Women's Cycling News 17-24.11.2013

Latest: Bury St. Edmunds to host Women's Tour Stage 5 finish - On The Drops' new website - All UCI commissions to include "at least one woman" - Trott says no to World's Sexiest Women Awards - Transfers and Team News - Shorts and Interesting Links: Binda confirmed for 2014 - more as it happens

Latest: Herts, Essex and Suffolk host Women's Tour stages 
Tendring, in Essex, made an impassioned bid in early October to host a stage of the inaugural Women's Tour, realising that the race was going to be big and would bring all sorts of benefits to the locale, and they'll be glad they did because, now when they've been confirmed as hosts of Stage 3, the race looks set to be even bigger than the most optimistic of women's cycling fans ever hoped. In fact, it's not at all far-fetched to say that after years of being a cycling backwater, Britain will from this point onward be the home of one of the most prestigious events on the women's calendar, a race that rivals even the Giro Rosa - the last Grand Tour in women's cycling.

Stage 4 will run through the neighboring county of Hertfordshire, beginning in Cheshunt (to pay homage to Laura Trott, who calls the town home) and ending in Welwyn Garden City.

Details of the fifth and final stage were revealed on the 21st and brought more good news for cycling fans in Essex - the stage will begin in Harwich (Tendring's efforts have been repaid twice) before snaking through the country and up into Suffolk, where it'll finish at Bury St. Edmunds (always a fitting place for a race as it was the birthplace of James Moore - who won what is often said to have been the world's first organised bike race). Bury St. Edmunds has hosted stages of the men's Tour of Britain in recent years and has put on a good show, attracting many thousands of people to Angel Hill in the city centre, which seems the most likely location for the finish.

Further details of the routes will be announced early in the new year.

Stage One: Oundle to Northampton
Stage Two: Hinckley to Bedford
Stage Three: Clacton-on-Sea
Stage Four: Cheshunt to Welwyn Garden City
Stage Five: Harwich to Bury St. Edmunds


On The Drops launch new-look website
On The Drops - racing in 2014 as Matrix-Vulpine - has for many years now been much more than just a team dedicated to getting good results. From early on it was deliberately structured to act as a supportive home for young riders before propelling them onward and upward to the top Elite teams (and was remarkably successful in that role, as a look at the team's ex-members will show); now, as well as planning on moving its racing up a gear or two in the new season, the team has a redesigned website featuring the all-new Neutral Service.

The brainchild of team manager Stef Wyman, Neutral Service aims to address a need for a central point where people can find information on women’s racing. "We will look to provide that here on our site. This will be neutral, not Matrix Fitness news and we will be looking for contributors to become part of the OTD team," the introduction continues (before mentioning that some bloke called John Orbea will be writing race previews). To find out more about contributing, check the site or speak to Stef.

More on the new OTD sponsors from BikeBiz


All UCI commissions to include "at least one woman"
The Union Cycliste Internationale has announced that in future all of its commissions will include "at least one woman." Similar "positive discrimination," designed to increase involvement of women and ethnic minorities in politics and other fields, has met with some criticism; however, many examples have been successful in engaging groups that display high levels of disenfranchisement in the political process - which is the same result that new UCI president Brian Cookson is hoping to achieve: "I am delighted by this announcement, which helps reinforce the presence of women in cycling," he said in an official press release.

Most members have already been announced, and there are several figures known for their intelligent and passionate arguments in support of women's cycling. Multiple British and European Cyclo Cross Champion Helen Wyman has been appointed to the Cyclo Cross Commission, Catherine Gastou to the Paracycling Commission (with Sarah Storey as riders' representative), Yvonne Mattsson to the Road Commission (with Marianne Vos as riders' representative), Tanya Dubnicoff to the Track Commission, Georgia Gould as riders' representative (cross country) to the MTB Commission, Jolanda Polkamp to the BMX Commission, Karin Moor to the Trials Commission and Claudia Bee to the Indoor Cycling Commission. Cycling For All will henceforth be split into two separate commissions - Mass Participation, which governs sportives and suchlike, where Tone Lien is the female member; Advocacy and Cyclists' Rights has Pia Allerslev. Other commissions include Anti-Doping (Marjoline Viret), Medical (Katharina Grimm), Disciplinary and Arbitral (Norma Gimondi and Maria-Laura Guardamagna), the Athletes Commission (Marianne Vos, Anna Meares, Georgia Gould, Vilma Rimsaite), the Commissaire's Commission (to be announced), Ethics (Noemi Cantele), Licences (no female member announced) and Equipment (to be announced).

Three new commissions have been created and also have female members. They are the Constitutional Review Panel (members to be announced), the International Development and National Federations Panel (Tracey Gaudry) and, most notably, the Women's Commission, where Kristy Scrymgeour and Karen Bliss are on the panel and the riders' representatives are Emma Pooley and Katie Compton.


Trott says no to World's Sexiest Women Awards
Laura Trott found millions of new fans when she was on screen during the Olympics, but not all of them were impressed by her athletic ability - some just liked the way she looks, which is why she was invited to attend a "Sexiest Women In The World Awards" event taking place in the 1970s... er, earlier this year.

Of course, she didn't let down her true fans. "That was just a no-go for me," she explained. "That whole other side of things just does not appeal to me. I do sport because I like being an athlete. I want to inspire young girls to get on their bikes, and I just believe there is a certain way of doing that, a certain way that I want to be seen."


Transfers and Team News

Widnes-born British rider Lucy Martin - who began as a  professional with Garmin-Cervelo in 2011, moved to AA Drink-Leontien in 2012 when sponsors pulled the rug from under Garmin's women's team and then went to Boels-Dolmans for 2013 - is moving on again, this time to Faren-Kuota. Martin looked set for a career on the track when she won bronze in the National Championships and a silver in the World Cup back in 2008, but has scored consistently good results on the road since, including two eighth place stage finishes at the 2011 Giro Donne. Fellow Brit Sharon Laws, who started with Halfords Bike Hut in 2008 before spending two years with Cervelo, then moved to AA Drink with Martin for 2012 and on to Lotto-Belisol for 2013, is going to American team United Healthcare, as is Hannah Barnes who steps up into the highest level of cycling.


Meanwhile, BePink has signed up Susanna Zorzi - with Faren-Kuota in 2013 - and Anna-Maria Stricker of MCipollini-Giordana. Zorzi has been a big-hitter since 2008 when she came third at the Novice's National Individual Time Trial Championship and is current Under-23 European Road Race Champion; Stricker was Junior National Road Race Champion in 2012.

Shorts and Interesting Links
Trofeo Binda confirmed for 2014
Organisers of the Trofeo Binda, who professed themselves very disappointed that the newly-upgraded Gent-Wevelgem would take place on the same day as their race in 2014 and even hinted that they might kill off their prestigious event, have announced that the Trofeo will go ahead as planned on the 30th of March.

What will the Women's Cycling Tour bring to Northamptonshire next year? (Northampton Herald&Post)

Women's Cycling News 28.07-04.08.2013

UCI races this week -  Majerus wins Sparkassen - Tour de l'Ardeche: if you build it, they will come - Women's "Tour of Britain" confirmed for 2014 - English Op de Troon on the way - Making the human cost real to save cyclists' lives - Shorts - Interesting Links - more to come...

UCI Elite Women's race this week: Sparkassen Giro (28.07); Erondegemse Pijl/Erpe Mere (03.08); Route de France (03-10.08).

Majerus wins Sparkassen

Christine Majerus

Race preview
Last year, the Sparkassen Giro was denied its usual UCI status as a result of clashing with the Olympics; this year, having been returned to 1.1 classification, it attracted 21 top teams and 110 riders, including some of the top names in the world, and thousands upon thousands of spectators (the highest estimates claim 100,000) - some of them, attracted by the festival that takes place around the races, won't have arrived as cycling fans, but with the sheer quality of the competition at least a few of them will have gone home thinking they might quite like to see a few more bike races in the future.

Hitec Products-UCK attacked hard and virtually without pause right from the start, and when the team's two star sprinters Emilie Moberg and Chloe Hosking rounded the final bend working closely together it looked a done deal that one of them was going to take the honours. However, at that point Wiggle-Honda's Charlotte Becker launched a furious attack of her own and, suddenly, the race took on an entirely different character with numerous very fast riders fighting hard as the finish line drew near.

In the end, Christine Majerus (Sengers) was fastest, with her team mater Maaike Polspoel right behind her for second place - beating Argos-Shimano's superhero sprint specialist Kirsten Wild into an unaccustomed third.

Majerus, who came second behind Adrie Visser at Sparkassen in 2011, is currently Luxembourgian National Champion in cyclo cross, individiual time trial and road race as well as Small States of Europe Champion in individual time trial, road race and mountain biking.

Top Ten
1 Christine MAJERUS (Sengers) 1h49'09"
2 Maaike POLSPOEL (Sengers) ST
3 Kirsten WILD (Argos-Shimano) ST
4 Sigrid JOCHEMS (Water, Land & Dijken) ST
5 Coryn RIVERA (USA NT) ST
6 Lauren KITCHEN (Wiggle-Honda) ST
7 Chloe HOSKING (Hitec Products-UCK) ST
8 Daniela GASS (Squadra Scappatella) ST
9 Kaat HANNES (Belgium NT) ST
10 Emily COLLINS (Wiggle-Honda) ST
Full result

Tour de l'Ardeche - if you build it, they will come
The UCI - well, Pat McQuaid, at any rate - says that women's cycling "isn't developed enough" to warrant the kind of financial investment enjoyed by men's cycling, which is why so many women's races operate on budgets so low that the term "shoestring" doesn't even begin to describe the situation. It's really no wonder that mistakes are sometimes made (the peloton being given wrong directions during a race is virtually unheard of in men's cycling, but it happens all too often in women's race), nor that so many organising committees become disillusioned and throw in the towel, canceling their race, after a few years of fighting for every Euro they can get.

The Tour Cycliste Feminin International de l'Ardeche, though, is backed by a number of impressive organisations including the Conseil Generale of the Ardeche region, Credit Mutuel, La Tribune and others; as a result, it's exceptionally well organised, offers prizes that are actually worth winning and takes place on a superbly-planned parcours - and this year, it received applications to race from no fewer than 29 teams. That's so many that, for what may be the first time in the history of women's cycling, organisers will actually have to turn some of them down.

McQuaid looks almost certain to lose his presidential post on the 27th of September, when the UCI will meet in Florence and vote whether to keep him or replace him with British challenger Brian Cookson who, as a supporter of women's cycling, will hopefully understand that the sport needs investment in order to grow rather than needs to grow before it deserves investment.

Cookson confirms Women's "Tour of Britain"
There were rumours several months ago, but now we have concrete facts: there will be a Women's "Tour of Britain" in May 2014 - though it'll be called the Women's Tour, because British Cycling own the trademark "Tour of Britain" - and some preliminary details have been made available.

Brian Cookson, current president of British Cycling, wrote on his blog:

"I'm pleased to be able to confirm that there will now be a five-day international stage race for women in Britain in 2014. The event will be separate from the men's race, but it will be promoted to a high standard and will, I'm sure, be the first step in having a full equivalent Tour of Britain as it develops.

Having an international field competing in a stage race in my home country will provide a template for the kind of changes I will develop on the international stage if I'm successful in my bid to become UCI President in September. We know women's racing can be every bit as attractive to broadcasters, fans and sponsors as men's racing, we just need the governing body to step in, take it seriously and nurture it."

Guy Elliot, speaking for organisers SweetSpot, says that the five-day race will concentrate for its first year on East Anglia and the Midlands, but that it will grow to become a true tour of Britain in the future. The reasons for the decision to remain in a limited area for the time being are threefold:  East Anglia and the Midlands have a limited number of races at present; those that do take place in both areas - especially in the case of women's events such as the Johnson HealthTech GP - have proved highly popular and it's thought best to start with a fairly flat parcours before moving into mountainous terrain when the race is more established.

Crucial to the future of the race, SweetSpot have secured TV coverage, though they're not yet revealing which channel (ITV4 seems most likely) and it's not clear if race footage - which would take up half of each one-hour show, with the remainder focusing on the riders - would be recorded highlights or live.

English Op de Troon on the way

English-speaking fans eagerly await
Vos' book Op de Troon

Those of us whose Dutch is limited to a few cycling terms have been eagerly awaiting the English translation of Marianne Vos' book Op de Troon - which the world's greatest cyclist stresses is not an autobiography, because she says she's too young to write an autobiography yet.

The exact publication date hasn't yet been revealed, but Marianne's brother Anton (whom you really should follow on Twitter because his race photography is among the finest in women's cycling - and he's a very pleasant and friendly chap too) informs Les Deesses that it's "only a few weeks away" and promises to alert me as soon as it's available. Watch this space for more details.

Making the human cost real
Vulpine, the cycling clothing company that has already become known for some of the most stylish gear on the market, has begun a project that aims to "humanise" cyclists.

Many cyclists have noticed that a minority of drivers seem unable to connect the bikes they see being ridden on the road with human beings. It's common to hear cyclists described in terms that suggest they're a mere irritation, a nuisance that gets in the way of human activity - Nick Hussey, creator of Vulpine, reasons that if those drivers are made aware that the bikes they see on the roads are being ridden by people who have families and loved ones, they might then show a little more consideration towards them. How to do it? Nick's asking you to send photographs of the people (or pets) that would miss you if you were killed in a traffic accident.

"An extra bit of impatience or a decision to overtake or turn, made too fast, could create a mourning family. Cyclists are the most fragile and vulnerable road users. I hope we can make that more real. It won't be made for cyclists. It'll be made for the wider public," says Nick. "Your images will only be used to highlight the problems above. We won't brand any completed work with our logo etc, that would be crass. It's not a Vulpine campaign, but a personal one, where we can use the Vulpine platform and following to get the message out."

Read more and contribute photos here.

Shorts

Pajon with her Olympic medal

Mariana Pajón is World BMX TT Champion
Mariana Pajón, the Colombian BMX rider who won the gold medal in the Women's BMX event at the 2012 Olympics, won her second World BMX Time Trial Championship in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday, 27th July.
King's postbox will remain gold forever
Dani King is probably getting used to being at the centre of historic events by now, but she probably never expected this one to go on her palmares: the Royal Mail has announced that "her" postbox, situated in her home village Hamble in Hampshire and one of many around the country painted gold to commemorate athletes born nearby, will be one of two that will stay gold forever rather than being repainted in red. The other is Lymington, birthplace of sailor Ben Aislie. This is the first time that the Royal Mail has ever permanently changed the colour of any postbox to mark a historic event; why they picked those commemorating Dani and Ben's achievements has not been stated.



Interesting Links
United Kingdom
Helen Wyman solos to women's Sheffield Grand Prix win (British Cycling)
Sarah & Dan's Women's Cycling Podcast (Warning: Almost guaranteed to contain swearing!) - (Unofficial, Unsanctioned Women's UCI Cycling Blog)
Preview: National Women's Road Series - Ryedale Grand Prix (British Cycling)
UCI presidential candidate Cookson backs return for women's Tour (The Independent)
Superfit cyclist aims to become fastest women to go round the world on a bike (Get Reading)
Famous Last Words: Lauren Kitchen (Cycling Weekly)
Worldwide
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme says a women’s parallel event is ‘impossible’ (Daily Telegraph)

Vulpine Women's Merino Jersey

This is not an advertising feature - it's a genuine post about a great product made by a great company!

Not so long ago, the female cyclist didn't have much of a choice when it came to biking clothes - she could either go for men's jerseys and shorts (all very well if the cyclist in question was larger than average or didn't mind baggy, non-aerodynamic kit) or settle for anything vaguely suitable she was able to find. Thankfully, with more and more women taking up the sport, the big bike companies realised they were missing out on a vast potential market and introduced women's ranges. Great.

Unfortunately, a peculiarly high percentage of women's cycling apparel is either pink or has flowers on it - or is pink and has flowers on it. Many women, no doubt, like pink, flowery jerseys, but many others don't and would far prefer well-designed, practical kit in plain colours or with simple designs. Fortunately, British company Vulpine knows this.

Vulpine are a small and new company that can't yet afford the risk of the risk of moving into the women's market, dominated as it is by huge, multinational firms; but they've introduced the first item in a new women's range anyway, simply because they feel it would be wrong not to cater to female cyclists. That the women's range consists of one item only is "not a sign of commitment, rather harsh economic reality," says owner Nick Hussey. So in other words, ladies and gentlemen, this is a company that deserves support.

The Women's Merino Button Jersey isn't especially cheap at £75, but top quality jerseys never are... and this really is top quality: it'll last for years of hard use, so it'd be entirely possible to have just one instead of forking out for two cheaper jerseys. Merino wool has been in demand for cycling jerseys ever since the early days of the sport due to the range of benefits it offers: it's light, soft and extremely comfortable (this one uses flatlock stitching, so that the sheep's hard work isn't ruined by scratchy seams). It's hydrophilic, allowing sweat to evaporate rapidly and keeping you cool on a hot day; yet being wool it also retains warmth when it's needed - even when wet (sheep perfected that technology years ago, which is why you'll never see a sheep with an umbrella). It's also naturally stretchy, allowing a good fit whatever your body shape, and because merino sheep - unlike most other sheep - like to smell good it's naturally odour-resistant too. Wear a lycra jersey for long ride on a hot day, then take a deep sniff... actually, don't. It's not nice. Do the same with a merino jersey and it doesn't really smell of anything much at all.

Conclusion
This jersey has been designed by a cyclist for cycling - practicality has been the main consideration, as is made evident by the three good size pockets on the back, easily capable of holding several energy gels, a decent amount of flapjack, a banana and, since one has a zip, an iPhone and keys. It has the proper cycling cut, longer at the back, as well as a silicon waist gripper to prevent it riding up; as well as reflective panels and a loop to which an LED light can be attached. Yet it's also uniquely stylish for an item of cycling kit - you could wear this off the bike and it'd look like a really rather good v-necked (but not so v-necked as to be embarrassing on the bike) t-shirt made of far better materials than most t-shirts. In fact, it's quite possible that a few of these are going to be sold to people who'll wear it to take the Range Rover into Knightsbridge rather than the bike up into the hills. It'll look good doing both, but it'll perform exceptionally when put to its proper purpose.

Available in several sizes and in black or cobalt blue, the Merino Button Jersey can be purchased direct from the Vulpine website.