Festival Luxembourgeois du Cyclisme Féminin Elsy Jacobs 2013

26-28.04.2013 Official Site
Luxembourg, 2-stage road race + prologue, 203.5km
UCI 2.1

If you love women's professional cycling - and, since you're reading an article about a women's professional cycle race on a website devoted to women's professional cycling, it seems at least reasonably likely that you do - there's a very great deal to love about the Festival du Ely Jacobs: having started as a race, it's become a three-day celebration of the sport, the athletes and the uniquely involved, passionate fans that women's cycling attracts.

Elsy Jacobs was born into a cycling family in Garnich on the 4th of March 1933. Three of her brothers were professional cyclists and enjoyed varying degrees of success: Raymond, born in 1931, won the Flèche du Sud in 1960; Roger, born in 1923, was crowned National Cyclo Cross Champion on three occasions and won the National Road Race Championship for Independents (riders who either supported themselves or had some limited sponsorship - in his case, Helyett-Hutchinson - but were not paid members of a professional team) in 1950; Edmond, born in 1928, rode in the Tour de France and came third three times at the Flèche du Sud, including the one that Raymond won. Elsy, meanwhile, was destined for greater things - in 1958, she became the first ever female World Road Race Champion and set a new Hour Record at 41.347km. In 1959 she became National Road Race Champion and retained the title every year until 1969, when it went to Sylvie Welter; then she won it back in 1970 and kept it until 1974, by which time she was 41 years old. More than half a century since she became World Champion, cyclists in Luxembourg (many of them not even born when Jacobs was racing) still frequently refer to her by her nickname: The Grand Duchess.

2012 winner Marianne Vos

In 1998, not long after Jacobs died, cycling residents of Garnich organised a mass-participation ride in honour of the Grand Duchess, open to anyone who wanted to take part. So fondly was she remembered even a quarter of a century after she'd last been National Champion that the event proved enormously successful, so it became an annual event and grew larger every year. In 2008, to mark the tenth anniversary of her death, an official, UCI-sanctioned race was added and the GP Elsy Jacobs was born; for the first two years it took the form of a criterium race, then became a road race. In 2011, it was joined by another race in memory of Nicolas Frantz, who was born in the nearby village Mamer on the 4th of November 1899 and went on to win two Tours de France and 12 National Road Race Championships. Initially, the Elsy Jacobs and Nicolas Frantz events existed as separate races (and they still feel that way, having completely different characters, to this day); the time trial Prologue was added in 2011 and then in 2012 the results of all three events were collated to create an overall General Classification. It retains that format for 2013.

The first edition was won by the Italian Monia Baccaille, then Russian Svetlana Bubnenkova won in 2009 and Britain's Emma Pooley (better known as a climber) won the last criterium race in 2010. Since then, the race has been dominated by one woman - the Grand Duchess for the 21st Century Marianne Vos won in 2011 (she won the GP Niolas Frantz too, because she's Vos), then won the Elsy Jacobs stage and the General Classification in 2012 when she beat her team mate Annemiek van Vleuten, who had won the Prologue and the GP Frantz stage, by 13" overall. Vos, current World Champion, recently won the Ronde van Vlaanderen after many years of trying and seems to be on even better form than in previous years; she'll be favourite among many fans for another victory here this year.

Parcours

Prologue (26.04.2013)

Prologue - click to enlarge

Last year the 1.7km individual time trial prologue felt like a party, running in the evening through the centre of Garnich where crowds of people stood outside the houses and bars to cheer the riders on. The parcours has been moved some 7km north-west from Luxembourg City where it ran around a large park to Mamer this year and the start and finish lines are separate, rather than the riders finishing where they began as was the case in 2012. Taking place on a Friday evening (first riders go at 17:30), it's likely that most of the town will be out to watch the race and enjoy the "Fête du cyclisme" that takes place afterwards.

The start line is located on the Rue du Marche at the Chateau du Mamer (which now houses the town hall), with the riders passing by it before a sharp right-hand bend just 150m from the line. An easy left at a tarmac-covered circle leads east for 470m along a narrow road through parkland, then a tighter left leads onto the much wider Rue de la Liberation, ending at another left onto the Rue du Marche 482m ahead. After 150m, a gentle right carries them along the Rue J. Barthel for 170m to another left and the Rue du Millenaire which, following a wide left-hand bend 150m ahead becomes the Rue de Dippach running straight for 260m to the finish line next to the football ground. The total distance is 1.8km, short enough for riders to put in all their strength right from the start without needing to worry about conserving energy for later; with an absence of hills (there are a couple of inclines of around 4.5%, but they rise only 3m) we can expect to see some very fast average speeds.

prologue altimetry - click to enlarge

Prologue report: you'd have had to search far and wide to find anyone who didn't believe Rabobank's Annemiek van Vleuten was going to win this - the 30-year-old excels in time trials and is especially effective, perhaps even unbeatable on a short, flat parcours such as this, completing it in 2'29". Van Vleuten's team mate Marianne Vos, who claimed during the Olympics that she'd never be much good at time trials, was second after recording a time only one second slower; Orica-AIS star Annette Edmondson was third with +2".

Top Ten

1 Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN (Rabobank) 02'29"
2 Marianne VOS (Rabobank) +01"
3 Annette EDMONDSON (Orica-AIS) +02"
4 Laura TROTT (Wiggle-Honda) +04"
5 Emma JOHANSSON (Orica-AIS) +05"
6 Amanda SPRATT (Orica-AIS) ST 
7 Tatiana GUDERZO (MCipollini-Giordana) ST
8 Adrie VISSER (Boels-Dolmans) ST
9 Jessie MACLEAN (Orica-AIS) +06"
10 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (Sengers) ST
Full result and GC here


GP Elsy Jacobs (27.04.2013)
The centrepiece of the race, Stage 2 consists of 53.6km main route followed by five laps of a 9.8km circuit. The riders set out from the Rue des Trois Cantons in Jacobs' birthplace Garnich and head north via Windhof; both towns are located on hills approximately 335m in height with a valley in between. Following a short climb when leaving Garnich the riders travel downhill, experiencing gradients as steep as -7% in places, while the climb to Windhof reaches 4.4%. Most of the section from Windhof to Koerich slopes gently downhill, but the final 1.25km is steeper, at one point reaching -8% - potentially just sufficient for a small group of riders to get away in an early break.

Map - click to enlarge

The left turn onto the CR109 at the T-junction in Koerich is marked with a red triangle in the race book, but as the roads are wide it shouldn't be especially dangerous unless made slippery by rain or if approached too fast after the preceding descent. Once through the town, the riders enter a rolling forested area and continue north to another junction at the end of a very steep descent (more opportunity for a break to escape, or extend their lead), this time turning right to join the CR105 as it heads through more forest and past some attractive buildings, then into open country along a river en route to Septfontaines, at which point they have covered 12km from the start of the race. They then continue on the CR105 through Leesbech to Roodt, then climb a short but steep hill to Bour and a right turn onto the N12. Keeping left 0.4km later takes the CR105 to the Grand Château d'Ansembourg, a stupendously grand and beautiful country house that is open to the public. Approximately 1km away is the Buerg Aansebuerg, a real castle built for strength rather than to look pretty; it's the home of the Count of Ansembourg and is very much not open to the public (except for those rich enough to stay in the extremely exclusive hotel housed in one of the buildings). Once past the chateau, the CR105 passes through more rolling countryside, initially forested and then open as it heads north via Marienthal and Hunnebur to Reckange and then into Mersch, by which time the race has covered 26.9km.

Having crossed the A7 motorway as it disappears underground into a tunnel, the riders dip only briefly into Mersch on the Rue Quatre-Vents before turning right onto the Rue de Langheck, a junction marked as dangerous in the road book. It leads them onto the CR102 leading to Schoenfels, where they switch to the CR101 continuing south to Kopstal, then onward to a junction with the Route d'Arlon heading into Mamer to the the Rue du Commerce.

Keeping left as the Rue de Commerce forks takes the riders onto the Rue de Dippach - a road that will rapidly become familiar as one of those used in yesterday's time trial. Just past the Prologue finish line at the football ground, a tight right turn takes the road through a short tunnel under a railway, through fields and into a forest where, 3.75m from the tunnel, it joins the CR103. This section climbs all the way and, coming near to the return to Garnich, could potentially change the race entirely - a break could be caught, ruining its chances in the final laps at Garnich, and a group of climbers could get away and enter the laps with a handy advantage. Dippach lies 1.5km after the junction; when they reach the right turn onto the N5, the riders have covered 48.2km. At the far side of the town they turn right at a roundabout onto the N13 leading to Dahlem, then follow the road for 4km as it bends right and heads north back to Garnich. The first half of this section is flat, the second descends all the way before climbing 8m in the last 0.4km to return to the start line.

GP Elsy Jacobs altimetry - click to enlage

As the riders cross the start line for the first time, they've covered 53.6km and begin the first of five laps around a 9.8km circuit; having crossed the line they come to a left turn leading onto the Rue de la Montee and follow it out of the village, keeping right as it becomes the Rue Kahler - the road climbs and, 55.5km into the race, the day's first GPM climbing points will be awarded (more will be awarded on the third lap). Although vertical gain is only 34m over 0.75km, giving an average gradient of 4.5%, 12m are climbed in the first 0.1km (average gradient 12%) before the slope lessens for the remaining distance to the summit. Much of the descent into Kahler is also steep (-7.8%) which leaves the climbers, who tend to dislike steep downhill sections since they lack the weight to comfortably control their bikes at high speed, at risk of losing any advantage they gained on the way up on the -7.8% gradient. Immediately upon reaching Kahler, riders negotiate a very tight left-handed switchback lying at the end of a short descent where it can easily catch out anyone who fails to brake in time. After it, the road becomes the Rue de Hivange, climbing the Reiberg hill as it heads south for 2.87km to Hivange village - gaining 94m in 1.9km with an average gradient of 4.9% (the gradient increases near the top), the climb is neither long nor especially steep and would present a professional cyclist with few problems if encountered once on a parcours; the combined effect of climbing both hills five times each in close succession will be far greater and may well decide the outcome of the race . At the top of the hill after 1.53km, the race passes to the right of  a spectacular conical water tower; by the time the race has reached Hivange, it's covered 59.6km.

2km later the riders reach Dalhem and turns right, once again heading north to return to Garnich, where the riders will have covered 63.4km at the completion of the first lap, 73.2 after the second, 83 after the third, 92.8 after the fourth and 102.6 after the fifth, as which point the race ends.

GP Nicolas Frantz (28.04.2013)

GP Nicolas Frantz altimetry - click to enlarge

Stage 3 takes a similar format to the GP Elsy Jacobs: the start line has been moved to Mamer, Frantz's birthplace, but otherwise the race consists of the same main parcours followed by five laps of a different 9km circuit to give total length is 99.1km. The start line will by now be very familiar to the riders as it's in the same location as the finish line of the opening prologue on the same Rue de Dippach; heading south, they turn sharply right to pass once again through the tunnel under the railway and then follow yesterday's route west, north, east and south to return to Mamer.

The race again ends with five laps of a circuit. Having taken the same route through the tunnel under the motorway and onto the CR102 into the forest, the riders turn a sharp right to head north on the CR103 to Holzem where a right turn carries them via the Route de Garnich onto the CR101, then back to Mamer. 216m after the bridge over the railway, another right takes the Rue de Millenaire back to the start line. GPM points are awarded at the Montee du Barendal on the main parcours, located at 51.2km as the riders make the first return to Mamer, and 3.1km after the railway tunnel (57.5 and 66.5km from the start of the race) on the first and second laps of the circuit.

Start List

Weather
More information closer to race day

2013 Vuelta Internacional Femenina a Costa Rica

21-24.02.2013 Official Site
Costa Rica, Road Race, 5 Stages 
UCI 2.2

"[We have made] a great effort that we make to continue supporting and promoting women's cycling in Costa Rica, and we are delighted to have an event of this magnitude. One of the main objectives of the FECOCI has been supporting women cyclists and we have been working with them to organise this race." - Hernán Solano, President of the Costa Rican Cycling Federation

Stages

Stage 1 (21.02.2013)

Estadio Nacional - Parque de Esparza 89.4km

With an arrow-straight 2.41km leading to the final corner followed by another straight run to the finish, teams will have ample opportunity to get their sprint specialists into pole position for a high-speed assault to the line 590m away - assuming, that is, that the sprinters are in a fit state after the two Category 4 climbs between 42km and 62km, carrying the race to 1,200m above sea level. That rarest of cycling breeds - sprinters who can climb - have the advantage here.

Stage 1 route - click to enlarge

Stage 1 profile - click to enlarge

Stage 2 (22.02.2013)

El Roble - Paseo de los Turistas 16km Individual Time Trial

Downhill for much of the parcours, Stage 2 promises some blisteringly quick performances as the time trial specialists take advantage of the route in an attempt to ensure good early places for their teams.

Stage 2 profile - click to enlarge

Stage 3 (22.02.2013)

Esparza Miramar - Puntarenas 53.51km

After a rolling start, riders face a potentially hair-raising descent of around 250m in 4.7km with a maximum descent gradient of approximately -7.7%. That's a great chance for a breakaway to split off from the peloton and - if they have the nerve! - build up a big lead going into the final, mostly flat, 42.3km; so the stage winner may very well not be a General Classification favourite.

Stage 3 profile - click to enlarge

Stage 4 (23.02.2013)

Heredia San Ramón - Palmares Grecia 84.1km

The race heads back into the mountains with three big climbs - two of Category 2 (36.7km, 56.8km) and a Category 3 to the finish - making the going difficult. After descending for the first 22.4km (expect high speeds as the riders battle for bonuses through the intermediate sprint at 16.59km), much of the remaining route is uphill and ends with the Cat 3 climb through the final 3km. This is not a stage for the sprinters!

Stage 4 - click to enlarge

Stage 4 - click to enlarge

Stage 5 (24.02.2013)

Circuito La Sabana 88.8km (8 laps of 11.1km)

Usually, when a race ends with a stage consisting of laps around a circuit, it'll be a flat parcours designed to create lots of opportunities for photographers to snap the peloton. They don't do it like that in Costa Rica, preferring instead to chuck in eight climbs of 125m just for the fun of it - that's equivalent to a 1,000m mountain, and as if the climbs aren't enough of a test the riders will be fighting one another for intermediate sprint bonuses the second, fourth and sixth times they reach the summit. All it takes is a race favourite to be on slightly poorer form than usual or a strong breakaway and the General Classification at the end of Stage 5 could look very different indeed to how it was at the start.

Stage 5 map - click to enlarge

Stage 5 profile - click to enlarge

Start List

Not yet available

Emakumeen Bira 2012

The Race - The Stages - The Start List - Following The Race - News

Ever since the regrettable demise of Tour de France Feminin (last held in 2009, problems securing sponsors appear to have finished the race off for good) and the Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin (last held 2010, brought to an end for the same reason), the most important race and the only Grand Tour on the women's calendar has been the Giro Donne - however, the Emakumeen Euskal Bira goes a very long way to filling the void despite being reduced to four stages this year.

The race begins today in Iurreta for a 97.1km parcours that looks likely to finish with a sprint (Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, anyone?) at Matiena, then tomorrow the riders face 97.8km starting and ending at thefrom the busy fishing port Lekeitio. Stage 3 is a 13.4km individual time trial around Urduña and Queen Stage 4 takes in the hardest climbs this year on the 116km route from Urduña and back to Iurreta.

Emma Pooley, now with AA Drink

The Basques are one of the few peoples to rival the Belgians for their love of all cycling and will turn out in huge numbers to see the riders as they battle one another through 324.5km of tough climbs and beautiful Euskadi countryside. One rider who is guaranteed their support is the British star Emma Pooley (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) who, as one of the most gifted climbers in cycling today, is an obvious favourite for overall victory this year - not least of all because of the spectacular style in which she won the Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria on Tuesday, a race that has tended in the past to reveal the General Classification contenders for this one. No matter what her form, she won't go unchallenged: Judith Arndt (Orica-GreenEDGE), Annemiek van Vleuten (Rabobank), Emma Johansson (Hitec Products-Mistral Home) and Alena Amialiusik (Be Pink) have all had a superb season thus far and every one of them is capable of winning. In fact, the only serious rival Pooley doesn't have to take into account is 2008/2011 winner Marianne Vos, who is recovering after breaking her collarbone at the Parkhotel Valkenberg Classic.

Start list

STICHTING-RABO WOMEN

1 VAN VLEUTEN, Annemiek (NED)

2 SLAPPENDEL, Iris (NED)

3 DE JONG, Thalita (NED)

4 KITCHEN, Lauren (AUS)

5 KNENEMANN, Roxane (NED)

6 DE VOCHT, Liesbet (BEL)

SPECIALIZED-LULULEMON

11 TEUTENBERG, Ina Yoko (GER)

12 VAN DIKJ, Eleonora (NED)

13 WORRACK, Trixi (GER)

14 BECKER, Charlotte (GER)

15 BRENNAUER, Lisa (GER)

16 COLCLOUGH, Katie (GER)

HITEC PRODUCTS-MISTRAL HOME

21 JOHANSSON, Emma (SWE)

22 MUSTONEN, Sara (SWE)

23 BORGHINI, Elisa Longo (ITA)

25 FERRIER, Christel (FRA)

26 KAPUSTA, Sylwia (POL)

DIADORA-PASTA ZARA

31 TAGLIAPIETRA, Alice (ITA)

33 BORGATO, Giada (ITA)

34 JANELIUNAITE, Edita (LTU)

35 SILINYTE, Agne (LTU)

36 STEFANI, Francesca (ITA)

LOTTO BELISOL

41 MOOLMAN, Ashleigh (RSA) - withdrawn

42 DUYCK, Ann- Sophie (BEL)

43 HENRION, Ludivine (BEL)

44 VAN DE WINKEL, Joanna (RSA)

45 OLIVIERS, Lise (RSA)

46 KAAT, Hannes (BEL)

DOLMANS-BOELS

51 BRAS, Martine (NED)

52 KOSTER, Anouska (NED)

53 DECROIX, Lieselot (BEL)

54 PIJNENBORG, Mascha (NED)

KLEO

62 VAN DOORSLAER, Annelies (BEL)

63 DIJKMAN, Petra (NED)

64 LINDBERG, Marie (SWE)

65 ARYS, Evelyn (BEL)

66 CORAZZA, Martina (ITA)

LOINTEK

71 LLNYKH, Julia (RUS)

72 ITURRIAGA, Eneritz (ESP)

73 POTOKINA, Anna (RUS)

74 EPELDE, Mireia (ESP)

75 USABIAGA, Ana (ESP)

76 ORTEGA, Margot (FRA)

FASSA BORTOLO-SERVETTO

81 BERLATO, Elena (ITA)

82 FIORI, Jennifer (ITA)

83 GATTO, Viviana (ITA)

84 CAUZ, Francesca (ITA)

85 CECCHEL, Erika (ITA)

86 SCHWEIZER, Doris (SUI)

TEAM ALRIKSSON GO GREEN

91 FREDANG, Linnea (SWE)

92 NILSSON, Hanna (SWE)

93 KIHLBOM, Jessica (SWE)

94 SANDSTROM, Beata (SWE)

95 RYDLUND, Malin (SWE)

96 SJOBLOM, Linnea (SWE)

GREENEDGE-AIS

101 ARNDT, Judith (GER)

102 HAUSLER, Claudia (GER)

103 SPRATT, Amanda (AUS)

104 VILLUMSEN, Linda (NZL)

105 GUNNEWIJK, Loes (NED)

106 CROMWELL, Tiffany (AUS)

SKIL-ARGOS

112 VAN DE REE, Monique (NED)

113 PIETERS, Amy (NED)

114 TROMP, Esra (NED)

115 VAN RIJEN, Linda (NED)

116 JANNEKE, Kanis (NED)

BE PINK

121 ZRIMSEK, Petra (SLO)

122 VALSECCHI, Silvia (ITA)

123 AMIALIUSIK, Alena (BLR)

124 KOZONCHUK, Oxana (RUS)

126 GEBHARDT, Elke (GER)

MICHELA FANINI

131 GRIFI, Sara (ITA)

132 SANCHEZ, Azucena (ESP)

133 RUZICKOVA, Martina (CZE)

134 SCANDOLARA, Valentina (ITA)

135 MICHAL, Ella (ISR)

136 FORESI, Lorena (ITA)

AA DRINK-LEONTIEN

141 POOLEY, Emma (GBR)

142 BRAND, Lucinda (NED)

143 BLAAK, Chantal (NED)

144 ARMITSTEAD, Lizzie (GBR)

145 LAWS, Sharon (GBR)

146 OLDS, Shelley (USA)

GERMANY

151 SANDING, Madeleine (GER)

152 POHL, Stephanie (GER)

153 KASPER, Romy (GER)

154 KROGER, Mieke (GER)

155 HOFMANN, Srah-lena (GER)

156 SCHNITZMEIER, Anna Bianca (GER)

OURIBIKE

161 RAMIREZ, Anna (ESP)

162 GONÇALVES, Sara (POR)

163 AZNAR, Cristina (ESP)

164 COSTA, Rute (POR)

165 PATRICIO, Joana (POR)

166 GONÇALVEZ, Ana (POR)

BIZKAIA-DURANGO

171 SANCHIS, Anna (ESP)

172 ALCALDE, Cristina (ESP)

173 ESKAMENDI, Dorleta (ESP)

174 HOGAN, Joanne (AUS)

175 MARTIODA, Amaia (ESP)

176 SANTESTEBAN, Ane (ESP)

FAREN HONDA

181 COOKE, Nicole (GBR)

182 BLINDYUK, Julia (RUS)

183 UTROBINA, Elena (RUS)

185 HOHL, Jennifer (SUI)

186 TAMANINI, Luisa (ITA)

AUSTRALIA

191 NOONAN, Sinead (AUS)

192 ELVIN, Cracie (AUS)

193 ALLEN, Jessica (AUS)

194 SULZBERGER, Grace (AUS)

195 MCCONVILLE, Chloe (AUS)

196 TAYLOR, Carlee (AUS)

Following the race

As tends to be way with women's cycling, following the race can sometimes be difficult. However, local TV station Canal Bizkaia will - apparently - have some footage on their news reports; it may be possible to find livestreams of the channel. EiTB, available free and legally online, might also have reports. The race doesn't have an official account, but #EmakumeenBira will be the best way to keep up to date on Twitter and Karl Lima (Hitec Products-Mistral Home manager) is always a dafe bet for up-to-the-minute Tweets on all teams, not just his own. Wielerland is usually the best source for women's cycling news and Google's autotranslate copes sufficiently with Dutch to render it into something more-or-less understandable to those who can't speak it. Deia.com should have daily reports and other news.

News

A Bira without a favourite - Deia.com

The most disputed Emakumeen Bira - Que.es

Anna Sanchis in great form for Emakumeen Bira - Esciclismo.com

Ashleigh Moolman ‏@ashleighcycling

Hard decision to make, but I won't be starting Bira tour today! Down with flu virus and don't want to put the rest of my season at risk!

Women's Cycling News 12.05.12

Tour of Chongming Island World Cup details

Start list

Map

Profile

Ruiter Dakkapellen closes women's team
It's always a sad occasion when a cycling team is forced to come to an end. A team is not an easy thing to put together, and keeping it together is even more difficult - managers, helpers and, away from the big salary glitz of the men's ProTour, riders put in a great deal of effort, more frequently inspired by their love of the sport than by the salaries they might receive. Even more sad is when a team facing financial hardship takes the all too common decision to save money by closing down its women's team, as has been the case with Ruiter Dakkapellen now that their main sponsor has gone bankrupt.

It's not the team management's fault, really. After all, in times when even high-profile squads such as the legendary HTC-Highroad can fall by the wayside when new backing can't be found, securing sponsorship for a relatively little-known men's team such as Ruiter is a task that would challenge Hercules. Doing the same for a women's team, when women's cycling is entirely ignored by the majority of the media and has suffered for years from what sometimes seems almost willful neglect at the hands of the UCI, would be enough to make Hercules throw his hands in the air and give up. Perhaps the managers will be fortunate and find a new company to sponsor the men. The chances of doing the same for the women is unlikely, so they're forced to release the riders so that they can seek contracts elsewhere.

Can the UCI help to prevent this happening? Almost certainly. They could provide more financial assistance to races - several have found themselves in difficulty recently, and races are what create exposure. They could also encourage more race organisers to run women's races alongside men's races, as has already been done at many of the Flanders Classics and at Britain's Halfords Tour Series - and in both cases has generated increased interest. They could create a dedicated women's cycling commission to look into what needs to be done if women's cycling is to be saved and listen more to the riders and managers, many of whom have some extremely interesting ideas. Will they? Past experiences suggest not.

Good luck Joan Boskamp, Ilona Hoeksma, Anne Heijkoop, Britt Jochems, Nathalie van Katwijk, Tessa van Nieuwpoort, Julia Soek, Lisanne Soemanta, Noortje Tabak, Annelies Visser, Hannah Welter and Melanie Woering. See you all on a parcours soon.

Scott-Contessa struck by thieves

Beth Crumpton completed the Czech
MTB World Cup round in a borrowed
bike - and still came ninth!

The Scott Contessa MTB team was targeted by thieves who stole all the junior riders' bikes last night, just a day and a half before the start of the Nove Mesto na Morave round of the World Cup in the Czech Republic...

Beth Crumpton ‏ @BethCrumptoncant believe all junior bikes were stolen last night at czech, thankyou so much to @tracy_moseley and Annie for letting me and Al borrow!

Other News
 "Cyclist Willow Rockwell gives up her Olympic dream" (ESPNW)

"Moyse mulling her sporting future" (The Guardian, Canada)

"BMX: Olympian Shanaze inspires young Jamie’s world bid" (This Is Wiltshire)

"Global women's cycling day celebration 13th of May" (Conway Daily Sun, NH, USA)

BBC Radio 4 to broadcast Burton play

Beryl Burton, Britain's most successful athlete

Those commemorating the anniversary of the birth of the legend that was Beryl Burton will be pleased to know that later this year a short play telling the story of her life and remarkable career is to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Titled La Yorkshire Dame a Bicyclette, the play will star Maxine Peake - who also wrote the script, her first - as the British cyclist who won numerous titles and set world records during the 1950s and 60s.

"Despite beating men and women in championships across the globe, Beryl received no support, training or sponsorship and in fact, very little acclaim in the UK and Maxine wanted to dramatise her story," says producer Justine Potter. No date has yet been set for the broadcast, but it is likely to go out in the station's 45-minute Afternoon Drama (formerly and popularly Afternoon Play) slot.

Radio 4 is available worldwide on the Internet.

Johnson HealthTech Women's GP

In 2011, the four-round Johnson HealthTech Women's GP Series was run alongside the Halfords Tour, using the same infrastructure and parcours. It too proved enormously successful and has been extended to five rounds this year as a result. Helped enormously by TV coverage (again provided as part of ITV4's Halfords Tour programmes for 2012), the series has done an excellent job of raising the profile of women's racing and the athletes who took part, so much so that Johnson HealthTech managing director Jon Johnston is proudly able to claim that the series encouraged the formation of several new teams. So there we go - proof that if men's and women's races work together, everyone wins. Get to it, Tour of Britain.


A full list of teams competing in the GP has yet to be published, thus far For Viored, Node4-Giordana and Matrix Fitness-Prendas are confirmed.


Johnson HealthTech GP Series
1. Tuesday, May 22 - Oxford
2. Tuesday, May 29 - Peterborough
3. Thursday, June 7 - Colchester
4. Tuesday, June 12 - Woking
5. Thursday, June 14 - Stoke-on-Trent

Tour of California to hold women's time trial
After a successful experiment in 2011, the organisers of the Amgen Tour of California have confirmed that they will again hold a women's time trial on the 17th of May - the same day and same 29.6km Bakersfield parcours as the men's Stage 5 race.


The event is by invite only and boasts a $10,000 prize fund, considerably greater than is on offer in most European women's races. After her stunning performance at the Tour of the Gila, last year's winner Krisitin Armstrong will be favourite for victory.


Provisional Start List
  1.   Alison Tetrick  Exergy Twenty12

  2.   Tayler Wiles  Exergy Twenty12

  3.   Kristin Armstrong  Exergy Twenty12

  4.   Emilia Fahlin  Specialized-Lululemon

  5.   Loren Rowney  Specialized-Lululemon

  6.   Bridie O'Donnell  Vanderkitten-Focus

  7.   Janel Holcomb  Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits Strategies

  8.   Jade Wilcoxson  Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits Strategies

  9.   Alison Powers  Now and Novatis for MS

  10.   Robin Farina  Now and Novatis for MS

Tchalykh wins Azerbaijan TT
Elena Tchalykh (Dolmans-Boels) won the Azerbeidzjan de Heydar Aliyev Anniversary Time Trial, the first UCI women's event in Azerbaijan and one that has been controversial, not least of all because police and government authorities reportedly regular use rape (and threats of rape) against defendants and defendants' families as a means of coercing confessions from prisoners.

In fact, since the country's human rights record is extremely questionable overall (political prisoners are routinely imprisoned without proof of wrongdoing, prisoners are tortured and beaten, the media is strictly controlled by the authoritarian government, religious minorities suffer persecution despite token equality laws and thousands of citizens have been illegally evicted to make way for urban renewal in capital city Baku - more of this in the news in the coming weeks, since Baku is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest this month), organisations from any democratic nation shouldn't really be promoting anything in Azerbaijan except for popular uprising. Anyway, that's enough of that. Back to cycling...

Top Ten
  1.   Elena Tchalykh  Dolmans-Boels  34'37"
  2.   Olena Pavlukhina  +34"  15
  3.   Aleksandra Sosenko  Vaiana-Tepso  +1'00"
  4.   Maria Mishina  +1'06"
  5.   Olena Sharpa  +1'16"
  6.   Nicole Hanselmann  +1'21"
  7.   Oksana Lesnyk  +1'26"
  8.   Katarína Hranaiova  +1'40"
  9.   Emma Trott  Dolmans-Boels  +1'48"
  10.   Katarzyna Sosna  Vaiana-Tepso  +2'10"
(Full result)

Knokke-Bredene video

Vio Cyclo Cross Masters

Vos dominates women's cycling. Tonight,
we get to see how she fares against the men

The final round of the GVA Trofee last weekend has been widely called Daphny Van Den Brand's last CX race, as she plans to retire after an incredible quarter-century of racing. However, she has one race left: it takes place this evening in Hasselt and it's the Vio Cyclo Cross Masters, unique in that it takes place indoors.

The premise of the event is simple: take all the greatest 'cross stars of the closing season and then have them battle one another for supremacy on a parcours designed to represent the most challenging obstacles found in the year's races with sand, ladders, beams and washboards all making an appearance along the 1km track. It is, according to the official website, "A rock 'n' roll event where cyclo cross is promoted as a true sporting spectacle."

The races differ somewhat to standard 'cross events. There's an individual time trial over a single lap, then the women race for twenty minutes and the men for thirty. Best of all, and for the very first time this year, there's a Battle of the Sexes - in it, the top three World Cup women and their male counterparts will compete against one another, the women getting an advantage of two laps. Plenty of us have been wondering how current World Champion Marianne Vos might fare if she raced against men, and since she'll be taking part this is our chance to find out.

British National Champion Helen Wyman will be racing, Gabby Day - despite inclusion on the start list - apparently will not.

Starters: 

1 Marianne Vos Rabobank
2 Daphny Van den Brand AA drink
3 Sanne Cant BKCP Powerplus
4 Helen Wyman Kona
5 Sabrina Stultiens Brainwash
6 Joyce Vanderbeken Style and Concept
7 Ellen Van Loy Kriekel Cycling team
8 Christine Vardaros Baboco cycling team
9 Gabriella Day The Chain Stay
10 Nicole De Bie-Leyten Telenet Fidea

Tour of New Zealand starters

22-26 February 2012

GreenEDGE-AIS
1   ARNDT Judith
2   GILLOW Shara
3   VILLUMSEN Linda Melanie
4   MACLEAN Jessie
5   FRY Rowena

USA
7   ARMSTRONG Kristin
8   ALBERSHARDT Addyson
9   CLIFF-RYAN Theresa
10   SMALL-McNELLIS Carmen
11   STACHER Ally
12   STEVENS Evelyn

Italy
13   BACCAILLE Monia
14   BERLATO Elena
15   GUDERZO Tatiana
16   TAMANINI Luisa
17   CECCHINI Elena
18   PRESTI Gloria

VIS
19   HOGAN Joanne
20   JACOBS Lisa
21   ROWNEY Loren
22   MCCONVILLE Chloe
23   ALLEN Jessica

China Chongming-Giant ProCycling
25   WU Chao Mei
26   YONGYAN Sheng
27   ZHAO Na
28   LIU Xin
29   HUANG Dong Yan
30   YUAN Yunyun

Armstrong Motor Group
31   GRIFFITHS Miranda
32   IVES Stephanie
33   COLDWELL Lucy
34   JUSTICE Nicole
35   NEYLAN Rachel

Suzuki
37   WIASAK Rebecca
38   MCDONALD Ailie
39   RICE Allison
40   ROPER Emily
41   MUNDY Jessica
42   MEADLEY Laura

Japan
43   NISHI Kanako
44   HAGIWARA Mayuko
45   HARIGAI Chisako
46   MYOCHIN Yuko
47   AKATSUYA Yurie

Team Jayco-AIS
49   SULZBERGER Grace
50   ELVIN Gracie
51   NOONAN Sinead
52   CARLE Alexandra
53   RYAN Carla
54   HEATHER Taryn

Cyclosport NZ
55   CRUM Emma
56   BEST Tracy
57   BARR Jane
58   SMITH Corrinne
59   SOUTHEE Rachel

NZCT
61   SANBROOKS Shailie
62   FORSYTH Sue
63   BURKE Melanie
64   MACDERMID Fiona
65   GIDDENS Hayley

New Zealand
67   BOYD Kaytee
68   COOPER Sequoia
69   COLLINS Emily
70   CHILCOTT Kate
71   JOSEPH Rosara
72   TROTMAN Reta

Wheelworks Racing
73   COPP Janine
74   SUTTON Philippa
75   BELL Deane
76   BRADLEY Amy
77   NEAVE Ashleigh
78   VAN KAMPEN Hannah

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)

(With thanks to all the photograph providers. Les Déesses de la Route cannot be held responsible for the content of external sites)