.

The remainder of the parcours back into Stamfordham is downhill.

8th Corner 
1st lap: 12.42km
2nd lap: 34.79km
3rd lap: 57.16km
Coming immediately after one of the small climbs that punctuate the rest of the parcours, this is a wide, fast corner that may be subject to crosswinds.

9th Corner
1st lap: 13.5km
2nd lap: 35.87km
3rd lap: 58.24km
Potentially the most dangerous point on the parcours due to a combination of factors: it lies in between two fast, straight descents; the road surface on the approach is sufficiently poor as to cause split-second changes to a rider's chosen line around the corner (and thus collisions with other riders); there is loose gravel on the left coming into the apex and the exit from the corner is exposed and subject to crosswinds.

10th Corner 
1st lap: 13.8km
2nd lap: 36.17km
3rd lap: 58.54km
A fast and non-technical corner in the dry, but mud may collect on the road here at times. Marks the point at which the route of the 35.89km circuit converges with that of the 22.37km circuit on the final approach to the finish line.

There are two small climbs at 15.2km (37.57km and 59.95km on the 2nd and 3rd laps) and 16.7km (39.07km; 61.44km), neither long nor steep enough to have much of an effect.

11th Corner
1st lap: 16.3km
2nd lap: 38.67km
3rd lap: 61.04km
A wide left-hander with an excellent road surface. Caution is required due to the very fast approach.

12th Corner 
1st lap: 17.2km
2nd lap: 39.57km
3rd lap: 61.94km
The final corner on the small circuit, marking the beginning of the approach to the finish line. Fast, with caution required due to loose gravel on the left and muddy verges on both sides.

Further caution is required at 19.6km (41.97km; 64.34km) where two farm entrances (first on the right, then on the left) tend to result in mud on the road. A similar situation exists at 21.5km (43.87km; 66.24km).

End of Lap
From 21.7km (44.07km; 66.44km), a short but steep climb leads back into Stamfordham. On entering the village, the road forks three ways; the central road leads back to the start line to begin the next lap.

35.89km Circuit
The climbs play a larger part in deciding the outcome of the large circuit, especially the tough 1079m ascent between 89.71km and 92.21km (average gradient 4.5%; maximum, at 95.51km, painfully close to 13.5%). However, from Ryal at 92.81km, the parcours is downhill all the way to the finish - so, if the climbers are out in front, everybody else once again has opportunity to catch them.

Start
As for the 22.37km circuit.

1st Corner 
As for the 22.37km circuit.

2nd Corner (70.9km)
As for the 22.37km circuit.

3rd Corner (71.55km)
As for the 22.37km. When the race arrives at the junction where riders turned left toward Ingoe, they now continue straight ahead remaining on the B6309.

4th Corner (74.56km)
Riders turn left to leave the B6309. A tight corner, made hazardous by the presence of a rough area of hardstanding on the right, used as a truckstop - there is as a result a likelihood of loose gravel and spilled diesel and/oil on the road. Keeping to the left should avoid the worst of it.

5th Corner (78.71km)
A difficult corner. made so by a combination of the poor road surface, muddy verge along the right and very narrow road after the turn.
Narrow Section
The next 1.48km descend quite steeply, encouraging high speed, and are potentially narrow enough to create problems and to prevent team cars getting to riders quickly. There are also a number of added hazards before the next corner: at 78.91km, loose and sharp stones on the left side of the road; at 79.41km there may be mud on the road; at 79.59km, at the bottom of the descent where riders will enter it at high speed, is a narrow bend; at 79.81km (on a small climb this time, and thus less dangerous) is a narrow left-hand bend with muddy verges along both sides.

6th Corner (80.11km)
Tight left-hand corner with muddy verges along both sides. marks the beginning of a relatively non-technical 5.5km section leading to the 7th Corner just beyond Little Bavington. There are a number of small but not especially difficult climbs (though some riders, having already experienced all the hills that came earlier, won't be finding the going easy by this point) leading to the highest point anywhere on the parcours at 83.61km, 217m above sea level. The next kilometre or so is simple enough; the remaining distance to Little Bavington and to the 7th Corner descends steeply enough to be a hazard, reaching -8% in places and once more allowing heavier riders to catch the climbers.

7th Corner (85.61km)
The approach is wide, but a poor road surface may prove slippery - which, combined with the narrowness of the road the riders are now joining, makes this potentially a very hazardous corner; especially since it lies on a fast descent.
Narrow Section
The road becomes much narrower just a few metres after the corner and remains narrow for 4.2km, sufficiently so that team cars may not be able to reach riders experiencing problems rapidly enough to prevent them losing significant time - any rider, even a favourite, suffering a mechanical problem here might see any chance she had of finishing well vanish right before her eyes here. In addition, several other hazards are encountered: muddy verges through the forested sections from 86.61km, which also marks the beginning of a steep descent; loose gravel at 87.61km; more muddy verges in the forested section from 87.91km; mud on the road at 88.31km; cobbles along the left verge at 88.41km and two final points where the road is often muddy at 89.01km and 89.41km. The final part of  this section, leading to the 8th Corner, descends steeply.

8th Corner (89.91km)
Tight, at the bottom of a fast descent and complicated by the presence of a gap in the hedge where farm vehicles enter and exit the fields right on the apex, the 8th Corner is a technical part of the race and requires caution.

The corner marks the beginning of the biggest - and, in all likelihood, the most decisive climb anywhere on the parcours: the Ryals, which due to looking like a vertical wall on the approach has as devastating an effect on the psyche as it does on the calf muscles when encountered for the first time. Over the next 2.5km, the road will gain 109m at an average gradient of nearly 4.5%, but much of that gain takes place in a section starting at 91.31km, where for a short time the gradient tops 13% - a serious challenge coming so late in the race, and one that will put some riders out of contention. The summit is at 92.21km and is followed by a short flat section leading to Ryal. A 1.1km section starting at the crossroads in the village leads to the junction termed the 10th Corner on the 22.37km circuit, where the two routes reconverge. The remainder of the 35.89km circuit is, therefore, identical to the 22.37km from this point to the finish line at Stamfordham, and offers the same opportunities for heavier riders to catch the climbers.

Finish (103km)
From 101.61km, a short but steep climb leads back into Stamfordham and provides the climbers with one last chance to kick for the finish. On entering the village, the road forks three ways; the central road leads to the finish line.

Start List
Not yet available.

Other events
In addition to the Curlew Cup, a number of other races take place throughout the weekend including the men's Premier Calendar UCI 1.2 Beaumont Trophy. There are also various races for non-professional riders and two non-competitive sportives. More details here.

Getting There
Stamfordham is only 22km from the centre of Newcastle-upon-Tyne which, as a city and port, has links to the rest of Britain and beyond, making this an exceptionally easy race to reach. The best way to get to the race itself is, of course, by bike; spending half an hour with a map (or Google) will reveal numerous quiet routes linking different points along the parcours and making it possible to zip from one to another and see the riders go by more times than would be the case if you remained in one place.

Newcastle can be reached by road (A1 from the south, A68/A696 from the north, A69 from the west), by rail (details here), by air (regular flights from 84 cities in Europe and elsewhere) and by sea (regular sailings to IJmuiden and Amsterdam in the Netherlands).

Accommodation
Rooms in the local hotels, bed and breakfasts and inns will soon be taken up. However, there are many hotels from the basic to the luxurious in Newcastle. There is a very reasonably-priced campsite (campervans, caravans and tents) at Hexham; places are limited to 45 so book in advance.

Local Attractions
If you'd like to visit the race as part of a family weekend away but can't persuade your nearest and dearest that standing by a roadside is a fun way to spend the day, there's plenty for them to go and do in the local area.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne
As a large city, there's plenty in Newcastle to keep people from any age range happy. The official tourism site and Trip Advisor both have plenty of details.

Matfen
There's not much to see at Matfen (well, apart from four passages of a bike race), but the village is an interesting example of a planned estate village, laid out and built by an 18th Century landowner for the benefit of his workers. 

Golf
For the incurably boring, there's a large and apparently very popular golf range open to visitors (by prior arrangement) at Matfen, right on the parcours.

Belsay Castle
Located just off the parcours, the medieval Belsay Castle - and the 19th Century Belsay Hall, into which the castle's inhabitants moved after abandoning the older structure - are an ideal destination for bored family members while you watch the race. Universal Paintball, which is on the parcours close to Belsay, offers a range of activities including various paintball games and quad bikes.

Food and Drink
The Swinburne Arms and Bay Horse pubs in Stamfordham both offer food and both have decent reputations.

Touring
If your family want to drop you off and then go off for a drive, this is the idea place to do it - the countryside is beautiful, every village has a unique church and attractive cottages, and there are numerous cafes, restaurants and tea shops.

Novilon Euregio Cup 2013

10.03.2013 Official Site
Netherlands, One-day Road Race
UCI 1.2

No Vos this year - but there'll be
plenty of other worthy adversaries
for Armitstead

The third of the big UCI women's races at the Drenthe Wielerweekend (though not the last race, as the Rabobank Toertocht van Coevorden takes place later on the same day), the Novilon Euregio Cup (named after sponsors Novilon, a flooring manufacturer, and Euregio - more on that below) has - like the Drentse 8 and Ronde van Drenthe that took place over the last few days - been dominated by Dutch riders in most years: German Viola Paulitz-Müller won the first edition in 1998, then Dutchwoman Leontien van Moorsel won in 1999 followed by the Swedish Madeleine Lindberg in 2000. The race couldn't be held in 2000 due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the agricultural province; then van Moorsel won again in 2001 followed by fellow Dutch riders Mirjam Melchers, Sissy van Alebeek, Suzanne de Goede and Loes Markerink over the subsequent four years. Giorgia Bronzini, an Italian, took the honours for 2007 before Kristin Armstrong became the first and to date only American to stand on the podium when she won in 2008, then the Dutch took over once again with a win by Marianne Vos is 2009, Annemiek van Vleuten in 2010, de Goede again in 2011 and then Vos again in 2012. British riders have done well too, perhaps because Drenthe is so similar to much of England, with three third places - Ceris Gillfillan in 2000, Rachel Heal in 2003 and Lizzie Armitstead in 2012. Armitstead, of course, was the only rider to challenge Vos in the Olympics road race later that year; Vos, who won the Ronde van Drenthe on the 9th of March, isn't taking part in the Novilon Cup this year but there are plenty of her nation's finest - on her Rabo team and in other squads - mean that Armitstead has plenty of competition of she fancies a chance to returning the favour of winning on a rival's home soil. Expect a battle..

The Ronde, with its three ascents of VAM berg, suits the climbers; in the past the Novilon has featured four climbs but became more of a sprinters' race from 2012 - it now takes in VAM berg only once relatively early in the race before taking flat roads to the final flat, straight sprint finish. The schedule can be downloaded here.

Click to enlarge

The Parcours

Coevorden is a municipality in the south of Drenthe; the city from which it takes its name is just metres from the German border in Euregio, a cross-border region in which Dutch and German authorities, enterprises and other entities have agreed to work together without regard to their different nationalities for the good of the region (Euregio was the first such area, established in 1958, and has been enormously successful; there are now a total of 74 similar Euroregions). Although it has the feel of a market town, Coevorden has held city status since 1408, at which point it was the largest and most important in the area. Since eclipsed by Emmen, its illustrious past is made evident by the large star-shaped fortifications in the centre of the city, designed by Menno van Coehoorn - the design will look familiar to anyone who has been to Besançon to see the Tour de France, though in fact Besançon's star-shaped fort was designed by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. Right in the centre is the marketplace - not, it has to be admitted, the most attractive in the Netherlands, but it's from here that the race begins before heading north out of the city to De Loo, arriving there after ten minutes, then through the flat countryside - where the riders get their first taste of the wind that often characterises races at this time of year - to Dalen, birthplace of professional cyclist Karsten Kroon and home to several windmills. The N854 then carries the race toward Gees and, at 14.7km when they're on roads familiar from the previous day's Ronde van Drenthe, to the first cobbles. Situated in a damp forested region, these cobbles are made especially dangerous by slippery moss and may easily finish off any early breakaways - or, if a small group finds its lower density offers an advantage, serve to increase their advantage if the peloton is held up by a crash.

Once they're through Nieuw-Balinge (also familiar from the Ronde), the riders come to Drijber, a village that would fit several times over into the land occupied by its neighbour - the Essent-Attero waste disposal plant better known to cyclists and fans as VAM, site of the VAM berg climb. VAM berg, which climbs to 56m above sea level in 0.4km at an average gradient of 9.7% with one section as steep as 16%, is an attractive hill that appears far higher than it really is due to the flat surroundings but isn't a natural hill: under the grass and soil that was placed over it when it came to the end of its operational life is a vast rubbish dump (VAM was the name of the company that operated the site). It's another point at which a break might be reeled in and caught by climbers, though at this early stage in the race the peloton is unlikely to show much concern unless the break includes riders who might be able to stay out in front until the next ascent.

After VAM berg, the race turns back to Drijber and then to Mantinge, another village, before arriving at Meppen 44.8km into the race. The parcours now leads via Oosterhesselen and Wachtum back to Dalen, then to Dalerveen at 61.6km, Schoonebeek at 73.5km, Twist at 89.5km and Emmlicheim at 106.9km; at 108.3km the riders come to an intermediate sprint and begin to make their way back to Coevorden, 129.5km into the race. At 131.8km they pass over the finish line, beginning a second intermediate sprint and a final 9.3km section through the city then back out to Achterloo, returning on the Daler Allee road that ends at a roundabout where the riders continue straight ahead onto Stationstraat, marking 1.5km to the finish. Stationstraat ends at another roundabout; the riders again continue straight ahead onto Friesestraat, which takes them back to the marketplace in the centre of the city prior to the last 400m along the straight Kasteel (and past the kasteel, a pink fortified manor house now occupied by a restaurant).

Start List

Click to enlarge

Weather

Like your bike races tough, just like the Dutch do? Well, here's some good news - in addition to "high" temperatures of just 3C (and lows of -5C), the riders are likely to experience some flurries of snow en route. It's not predicted to settle, but with conditions throughout north-western Europe becoming colder as next week begins it'll feel bitingly cold as they ride into it.

Spokesmen Women's World Cup, Episode 3

Norwegian Cup

Emilie Moberg (Hitec Products-Mistral Home) wins the Norwegian Cup

Who's who at the 2012 Track World Cup?

Australia
CURE Amy - 19-year-old Tasmanian Amy already has one World Championship listed on her palmares after she won the Juniors Scratch race at Moscow in 2009. She's also won a total of four National Championships, on the track and on the road. (image)
EDMONDSON Annette - At 20 years of age, Annette has no fewer than eight National titles at both Junior and Elite level under her belt. She also won three gold medals and one bronze at the 2007 Oceania Cycling Championships. (image)
HOSKINS Melissa - Melissa, also 20, has won six National titles. She also excels on the road and won Stage 2 at the Czech Tour last year, earning her a place with the new GreenEDGE team for 2012. (image)
MCCULLOCH Kaarle - 24-year-old Kaarle has won eleven National and three World titles, as well as three gold medals at the Oceania Cycling Championships and another at the Commonwealth Games. (image)
MEARES Anna - Anna, who is 28, is the younger sister of Kerrie Meares, also a professional cyclist. She has won seven World titles, three of which she currently holds, fourteen National titles, four gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and one at the Olympics. (image)
TOMIC Josephine - 22-year-old Josephine has won thirteen National and five World Titles. She's also a talented road rider, having won the Tour de Perth in 2008. (image)

Belgium
BELMANS Els - 28-year-old didn't begin winning races until two years ago, but has already won three gold medals  and one bronze at her National Championships for 2012. (image)
D'HOORE Jolien - approaching her 22nd birthday, Jolien won the pursuit, scratch, 500m, team sprint and team pursuit at the Belgian Nationals this year. (image)
DRUYTS Kelly (turn the sound down before clicking if you're at work) - Kelly, aged 22, has an impressive palmares from her days in the Novice and Junior classes and has been riding among the Elites since 2007. (image)

Belarus
DYLKO Alena - 23-year-old shared victory for the Team Pursuit at her 2011 Nationals and won bronze in four other events. (image)
LOHVINAVA Maryia - Maryia was on the winning Sprint team at the 2011 Nationals and took silver in three additional events. (image)
PANARINA Olga - Lightning-fast 26-year-old sprinter Olga came away from the World Championships with one gold and two silver medals last year. She's one of the favourites to do well at this event. (image)
PAPKO Aksana - Aksana, aged 23, won the Points race in Beijing earlier this year and was fourth in the same event at the European Championships in October 2011. (image)
SHARAKOVA Tatyana (image)

Brazil
RIBEIRO Sumaia (image)

Canada
BROWN Laura - though she specialises in track, 25-year-old Laura also does well in road races - she won the Tour de White Rock last year. (image)
CARLETON Gillian - Gillian won a silver medal in the Sprint at the 2011 Nationals. At 22, she may be about to emerge as one of Canada's most successful track stars. (image)
GLAESSER Jasmin - at 19, Jasmin has held two National titles, came second behind team mate Laura Brown at the 2011 Tour de White Rock and won a gold medal at the PanAmerican Games. (image)
ROORDA Stephanie - 25-year-old Stephanie has won seven National Championship medals, three of them gold. She's easy to spot on the track due to her close resemblance to actor Drew Barrymore. (image)
SULLIVAN Monique - Monique, aged 22, won the Keirin and the Sprint at the 2011 Nationals. (image)
WHITTEN Tara - 31-year-old Tara enjoyed a successful road race career in the past and now specialises in Omnium, winning eight medals in the discipline last year - including gold in the World Championship. (image)

China
GONG Jinjie - 25-year-old Jinjie was part of the winning Sprint team at Beijing earlier this year. (image)
GUO Shuang - Shuang, also 25, was on the same team as Jinjie and also won a further two gold medals. (image)
HUANG Li - 23-year-old Shuang won a bronze medal at the Astana Omnium in 2011. (image)
JIANG Wenwen - Wenwen, aged 25, won the Team Pursuit at the 2011 Asian Cycling Championships. (image)
JIANG Fan - Fan, aged 21, won the Team Pursuit at the 2011 Asian Cycling Championships. (image)
LIANG Jin - Jin, aged 27, won the Team Pursuit at the 2011 Asian Cycling Championships. (image)

Colombia
CALLE Maria Luisa - Maria Luisa won the Individual Time Trial at her National Championship and at the PanAmerican Games last year. At 43, she's one of the oldest Elite level athletes active today and the oldest in this event, but is more than capable of holding off rivals half her age. In 2004, she was the first Colombian to ever win Olympic gold but had to hand it back after failing an anti-dope test. (image)
GARCIA Diana Maria (image)
GAVIRIA RENDON Juliana - TT, Sprint and Keirin specialist Juliana, aged 20, won a silver medal at the PanAmerican Games last year. (image)
LOZANO RAMIREZ Laura - 25-year-old Laura has concentrated on road racing for the last couple of years, but remains a highly effective Points rider. (image)
SERIKA Guluma - 37-year-old Guluma is one of the oldest athletes in the event, but is highly valued in Team Sprints. (image)

Czech Republic
MACHACOVA Jarmila - 26-year-old Jarmila won thirteen medals in 2011, including two gold. (image)

Denmark
LETH Julie - 20-year-old Julie is current Danish Road Race Champion. (image)

Estonia
ALANGO Monika (image)

Finland
PENSAARI Pia - "I can't believe that I'm packing my bike and heading to London, not for the Olympics but for World Cup," says 28-year-old Pia. "I'm pretty excited!! I'll be there riding with all the greatest track girls in the world! To ride track in Finland is almost as stupid as being a skier in Kenya. We don't have indoor velodrome, our best velodrome was build 1952." That sounds like a rider who'll want to grasp the opportunity to add to her palmares - and as she won numerous medals in 2011, there's a good chance she'll do so. (image)

France
CLAIR Sandie - Sandie, now 23, won her first National title right back in 2005 and a World title the following year. She has been French 500m Champion since 2008 and came second in the event at the Worlds in 2011. (image)
JEULAND Pascale - though she's still only 24, Pascale has seven National titles dating back to 2004. She's aslo won five medals at the European Championships and the Scratch race at the World Championships in 2010. (image)
SANCHEZ Clara - Twice World Keirin Champion Clara won the National Scratch and Sprint titles last year. She is 28. (image)

Great Britain
HOUVENAGHEL Wendy - Anybody who believes female cyclists are of less interest than the men should spend five minutes reading up on 37-year-old Wendy: having risen to the rank of Squadron Leader in the RAF (and qualifying as a dentist), she took to competitive cycling and was immediately successful. In 2011, she won the British Road Individual TT Championship. (image)
KING Danielle - 16 years Houvenaghel's junior, Dani rode with her in the winning team at the 2011 World Team Pursuit Championship. At the same event, she won bronze in the Scratch race. (image)
PENDLETON Victoria - Possibly the most famous track cyclist of the last fifty years (and definitely the most famous track cyclist in Britain ever), 31-year-old Victoria has won eight World Championships, an Olympic gold and most of track cycling's most important events. She has been hinting at retirement for some time now; so this could be one of the last chances to see her in action - and Victoria going for a win is one of the most impressive sights cycling has to offer. (image)
ROWSELL Joanna - 23-year-old Joanna, one of Britain's most successful cyclists, competes on road and track. While she has specialised in Team events, early success in individual events is evidence that she may be the one to pick up where Pendleton leaves off. (image)
TROTT Laura - it's no secret that Britain produces better female cyclists than male and 19-year-old Laura is proof that this will continue. Last year, she won six gold medals and, as she enters her early 20s, is likely to get much better. (image)
VARNISH Jess - At 21, Joanna has five European Championship titles under her belt: proof that British Cycling's decision to select her for the Olympic Program when she was a year too young was a wise one. (image)

Germany
BECKER Charlotte - 28-year-old Charlotte is as effective on the road as she is on the track and won several stages in races last year. (image)
BRENNAUER Lisa - 23-year-old Lisa has been entering and winning road races since 2005, the year she became World Junior ITT Champion. She has dotted her palmares with track success along the way and won the National Omnium title in 2011. (image)
GEBHARDT Elke - Elke, aged 28, has won two National Championships and stood on the podium at numerous other events. (image)
SANDIG Madeleine - Now 28, Madeleine won a European Championship in 2005, then National Championships every year through to 2010. Last year, she won three silver medals and two bronze. (image)
VOGEL Kristina - Kristina, while only 21, is one of Germany's all-time most successful track stars having already won five National, two European and six World Championship titles. Right now, she's at the age when excellent young riders become first-rate adult riders - keep an eye on how she does in this event. (image)
WELTE Miriam - Miriam is still only 25, yet she has won seventeen National Championship medals including seven gold, nine European Championship medals including two gold and three World Championship medals. (image)

Hong Kong
DIAO Xiao Juan - 25-year-old Xiao Juan won a silver and a bronze at the Asia Cup in 2011 and a bronze at the Asian Championships earlier this year. (image)
LEE Wai Sze - Wai, who is 24, won the Sprint at the Asian Championships this year. She won the same event at the Asian Cup in 2011. (image)

Ireland
RYAN Caroline - 32-year-old Caroline won her National Individual TT Championship on the road as well as the 500m and Pursuit of track last year. She was third in the National Road Race and in the Scratch race at the National Track Championships. (image)

Italy
SCANDOLARA Valentina - it's hard to believe that Valentina is only 21 because she seems to have been at the top of her game for so long. The reason for that is she won her first National Championship as a novice right back in 2005, when she was 15 and has steadily been adding impressive results ever since. She is the current Under-23 Points Race European Champion. (image)
TAGLIAFERRO Marta - Marta, aged 22, won three National and one European medal in 2007. She concentrated more on road cycling in 2010 but still found time to win silver at the European Track Championships, then took two more silver medals on track in 2011. (image)

Japan
ISHII Hiroko (image)
MAEDA Kayono - 21-year-old Kayono won a silver and a bronze at the 2011 Asia Cup. (image)
TABATA Maki - At 37, Maki has already won three medals this year, including a gold, at the Asian Championships. (image)

Kazakhstan
STEFANSKAYA Natalya - 23-year-old Natalya has won two medals in National Championships and two at the Asian Cycling Championships. (image)

South Korea
LEE Eunji - 29-year-old Eunji won a silver medal in the Team Sprint at this year's Asian Championships. (image)
LEE Hyejin - 20-tear-old Hyejin was part of the same silver-winning team as Eunji. (image)
LEE Min Hye -  Min Hye, aged 26, is one of South Korea's most successful cyclists with an impressive palmares stretching back to 2003 when she won two bronze medals at the World Track Championships. She has also enjoyed a successful road career, winning the Individual TT at the 2010 Asian Games. (image)

Lithuania
GAIVENYTE Gintare (image)
JANKUTE Gabriele - at 18, Gabriele is the youngest rider in this event. (image)
KRUPECKAITE Simona - Simona, aged 29, became 2009 World 500m TT Champion with a time of 33.296" - still the world record. (image)
PIKAUSKAITE Vaida - 20-year-old Vaida won a silver medal at the 2010 European Championships. (image)
SEREIKAITE Vilija - 25-year-old Vilija has been placing well in track and road races since 2006. She won the bronze in the Pursuit at the World Championships last year. (image)
TREBAITE Ausrine - Ausrine is another rider who seems to have been around far longer than her 23 years makes possible. This is because she won her first National title in 2005, when she was 16. One year later and she was competing at Elite level, coming third in the National Road Race Championship for three consecutive years until she won it in 2010. Last year, she became National ITT Champion, also on road. While not an experienced track rider, she was part of the silver medal-winning Pursuit team at the 2010 European Championships. (image)

Mexico
ARREOLA Sofia - 20-year-old Sofia won a silver medal for the Omnium at last year's PanAmerican Games. (image)

Netherlands
HIJGENAAR Yvonne - 31-year-old Yvonne was a successful speed skater who decided she preferred track cycling, then began to compete when she started beating the men in training. Last year, she won silver for the 500m and Omnium at the National Championships. (image)
KANIS Willy - Willy, aged 27, is a cycling polymath who has won World titles in several disciplines including BMX. She is the current National Champion in 500m and Keirin on the track. (image)
KOEDOODER Vera - 28-year-old Vera won her first World Championship in 2000 and has won numerous events on track and road since then. She has held six National, one European and two World Championship titles. (image)
PIETERS Amy - Amy is only 20, but has already won twelve National Championships. (image)
VAN DIJK Ellen - at 25, Ellen is one of the most respected riders of her generation on both road and track with eight National, four European and two World Championships to her name. Earlier this year, she finished in the top three after two stages of the Tour of Qatar and was fourth in the overall General Classification. (image)
WILD Kirsten - 29-year-old Kirsten took third place overall at the Tour of Qatar, having won Stages 1 and 3. She is also a very talented track rider, winner of four National Championships and podium finisher in many others. (image)

New Zealand
ELLIS Lauren - 22-year-old Lauren won a National title in 2005 and came second at the World Championships that same year after discovering a talent for cycling on a bike she bought to use for commuting. She is the current National ITT Champion at Elite level. (image)
HANSEN Natasha - Natasha, aged 22, is largely the reason that New Zealand has a Women's Olympic Sprint Team. She  is the current National Champion in the discipline. (image)
KIESANOWSKI Joanne - 32-year-old Joanne has won eight medals in the National Championships, three of them gold. (image)
NIELSEN Jaime - Jaime, aged 26, won a gold medal in the National Team Pursuit in 2010 and a silver medal for the National ITT Championship earlier this year. (image)
SCHOFIELD Katie - Katie won a gold and a bronze medal at the National Championships in 2010. (image)
SHANKS Alison - 29-year-old Alison has five National and one World Championship on her palmares, She's also won gold at the Commonwealth Games. (image)

Poland
BUJAK Eugenia - 22-year old Eugenia took a silver and a bronze at the European Championships last year. (image)
JASINSKA Edyta (image)
PAWLOWSKA Katarzyna - 22-year-old Katarzyna came second in the Points race in Beijing earlier this year. (image)
WOJTYRA Malgorzata - Malgorzata, aged 22, is the current Under-23 European Omnium Champion. (image)

Russia
BARANOVA Viktoria - 22-year-old Viktoria is current European Under-23 500m and Sprint Champion in addition to National Keirin Champion at Elite level. (image)
CHULKOVA Anastasia - Anastasia, aged 26, win silver for the Omnium and Team Pursuit at the National Championships last year. (image)
VOINOVA Anastasya - Last year, 19-year-old Anastasya won the Team Sprint National Championship, four European Championship titles and three at the World Championships. She was second in the 500m in Beijing this year. Keep an eye on her this weekend - she may prove to be a serious new talent. (image)

Slovakia
PAVLENDOVA Alzbeta - Alzbeta, aged 22, has twice been National ITT Champion of the road. Promising track results including second place in the Scratch and Points races at Wien last year have pointed her in a new direction, and the Slovakian Federation evidently feel she has the potential to go further. (image)

Spain
CALVO BARBERO Tania - At only 19, Tania is among the youngest athletes in this event. However, with four National and one European title already to her name the older and more experienced riders won't want to underestimate her. (image)
CASAS ROIGE Helena - 23-year-old Helena is the current National Keirin Champion. In the past, she held the Elite 500m and Sprint titles despite being 18 at the time. (image)
OLABERRIA Leire - 34-year-old Leire isn't far off twice the age of the youngest member of her team, but as current Scratch, Pursuit and Points Champion she won't be worried about that. (image)
RODRIGUEZ SANCHEZ Gloria - 19-year-old Gloria won both the Juniors National Road Race and ITT in 2009. In 2011 she was third in the Elite Scratch and Pursuit at the National Championships. (image)

Switzerland
SCHNIDER Pascale - Pascale, aged 27, is the current National Champion in Road, ITT and Omnium. (image)
WOLFER Andrea - 24-year-old Andrea won silver behind Schnider in the Omnium at her National Championships last year. (image)

Taipei
HUANG Ting Ying - 21-year-old Ting Ying also qualifies for the Australian Nationals, where she won bronze in the Elite Keirin and 500m last year. (image)
I Fang Ju - Fang Ju, aged 23, won a silver and a bronze in the 2011 Asia Cup. (image)

Ukraine
BOCHKAREVA Yelizaveta - Yelizaveta, aged 33, was part of the winning Pursuit team in Beijing earlier this year. (image)
GALYUK Svitlana - 24-year-old Svitlana rode with Yelizaveta in Beijing. (image)
KALITOVSKA Lesya - while 24-year-old Lesya has not held a track title since 2007, consistently good results just outside the top 3 prove she still has the potential. (image)
PAPEZHUK Iryna (image)
SHULIKA Lyubov - Lyubov, aged 23, is the current European Sprint Champion. (image)

USA
BAUSCH Dotsie - 38-year-old Dotsie came to prominence in 2001 when she was fourth in the National Road Race Championships, then added numerous victories before winning the National Pursuit title in 2007. Last year, she was part of the winning Pursuit team at the Nationals. (image)
GODBY Maddie - Maddie, aged 19, was part of the victorious Sprint team at the Nationals in 2011. At the same event, she took the bronze medal in the Inidividual Pursuit. (image)
HAMMER Sarah - Sarah, 28, has held a total of eight National titles (two at present) and three World titles (one at present). (image)
REED Jennie - 33-year-old Jennie has won eleven National and one Keirin World Championship. With Dotsie Bausch and Sarah Hammer, she is current National Team Pursuit Champion. (image)
TAMAYO Lauren - 28-year-old Lauren was part of the fourth place team at the 2010 World Team Pursuit Championship. (image)
WALKER Cristin - 23-year-old Cristin won the Under-23 National 500m title in 2008. Last year, she took silver medals in the National Individual and Team Sprints at Elite level. (image)

Venezuela
GONZALEZ Angie - Angie, aged 31, is current National Road Race Champion. In 2011, she won the Omnium at the PanAmerican Games. (image)
LARREAL Daniela - Daniela, aged 38, shared victory in the Madison with Mariesthela Vilera at the PanAmerican Games last year. (image)
VILERA Mariesthela Carolina - Aged 23, Daniela won a gold medal at last year's PanAmerican Games. (image)

Trade Teams

Catalunya
DIEZ Alba - 22-year-old Alba won a silver medal at the Spanish Nationals last year. In 2007, she took bronze in the National Junior Cyclo Cross Championships. (image)

Friuli
BASSO Laura - 27-year-old Italian Laura is primarily known as a road racer (she won the Giro della Toscana Femminile in 2007). Her presence at this event suggests she may be planning a new direction. (image)

FullGas.org-Gipuzkoa
FERRAN ZUBILLAGA Olatz (image)

Giant ProCycling
JUNHONG Lin - 21-year-old Lin was third in the Sprint in Beijing earlier this year. (image)
ZHONG Tianshi - Tianshi, now aged 21, won the Junior 500m World Championship in 2009. (image)

Moscow Track Team
STRELTSOVA Olga - Olga, aged 24, is current National 500m, Individual Pursuit and Team Pursuit Champion. (image)

Petroholding Leningrad
BREJNIVA Elena - 22-year-old Elena won three silver medals at her National Championships last year. (image)
GNIDENKO Ekaterina - 19-year-old Ekaterina won the bronze in the Under-23 European Keirin Championships last year. (image)

Reyno de Navarra-Telco-M Conor
EL BUSTO ARTEAGA Ainara (image)

Rusvelo
ABSALYMOVA Venera - 25-year-old Venera was born in France but races for Russia. (image)
KONDEL Viktoriya - Viktoiya, aged 24, shares the current National Team Pursuit title with Absalymova and Romanyuta. (image)
MOLICHEVA Irina - 23-year-old Irina was a part of the Pursuit team that took bronze at the 2011 Nationals. (image)
ROMANYUTA Evgeniya - In addition to sharing the National Team Pursuit victory with Absalymova and Kondel last year, 24-year-old Evgeniya is the current National Omnium and European Points Race Champion. (image)

YSD Track Team
MUSTAPA Fatehah - Malaysian Fatehah, aged 22, took second place in the Sprint at this year's Asian Cycling Championships. (image)

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