Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, December 15, 2023
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
Start every day off with a smile and get it over with. - W. C. Fields
Plato's dialogue Apology is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- Dec 17: World Cup Namur Cyclocross
- Dec 26: World Cup Gaver Cyclocross
- Dec 27: Superprestige Heusden Zolder
- Dec 28: Superprestige Diegem
- Dec 29: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
- Jan 12-21: Santos Tour Down Under
- Jan 20: Clasica Comunitat Valenciana
- Jan 24-28: Challenge Illes Balears-Volta Ciclista a Mallorca
- Jan 28: GP d'Ouverture-La Marseillaise
- Jan 28: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- Jan 30 - Feb 3: Saudi Tour
Latest completed racing:
- Nov 5: European Cyclocross Championships
- Nov 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- Oct 28: Superprestige Ruddervoorde
- Oct 22: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaanse Druivencross
- Oct 12 - 17: Tour of Guangxi
- Oct 15: Japan Cup
- Oct 15: Veneto Classic
Jumbo-Visma posted this:
Timo Roosen was a successful link in the sprint train of Dylan Groenewegen and Olav Kooij, flourished as a team player in Team Jumbo-Visma and became Dutch champion.
2022 Vuelta a Burgos, stage 2: Timo Roosen leads the Jumbo-Visma 1-2-3 across the line. Sirotti Photo.
After nine years of loyal service, Roosen is leaving the Dutch outfit. "The team has always felt like a big family to me. I have met many new people. I'll miss going to the High Performance Centre and having a coffee with the soigneurs or mechanics. Those are the simple but nice things."
The Dutchman joined the team as it was taking a new direction. "I have seen the team rebuilt from the ground up. In 2015, we had to wait months for our first victory, and a few years later, we won a couple of stages in the Tour de France with Dylan. These are experiences you will never forget." He still loves working in a sprint squad. "I love the chaos and the pressure. It suits me, and fortunately, we have often been successful. I can still do my thing there."
Winning the red, white and blue jersey is the absolute highlight of Roosen's career. "It was a childhood dream come true in 2021", he proudly says. "Everything came together for me that day. Everyone was happy and congratulated me. I got calls and emails from the whole team. I had never been Dutch champion in any category before. It is extraordinary when you experience it with the professionals."
Roosen: "I would also like to point out that riding in a classics team with so many top riders was nice. Of course, that changed during my time in the team. I was allowed to take my chances in those races, but it's great to ride for guys like Dylan van Baarle or Wout van Aert."
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The veteran rider also praises the team's recent move towards professionalism.
"Everything has become easier for us as riders", Roosen says. "We get better guidance in training and coaching; we pay much more attention to the details, especially the importance of good nutrition. I have seen it all grow, which is very positive. It took some getting used to having all sorts of diagrams and a scale for your diet. But you can see how it contributes to the results."
Roosen has also helped develop young, talented riders, including riders from the Jumbo-Visma Development Team. "That's also something that suits me, I think. It has been fun racing with these guys and showing them the way. They are very eager to learn and catch up quickly. That is another positive development with this team. I really applaud that."
"Obviously, it was not an easy decision to leave", Roosen adds. "I am leaving a team where I have been very happy for many years. And where I have met a lot of nice people. But I felt it was time for something new and a new environment. Fortunately, I will still see many familiar faces during the races."
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Here’s the team’s announcement:
All signs are set for a successful start for Liv AlUla Jayco – Women’s Continental Team, which established after the merger of Liv Racing TeqFind and GreenEDGE Cycling. The team for 2024 will include nine talented riders, all of them having proven their great potential.
Bringing together eight nationalities, the team has a strong international character. For GreenEDGE followers, Alyssa Polites (Australia) is a familiar face; she competed for the World Team this season and for 2024, Polites will mature on the Continental Team before taking the step to the highest level again. GreenEDGE followers also got to know Moroj Adil (Saudi Arabia) earlier this year when she was invited to attend a training camp of the WorldTeam.
Kaia Schmid (United States) and Matilde Vitillo (Italy) also know what it is like to compete in the WorldTour peloton, with Vitillo familiar with victory, having won a stage of Vuelta a Burgos Feminas in 2022.
Furthermore, the team includes talents Emma Jeffers (Great Britain), Noä Jansen (The Netherlands), Mackenzie Coupland (Australia), Leila Gschwentner (Austria) and Hélène Hesters (Belgium).
Like the World Team, the Continental set-up will share the same name, uniform, and Liv bikes – thanks to the support of Liv and its clear vision and commitment to developing the next generation. With their wide range of abilities, 2024 bring a lot of excitement to the GreenEDGE family, as Liv AlUla Jayco aims to take all nine riders to the next stage in their careers.
Solid foundation:
“The Continental Team is an important pillar within our overall ecosystem” explained Eric van den Boom – General Manager Women’s Continental Team Liv AlUla Jayco. “In this team, we bring together young talents with growth potential, no matter what their background is. We offer them a pathway, with professional guidance, along which they can develop step by step. This way, they will get optimally prepared for the challenging WorldTour races. The goal is to see them being successful at the highest level one day.
The Continental Team will operate close to the WorldTeam and offers the riders a lot of personal coaching and access to facilities also available to the WorldTeam. We are thus laying a solid foundation for our talent development, which is good for the individual riders, the team, and the future of women’s cycling.”
2024 Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team:
Moroj Adil (Saudi Arabia, born: 9 February 1998)
Mackenzie Coupland (Australia, born: 1 September 2005)
Leila Gschwentner (Austria, born: 23 October 2003)
Hélène Hesters (Belgium, born: 3 January 2005)
Noä Jansen (The Netherlands, born: 26 November 2000)
Emma Jeffers (Great Britain, born: 11 November 2004)
Alyssa Polites – (Australia, born: 2 February 2003)
Kaia Schmid (United States, born: 7 January 2003)
Matilde Vitillo (Italy, born: 8 March 2001)
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Rider Comments:
Moroj Adil
Earlier this year, Moroj Adil (Saudi Arabia, born: 9 February 1998) was already invited to a training camp of the WorldTeam in Girona, Spain. She gained valuable experience and made a positive impression on the staff, which now results in a contract with the Continental Team.
“Over the past few years, I wanted nothing more than to become a professional rider. Of course because I love cycling tremendously, but also because I want to make the sport accessible to more women in Saudi Arabia. One day I hope to be active in the major WorldTour races, so I can be a strong inspiration to other women and young athletes,” she says. “The Continental Team is the right place for me because I can develop myself here. I will soon spend a lot of time in Europe, where the majority of the races take place and I can learn a lot from other pro riders. The team provides me with the right training programme and I am part of a professional environment. This step has only increased the ambitions to make my cycling journey a success.”
Mackenzie Coupland
Mackenzie Coupland finished in the top ten in both the time trial and road race at the Junior World Championships earlier this season. She also won several one-day races and the Tour of Tasmania (including a stage win).
“Although I have had great results, it has not been an easy year for me. The recent win in the Tour of Tasmania was therefore very important, I competed there as a U19 rider against the strongest girls in Australia,” she says. “The switch to Liv AlUla Jayco is a pretty important one, because I’m transitioning into U23 category which is a pretty big step. With the support of the team, it will be significantly easier. I was a bit nervous about it at first, but as the time gets closer, I’m getting more excited. I personally want to gain race knowledge and finish races over in Europe with the elite women. I think I can improve the most in bunch skills, because I haven’t had a lot of experience in the larger fields at European races.”
Leila Gschwentner
“It is a huge step for me. The team gives me and other young riders the opportunity to grow, learn and develop further in a perfect environment,” said Leila. Leila grabbed the national road race and time trial title (U23) this year and also took a bronze medal at the European Championships (U23) in the track individual pursuit event.
“I want to keep developing myself step by step, so that sooner or later I can join the constantly rising WorldTour level. I also hope to develop tactically and want to learn how to work perfectly together as a team. If we fully trust each other and have each’s other backs, great things can arise from that. The intention is that I will continue to combine road cycling with track cycling, in both areas I want to progress.”
Hélène Hesters
In the past two seasons, Hélène crowned herself Belgian road champion (juniors) and also seized the European title in the omnium event on the track. Despite her success, Hélène has only been active in cycling for three years and prior to that, she enjoyed gymnastics. Partly because of her brother, a cycling pro, she came across cycling during the COVID-19 period.
“It is an amazing opportunity for me to make the step from junior to Liv AlUla Jayco. I am still young and have to learn a lot. And if you ask me, there is no better place to do so than with this team. I am also definitely going to get to know myself better. I would like to discover what I am all capable of and hope to surprise myself,” she says. “In October, we already had a team meeting in Italy. I got a very positive feeling from that, there was a strong connection between the riders and staff. Since then, I am only more motivated to show the colours and spread the values of this team.”
Noä Jansen
“Next year, I want to become a better version of myself and show my progression in the bigger races. I also want to have a lot of fun and have a really good time,” says Noä who took some great results at club level last season.
“I am very positive about Liv AlUla Jayco’s promising project. The team creates a pathway that young talents can follow towards the world top. There is professional attention at every stage of your development and for every single aspect. It makes the foundation much stronger, which is good for both myself and the sport in general. Looking at myself, next season I hope to perform very well in the classics and in stage races that are relatively flat. I am hugely motivated to take on this adventure.”
Emma Jeffers
When she finished second at the British Road Race Championships as a junior, Emma Jeffers realised she has great potential to reach the international top one day. Joining Liv AlUla Jayco’s Continental Team, she aims to progressively reach higher and higher levels.
“This is a huge step for me. The combination of some great teammates and a solid racing calendar creates opportunities to give my career another push in the right direction. Personally, I want to continue my development as a rider, improve my climbing ability and really push forward with my sprinting. I’m looking forward to building relationships with my teammates and helping them achieve results. With a clear plan, strong race tactics and commitment from the whole team, I think we can get great results. All this is only possible thanks to the professional environment Liv AlUla Jayco creates.”
Alyssa Polites
A familiar face at GreenEDGE Cycling is Alyssa Polites. Alyssa was part of the WorldTeam in 2023, after placing herself in the spotlights in 2022, with, among other things, a third-place finish at the Australian elite road championships. She was also part of the Commonwealth Games track endurance team that year.
“After a rough patch, the switch to our Continental Team will give me the opportunity to find my feet again as a rider and within the peloton enabling me to properly develop as a racer. I want to increase confidence in my own capabilities and hope for a lot of collective wins with the girls during the season next year. We really have a super exciting bunch of girls that I think will be able to compliment well with all the ranging capabilities and strengths each of us possess,” she says. “I hope to make a difference within the team next season and beyond by developing leadership skills in the effort procure shared successes as a team.”
Kaia Schmid
Kaia Schmid surprised everyone when she finished second at the 2021 Junior World Championships Race in Belgium despite having any international racing experience. She has also been successful at track cycling championships over the years. Her rapid progression gained her a contract as a professional rider.
“For my development, the switch to Liv AlUla Jayco’s Continental Team is really important. After juniors, I made a really big jump to the WorldTour and never got to experience some of the UCI .2 and .1 level races. I’ve raced in classics like Gent-Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders and Strade Bianche, which make me feel like a small fish in a big sea. I think taking on smaller races similar to these courses will suit me very well. These races combined with some opportunities to go for wins in stage races, will help me make big strides in my development. When I step back into the WorldTour I want to be making a big impact in races, not just be another number in the field. I think this team will help give me the tools to make these big steps next year and beyond.”
Matilde Vitillo
Matilde Vitillo has already had a taste of racing at WorldTour level in the past few seasons. Even better, she has already won in the WorldTour. In 2022, she managed to secure a stage win in the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas. “It took me several days then to realise what I had accomplished. Even after the finish I couldn’t believe it then. It was amazing, I’m still proud of that achievement.”
She considers the move to Liv AlUla Jayco’s Continental Team a valuable one. “For me, 2023 was not a comfortable season, because of health issues. When I got in touch with Liv AlUla Jayco I immediately brightened up. The philosophy and approach suit me, the team is going to support me and teammates in a professional way. We are thus following a very sustainable route to the top, which is obviously beneficial in the longer term. Next season, I want to improve on all fronts and take a significant step forward wherever I lack at the moment. That is perfectly possible here. There is a great structure and I feel absolutely no pressure from anyone, they all just care about your health and wellbeing.”
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