Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) went solo on the final climb, winning stage two of the Tour de Suisse Women and taking the yellow jersey in Locarno.

Behind, her closest chasers and fellow GC hopefuls Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar) helped the Italian's cause by taking a wrong turn with 3km to go.

Femke De Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike) who won yesterday's first stage and the yellow jersey, came in more than two minutes down and ceded her GC lead.

Afterwards Longo Borghini, who has never won at the Tour de Suisse before, told media:

"I didn't understand why Kasia was not turning with me, but then I saw she was suffering a little bit and I wanted to try something. I found myself with a gap and I just went straight to the finish line.

"It was all or nothing," she added, "and this time I succeeded. I'm super happy because I don't live far from this place. I live close to Verbania so it's always nice to win somewhere close. My family was here watching me, and I'm pretty proud of the victory here today, also of my team."

Asked about tomorrow's stage she replied: "Tomorrow we'll think about tomorrow. I just want to enjoy the yellow."

A loop based on Locarno, on the Swiss banks of Lake Maggiore, the stage was a short one at 105.6km, with the only classified climbs coming in a one-two punch just before the end.

Nevertheless, it took more than 30km of riding for the day's two-up break, comprising Carlotta Cipressi (Human Powered Health) and Margot Vanpachtenbeke (Lidl-Trek) to go clear.

The pair prised open a gap that grew to nearly two-and-a-half minutes at its largest, before slowly and inevitably being swallowed up again as the GC riders and their teams set themselves for the brace of climbs that made up the last 20km of the stage.

The first climb, the 3.5km Fanghi, saw the GC favourites come to the fore, with last year's winner Marlen Reusser taking the bull by the horns and being joined by Niewiadoma, Longo Borghini, and Sarah Van Dam of Visma-Lease a Bike.

However, British GC hope Lauren Dickson (FDJ United-SUEZ), and eventually yellow jersey De Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike), were both tailed off.

An attack over the top of the Fanghi by Longo Borghini over the top saw everyone save Niewiadoma dropped, and when they hit the second climb in quick succession, the shorter and steeper Via Consiglio Mezzano, Longo Borghini showed her strength and revealed Niewadoma's fatigue, pounding away on the pedals to open a solo gap.

Niewiadoma was joined by Reusser and Van Dam, but the trio was unable to make any inroads on a powerful looking Longo Borghini. When the front pair took a wrong turn, simply riding straight past the marshal and the direction signs in the heat of the chase, Van Dam managed not to make the same mistake, but the day already belonged to Longo Borghini.

ResultsTour de Suisse Women, stage 3:Locarno > Locarno 105.6km

1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ, 105.6km in 2:34:35
2. Sarah Van Dam (Can) Visma-Lease a Bike, +30s
3. Steffi Häberlin (Sui) SD Worx-Protime, +47s
4. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar
5. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM, both s.t.
6. Kim Le Court (Mri) AG Insurance-Soudal, +1:03
7. Lauren Dickson (GBr) FDJ United-Suez
8. Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra) EF Education-Oatly, both at s.t.
9. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Human Powered Health, +1:29
10. Yara Kastellijn (Ned) Fenix-Premier Tech, +1:31

General Classification after stage 2

1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ, in 5:31:26
2. Lauren Dickson (GBr) FDJ United-Suez, +27s
3. Sarah Van Dam (Can) Visma-Lease a Bike, +34s
4. Steffi Häberlin (Sui) SD Worx-Protime, +53s
5. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, +57s
6. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM, at s.t.
7. Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra) EF Education-Oatly, +1:00
8. Kim Le Court (Mri) AG Insurance-Soudal, +1:13
9. Femke De Vries (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:37
10. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Human Powered Health, +2:17

Elisa Longo Borghini had abandoned the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift ahead of stage three after battling a gastrointestinal infection.

The Giro d’Italia winner began experiencing symptoms on the first stage, which worsened across the weekend. Despite stage 3’s comparative rest after two days of punchy racing, the weakening UAE Team ADQ rider made the decision this morning to withdraw from the race.

“After my victory at the Giro d’Italia Women, I was feeling really good and arrived at the Tour determined to achieve something important here as well,” Longo Borghini said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, I suddenly began experiencing symptoms of this virus, which has drained my energy more and more each day.”

With Movistar’s Marlen Reusser out of the race just days before Longo Borghini’s announcement with stomach issues, the first three days of the Tour de France Femmes has seen two favourites for overall victory depart from the race.

Unlike Longo Borghini, Reusser had arrived at the Tour unwell, abandoning the race on the first stage after 65km of racing.

However, his isn’t the first time the Italian has had to abandon the Tour de France Femmes. Back in 2023, both the Italian and her then Lidl-Trek teammate, Elisa Balsamo, were forced to leave the race ahead of Stage 7 after Borghini struggled with an infection in her left leg, and Balsamo with fatigue.

After the 33-year-old’s victories in February’s UAE Tour, second in the Vuelta España Femenina and another win at the Italian National Championships and then the Giro d'Italia in July, she came in as one of the favourites. No one was expecting it would be a gastrointestinal infection that ended her hopes for victory in France.

“I’m truly devastated and disappointed to have to abandon the Tour de France Femmes prematurely once again, but right now this was the best decision to make.”

Her team have said that the Italian champion will take this time to rest, recover, and prepare for the final races of the season.

Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Visma-Lease a Bike's Marianne Vos currently sit tied at the top of the general classification, with the former in the yellow jersey after two days of racing.

Liane Lippert rode to a final stage win at this year’s Giro d’Italia Women after a thrilling day which saw Elisa Longo Borghini claim a well-fought general classification.

The Movistar rider held out against former four-time victor Anna van der Breggen to take the stage.

Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) rode well throughout the day to defend her title by 18 seconds in the General Classification.

After Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) took a sterling victory on the penultimate stage of the Giro, powering away from maglia rosa Longo Borghini with 3km to go, the final day was set for anything to happen.

Longo Borghini entered the day with a strong advantage of 22 seconds over Movistar’s Marlen Reusser, but with such a difficult day on the bike, including eight categorised climbs, it was not going to be a walk in the park for the maglia rosa.

After sealing the General Classification, Longo Borghini said: "It's been an incredible journey with UAE Team ADQ. It's been eight days of completely full gas, we created actions, we believed every single day, and we stayed humble.

"And I can’t be much more thankful to my teammates than now, because if I wear this jersey now, it’s because of them. They were super committed, they were never surrendering, and I’m just speechless."

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The action of the final day of racing really kicked off when Lorena Wiebes asserted her presence in the race with a break at 106km to go.

A short while after, the Dutch rider was joined by Lea Curinier (FDJ-SUEZ) and Sara Casasola (Fenix-Deceuninck), who maintained their place at the front for the majority of the race.

With 67km to go, Lidl Trek’s Amanda Spratt and Wiebes’s SD Worx-Protime teammate Mikayla Harvey attacked to bridge the gap between the peloton and the breakaway.

After 16km of chasing, Spratt and Harvey finally bridged across and joined the leading three riders, with the peloton sitting roughly a minute behind.

With 48km to go and ahead of the 4th cat climb, Wiebes continued to inject pace into the leading pack, extending the lead of the group, but behind, Movistar were in control.

The climbs proved difficult for sprinter Wiebes, who was briefly dropped on the approach to the summit of cat 4 climb Mazzolano, and her time at the front was seemingly over. And yet, the Dutch rider fought back to stay within the leading pack.

Despite the wind, the breakaway continued as a five to extend the gap to almost a minute ahead of the next climb.

At 39km to go and at the middle stage of the third trip up the Cima Gallisterna (which had a maximum gradient of 14%), the lead of the breakaway crumbled as Wiebes was dropped on the steep climb.

As they entered their penultimate trip around the Imola circuit, the lead pack (with Wiebes' teammate Harvey still involved) regained a strong advantage over the peloton, who had now become strung out, with Movistar aiming to limit the breakaway's chances to survive.

With 23.3km to go, on the uncategorised climb, Wiebes’ tough day on the bike went from bad to worse as she was dropped by the peloton, ending the Dutch rider’s hopes to secure a third stage victory this Giro.

Curinier made a move at 22km remaining, splitting the breakaway as firstly Casasola was left in the dust, before the final trip up the decisive Mazzolano saw Spratt also fall back into the peloton.

Harvey and Curinier managed to keep a gap with the chasers as they quickly returned to a trio, as a dominant Silke Smulders (Liv AlUla Jayco) joined the front of the race, pushing the pace and bringing the gap to 17 seconds.

Numerous attempts were made to join the front of the race as Lidl-Trek’s Shirin van Anrooij’s attack was neutralised, and Lieke Nooijen (Visma-Lease a Bike) time in the breakaway was short-lived.

Soon enough Smulders was riding solo, having left Harvey and Curinier in her tracks on the final climb of the day, managing to hold off the charging pack.

Smulders was eventually caught by a select group of riders including the maglia rosa, Harvey, and Gigante.

But the final day on the roads of Italy went down to the wire as four-time Tour victor Van der Breggen attacked, with Lippert following suit with only 2km to go.

As they entered the Imola circuit for the final time the duo had a strong gap with the chasing group leading them to a final sprint between the two of them.

It was a battle of nerve, and Lippert proved the stronger on the day as she took the stage win, beating van der Breggen on the line.

Reusser led the chasing pack to round out the podium as the maglia rosa followed on her wheel.

RESULTS

GIRO D’ITALIA WOMEN, STAGE 8, Forlì > Imola (134KM)

1. Liane Lippert (Ger) Movistar, in 3:40:07
2. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, at same time
3. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, +8s
4. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
5. Évita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ
6. Isabella Holmgrem (Can) Lidl-Trek
7. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck
8. Silke Smulders (Ned) (Liv AlUla Jayco)
9. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto
10. Sarah Gigante (Aus) AG Insurance-Soudal, all at the same time

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 8

1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ, in 24:37:03
2. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, +18s
3. Sarah Gigante (Aus) AG Insurance-Soudal, +1:11
4. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +2:55
5. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto, +3:07
6. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +3:32
7. Isabella Holmgren (Can) Lidl-Trek, +3:54
8. Barbara Malcotti (Ita) Human Powered Health, +4:44
9. Urška Žigart (Slo) AG Insurance-Soudal, +4:56
10. Katrine Aalerud (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, +5:19

There’s not a rider on the start list of San Remo Women who raced in the last edition. Few will be old enough to remember it, some weren’t even born. It came in 2005, then called the Primavera Rosa, and was won by German rider Trixi Worrack. The race was cancelled the following year.

Now, two decades on from Worrack’s victory, the women’s peloton is returning to San Remo. The suspense has been building since the race’s comeback was announced last year.

“It’s a race I’ve really wanted to do since I heard it was going to happen this year,” said EF Education-Oatly’s Kristen Faulkner, the Olympic champion.

“In my cycling career, I came into the sport at a really interesting time because there have been a lot of firsts: the first Paris-Roubaix, the first modern Tour de France, the first modern Milano-Sanremo. Every year there’s some new race added to the calendar and it’s really exciting to be a woman in cycling because of that.”

At 10:35 local time on Saturday, the peloton will leave Genoa, and head west along the Italian Riviera. They’ll climb over the Tre Capi – the Capo Mele, Cervo and Berta – before tackling the ascents of the Cipressa and Poggio, as they did in 2005, mimicking the finale of the men’s race, one of cycling’s oldest and grandest events.

For the peloton’s Italian cyclists, the excitement carries an extra dimension: the chance to win a Monument on home soil. One of the hopefuls is Elisa Longo Borghini, who has already vowed that she and her UAE Team ADQ teammates will “give our best to try and win”.

“As an Italian and the Italian champion, it will be an honour for me to take part in this race, which has a unique charm,” Longo Borghini said. “San Remo is something special, part of cycling history, and I think racing it, tackling those legendary roads, will be an incredible experience for all of us.”

Those legendary roads are laid just a few hours’ drive from the hometown of Elisa Balsamo, the winner of the recent Trofeo Alfredo Binda, and one of the favourites for Milan-San Remo, should it come down to a sprint.

“I know the climbs and the roads quite well,” the former world champion smiled. “I already came here in December with Ilaria [Sanguineti] – she lives really close to San Remo, so she knows everything about these roads and she told me all the secrets.”

Balsamo has received advice, too, from her Lidl-Trek sports director, Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, who rode the Primavera Rosa in 2005. “She was riding with us today and yesterday,” Balsamo said. “She said she believes that we can survive the climbs.”

It’s the final two kickers – the Cipressa and Poggio – that the Italian believes will give the race its “big show”.

Still, some have wondered if the spectacle might be dampened a bit by the event’s length; the men’s race is famous for being the longest on the calendar, at almost 300km, while the new women’s race stretches out 156km, neither noteworthily long nor short.

“I don’t think the spectacle comes from having a longer race,” Balsamo said. “In my opinion, we shouldn’t confuse how interesting or hard a race is with its distance, because they’re separate things. A race can be really hard, but only be 140, 150, 160km. At the end of the day, it’s the riders who make the difference.”

The Italian now hopes that rider will be her. “Winning San Remo is a dream, I think, for everyone, but especially for an Italian rider,” she said. To do so, she’ll have to hold off the likes of Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) and the world champion, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime).

Twenty years on, who will be the next Worrack? We'll find out in San Remo, around 2:30pm local time on Saturday.

"I did it for the crostata." These were the words uttered by Elisa Longo Borghini in the moments after she won the Tour of Flanders. 

At the time, I didn't think much of it. I didn't know what crostata was, and it seemed like a passing comment, an inside joke perhaps. Then the Italian won again, and said it again. 

This time it was at De Brabantse Pijl, earlier this week, where she soloed clear and won by 41 seconds. Why did she do it? "Only for crostata!" she wrote on X. As a capital-J journalist, I figured it was time for an investigation. 

First, I had to figure out what crostata was. This was the easy part. A quick Google search returned countless images of pies, the sweet, crusty type that get left on windowsills in cartoons. 

Wikipedia then stepped in. Crostata is a sort of fruit tart, an Italian dessert, that dates back to a 15th century cookbook, it told me. Almost all of the pictures show it to be topped with a lattice design, so I assume this is the going technique.

Facts established, the big question remained: why is it helping Longo Borghini win bike races? 

I turned to Lidl-Trek’s press officer, Amy Cameron, for the answers. "It is a winning treat," she explained, one made by the team's chef, Mirko Sut. I asked if she has ever tried it. "Have I tried it?" she scoffed. "I’ve been eating Mirko's crostata longer than Elisa when me and him were on BMC together! It is delicious." 

Suddenly, everything made sense. The dessert isn't a performance nutrition fad. No, it's a positive reinforcement ruse, a Pavlovian trick as old as time. Win race, get crostata. Longo Borghini had cracked the system.

I wanted to know more. Is there a secret ingredient? Does Sut do something special to the crostata? "He just perfected it, I believe," said Cameron. "He makes this incredible pistachio one that is unreal." The recipe, however, is top secret. 

So there you go. For anyone wondering how SD Worx-Protime could be beaten this year, the answer wasn’t race tactics or newfangled tech, it was the lure of a simple, Italian dessert. Crostata, Lidl-Trek’s secret weapon. 

Elsewhere on social media, Mathieu van der Poel lifts The Rock, Kristen Faulkner shows off her book collection, and Geraint Thomas sits through a lonely breakfast. 

1. Who needs energy gels when you've got crostata?

2. I'm sure it tastes better than it looks

3. Here's another helping of Longo Borghini for you. She's right, Lidl-Trek did her dirty with the winner's photo

4. Mathieu van der Poel didn't just win any old rock at Paris-Roubaix

5. One for the stats fans...

6. We'd all be this cool, breathing through our noses, after soloing 60km across the cobbles, right? 

7. It turns out I've been putting my mitts on wrong this whole time

8. If you liked seeing Adam Yates' dog, Zoe, in a yellow jersey last July, you'll love this gallery

9. It's a wonder how Kristen Faulkner finds time to race her bike around all her reading

10. Poor Geraint, alone, with nothing but a bottle of Actimel to talk to

11. To be fair to the drone, I wouldn't want to follow Tom Pidcock downhill either

12. Don't forget to lift your front wheels to the flowers this spring

13. Here's how sisters Elynor and Zoe Bäckstedt spent the 20th anniversary of their father's Paris-Roubaix victory

14. And finally, my personal favourite this week, the sight of Jay Vine giving a thumbs up after his terrible crash at Itzulia Basque Country. Heal up, Jay!

Nine years after she first won the race, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) returned to the top step of the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, this time resplendent in the Italian tricolore. 

The 32-year-old, who struggled with injury and illness last season, looked back to her best, sprinting beyond Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-Sram) in the final meters to seal the win for Lidl-Trek. 

Longo Borghini was set up in the finale by her team-mate, Shirin van Anrooij, who broke free with 21km to go, but was caught and turned selflessly to help the Italian. The Dutchwoman's reward was the final podium place, her best Monument result to date. 

"It's just amazing," Longo Borghini said afterwards. "Shirin was a motorbike. In the end, we can be proud. First and third in a race like this is a huge team performance." 

Lidl-Trek's success came at the expense of SD Worx-Protime, whose leader Lotte Kopecky, the winner of the previous two editions, struggled to stay in front. On the Koppenberg, with 45km to go, the world champion was one of a number of riders who had to dismount and walk, so tough was the rain-soaked climb. 

"My back wheel was slipping," said Longo Borghini. "I knew from doing some mountain bike in the winter that I needed to keep the traction. I just took my own speed, and I saw that Kopecky was not there and we could do it."

The victory, then, looked poised for Van Anrooij, who led solo onto the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg, the final two climbs. Over the crest of the latter, Longo Borghini attacked with Niewiadoma, closing the gap to her team-mate and working with her towards the line. 

"This was a team move," the Italian explained. It was one that paid off, too. 

How it happened

A crash after just 10km, involving a handful of the key riders, shook the race up early on Sunday afternoon. The pile-up brought an abrupt end to the day for former Tour of Flanders champion Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) and Marlen Reusser (SD Worx-Protime), who both hit their heads and were forced to abandon. Deignan was later diagnosed with a broken arm, Reusser with a broken jaw.

Race favourite Kopecky was also held up by the crash, but did not come down. Still, having avoided the early scrape, misfortune would come for the world champion. 

On the Koppenberg, the seventh of 12 hellingen climbs, she was forced to climb off her bike and push, victim to the slippery double-figure gradients. The Belgian was then distanced shortly afterwards, falling over 30 seconds behind the race leaders, and struggling to keep the pace in the chasing group. 

Ahead, her SD Worx-Protime team-mate Demi Vollering also became unstuck. When Niewiadoma launched a characteristic long-range attack, 27km from the line, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift champion struggled to chase. 

The front of the race was then blown apart by Van Anrooij. The diminutive Dutchwoman, known for her cyclo-cross abilities, stormed clear with 21km to go and put daylight into her rivals on the approach to the Oude Kwaremont. Once there, she rode solo up the 2km slog, battling horizontal rain, cheered on by the masses. Fellow cyclo-cross stars Puck Pieterse (Fenix Deceuninck) and Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) chased in tandem pursuit. 

Van Anrooij took a slender 16-second advantage into the foot of the Paterberg, the final climb of the day. By the top, her gap was only a handful of seconds. Then it was gone. The 22-year-old was joined on the run-in to Oudenaarde by her team-mate Elisa Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma, and the trio began swapping through turns. 

With the finish line just 200m before them, Van Anrooij opened her sprint first. The move forced Niewiadoma to launch hers too, allowing Longo Borghini to come out of the Polish rider's slipstream and round her on the line. "We know that our strength is in the team," the Italian said afterwards. "I was just a kid when I won the race back in 2015. I think I can realise it a bit more, I'm more conscious of what I've been achieving."

Many expected the tactical masterclass would come from SD Worx-Protime, the most dominant team of recent years. Instead, the victory was stamped with the Lidl-Trek seal. 

Results

Tour of Flanders 2024: Antwerp > Oudenaarde (163km)

1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, in 4-16-04
2. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-Sram
3. Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Lidl-Trek, both at same time
4. Marianne Vos (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +9s
5. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime
6. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck
7. Silvia Persico (Ita) UAE Team ADQ, all at same time
8. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +15s
9. Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Liv AlUla Jaco, +1-40
10. Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) UAE Team ADQ, at same time

Talks are currently underway to take the shortened Tour of Britain Women to Wales this June. 

Sources told Cycling Weekly last week that discussions were currently being held between Wrexham County Borough Council and British Cycling in relation to Wrexham hosting the start of the race on the second stage. 

This was confirmed by Wrexham Council on Monday morning. A spokesperson for the council told Cycling Weekly that talks were ongoing but no contracts had been inked as of yet. 

"The Council has been approached by British Cycling and we are currently in discussions, but no formal agreement or commitment has been reached at this point," the spokesperson said. 

It's understood that similar formal negotiations are being held by British Cycling officials with Powys Council regarding the opening stage finishing in Llandudno after starting in mid-Wales. Possible locations for the start of stage one include both Welshpool and Newtown. 

This year will mark the first occasion that British Cycling has organised the Tour of Britain Women, after the event was rebranded in house by the national governing body after the demise of the former promoter of the Women’s Tour, SweetSpot. 

The final edition of the Women’s Tour visited Wales for two stages. Stages four and five took place in the country with the latter finishing on the Black Mountain in the Brecon Beacons. Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini took the stage before going on to win the race overall. 

A shortened version of the new BC managed race is due to take place in June on the usual dates occupied by the former Women’s Tour on the UCI calendar. 

After both the Women’s Tour and Tour of Britain were brought back under British Cycling management, BC CEO Jon Dutton admitted that the governing body was in a “race against time” to stage the women’s race in the summer. 

Cycling Weekly understands that despite positive negotiations taking place with a variety of stakeholders, nothing has been formally agreed regarding the location of any possible stages as of yet. The race also still lacks major commercial partners. 

The national federation has held two business networking events in both London and Manchester in recent weeks in an attempt to attract potential sponsors for both the women’s and men’s races. The London event was held in the BAFTA building in Piccadilly. 

It's understood that the overall response to British Cycling's search for potential sponsorship has been positive but nothing has been formalised.  

BC's major events arm, headed up by Jonathan Day, is now formally in charge of staging both the men's and women's events, and the former Ineos Grenadiers deputy principal, Rod Ellingworth, has been appointed the new race director for both races. 

Cycling Weekly approached British Cycling for comment in relation to this story.  

Opening Weekend brought some enthralling action, as it always does, to kickstart the Classics season, and it was once again dominated by team Visma-Lease a Bike. 

In a gripping two days of racing, Jan Tratnik was a semi-surprise winner in the men's edition of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The Slovenian saved the day for the Dutch super team with a late attack to secure the win in the closing stages of the race. 

Tratnik's teammate, Wout van Aert, took the honours at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Sunday after outsprinting fellow Belgian Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) to the line. 

Arguably, the biggest result of them all was Marianne Vos' return to winning ways in the women's edition of Omloop. The Dutchwoman secured her 259th career victory on the cobbles, her first win since having surgery on the iliac artery in her left leg last year. 

Here are five things we learned from Opening Weekend before the Classics season continues at Strade Bianche on Saturday. 

Elisa Longo Borghini has the legs for Classics success

The Italian national champion was one of the stand out performers in the women’s edition of Omloop and rightfully managed to secure a spot on the podium. 

As the race reached its finale, it was clear that Longo Borghini had the legs when it mattered and could still look to dictate the way the conclusion would go with some aggressive, attacking riding. Ultimately, it wasn’t to be, as an attack from the Lidl-Trek rider was thwarted by a group containing eventual winner, Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), and Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), who reeled her back in as the finish line approached. 

But the Italian still had enough in the tank to secure third in the final sprint. Based on this impressive start, Longo Borghini could be set to return to the top spot of the podium in a major Classic in the weeks ahead. 

Matteo Jorgenson has added further Classics firepower to Visma-Lease a bike 

If his performance on Saturday is anything to go on, Matteo Jorgenson could be set to become the next Christophe Laporte at Visma-Lease a Bike and continue the team’s run of astute signings.

The American was outstanding for Visma, regularly at the sharp end of the race, and he completely decimated the lead group on the climbs in the latter half of the cobbled Classic, particularly the Wolvenberg. 

At one stage, he even looked like he might solo to victory himself were it not for the high class chasing group breathing down his neck. 

Laporte has had a huge impact since he joined Richard Plugge’s team, winning a Tour de France stage as well as Gent-Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen last year. If Jorgenson continues on with the form he displayed on Saturday, he could be in for his best year yet. 

Soudal Quick-Step still some way off Classics-winning form 

Soudal Quick-Step were once a force to be reckoned with in the Belgian Classics, although based on Saturday, the team still appears to be some way off winning form. 

After Jumbo-Visma (now Visma-Lease a Bike) decimated the field to win both races on Opening Weekend last year, a change was very much afoot in the Classics hierarchy. Based on Saturday in particular, Quick-Step seem to still be nowhere near returning to their former dominant selves. 

The best placed rider for the team was Yves Lampaert who came in 21st. Despite Patrick Lefevere’s latest outburst, much of the team’s hopes were placed on the shoulders of Julian Alaphilippe prior to the action getting underway. 

However, Alaphilippe was involved in a crash and didn’t finish the race. 

The team vastly improved on Sunday with newbie Luke Lamperti taking seventh at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, but will it be down the Remco Evenepoel once again to save the team’s spring at Liège–Bastogne–Liège? 

Tom Pidcock on the right path to winning form  

Tom Pidcock was optimistic after his Opening Weekend performance, and rightly so. 

The British star was in the thick of the action for the majority of the day at Omloop but, in his own words, “ran out of legs” in the final moments. Nevertheless, there were some huge positives to take away from the weekend as Pidcock built for an attempt at defending his Strade Bianche title.

“You can’t be surprised at anything nowadays,” Pidcock said as he reflected on the race. “But when the race split at the start, you kind of hope in your mind that that's it, right there is going to be 25 guys racing the final.

“But then you come to the finish and there are two guys away that you hadn't seen all day. It's mad how it can play out and you don't give up in these races.”

“It was of course a hard day and the wind played a big part,” he added. “The race was open after 30-40 km. We spent the day in the wind. 

“I ran out of legs a little at the finish. I think I'm quite happy in the front and we did a good job as a team at the start of the race and got ourselves in the right position with four in front. We can build on that.”

SD Worx are beatable 

After their incredible dominance in the Classics last year, it was understandable that many envisaged SD Worx-Protime dominating Opening Weekend. 

The strength in depth, in terms of potential race winners, at the Dutch team is formidable and equal to that at Visma-Lease a Bike in the men’s WorldTour.

Last year, Kopecky got the ball rolling for her hugely successful year with victory at Omloop. But this time out, Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) had other ideas. 

No matter how much world champion Lotte Kopecky tried to get away in the closing stages of the action, her rivals were alert to it and managed to bring her back in each time. Expect SD Worx to come out swinging at Strade Bianche on Saturday as they look to get back to winning ways, but it appears that teams are ready to challenge the Dutch squad. Let's hope it continues.

This article is part of Cycling Weekly's 'the ride that changed me' series. Our writers hear from a range of professional and ex-professional cyclists about that one day on the bike that changed the trajectory of their career for good. 

Elisa Longo Borghini is one of a select few riders that can count a huge, Paris-Roubaix cobblestone trophy amongst her collection. Only some of the very best Classics riders - Eddy Merckx, Lizzie Deignan, Peter Sagan and Tom Boonen to name a few - can do likewise. 

As the second-ever winner of the women’s edition of the iconic cobbled classic, you would be forgiven for assuming that Longo Borghini would have highlighted her Roubaix win as that ride that changed her. The reality is that the big turning point in her career came far earlier than that fabled day in Belgium. 

The Italian Classics star tells Cycling Weekly that one of the biggest turning points in her career came on a rain swept afternoon in Varese, northern Italy. 

“So the ride that changed me was [Trofeo Alfreda] Binda 2013 which sounds like ages ago,” she says. “Actually, it is a while ago now and I won that race.”

“It was a very cold, rainy and grey day,” she adds. “It was my first World Cup - because at the time there were still World Cups - victory in all my career and the second victory in my life as an elite rider. 

“I was just delighted to win the race, I was really not expecting it because I was coming from 10 days where I was doing only easy rides because I had a problem with my left calf muscle. I just went into the race with no pressure and no thoughts [of winning].”

Riding for the Hitec Products UCK team at the time, Longo Borghini came up against several riders that she would eventually call teammates later on in her career at Trek-Segafredo (now Lidl-Trek). 

She recalls that when it came to crunch time and she decided to launch her race winning move, only one of those future teammates could follow. 

“I remember attacking on a descent because it was really wet,” she says. “I was like, 'okay, I'll try to make my attack here' and then I went away and only Spratty [Amanda Spratt] could follow me. 

"We stayed together for a little bit and then I dropped her on the last climb. When I crossed the line, I was really freezing but I was not feeling anything at the time because it was so much to enjoy.”

Nowadays when crossing the line first, Longo Borghini, like most other riders, would no doubt be seen sipping a recovery drink as she makes her way to the podium. But not back then. 

After such a foul day on the bike in bleak conditions, there was only one thing for it. Descend on the nearest restaurant to enjoy good food and drink and celebrate a momentous victory with friends and family. 

“After that I remember that we went to a restaurant and we ate two pizzas. I mean, I ate two pizzas,” she says with a laugh. “It was because I was so hungry and my parents were so happy and they were like 'okay, we just eat whatever we want' and I remember eating two pizzas and still being hungry because of the ride.

“So yeah, the reason why I chose this race is because I was really young at the time and I had no knowledge of where I could stand in the elite peloton. 

"There I realised that I could actually be quite alright and that my dreams could become true. And here I am now talking about it.”

Join us for the next instalment of 'the ride that changed me' in a fortnight's time.

Lizzie Deignan has said the uncertainty around the future of the Women’s Tour is “frustrating” particularly with the Olympics approaching. 

Cycling Weekly reported last week that the race is at risk of vanishing completely after the promoter, SweetSpot, entered liquidation due to being beset by severe financial difficulties in recent months. 

Deignan told Cycling Weekly that the permanent loss of the race from the women's WorldTour calendar would be particularly significant this year, with a lot of riders set to use the event as a warm up event for the Paris Olympics. 

"I’m really sorry to hear the news about SweetSpot,” she said. "Obviously I hope this isn’t the end of the Women’s Tour as that would be a shame for women’s cycling in the UK. It is such an iconic race with a big following and fanbase so I hope it can still return.

“This year it also falls at a crucial time in the season for Olympic preparation so the uncertainty around whether it is happening or not is frustrating.” 

Many will be looking at British Cycling to implement a rescue plan for both the Women’s Tour and the Tour of Britain in the coming months. The national governing body stripped the Tour of Britain race licence from SweetSpot last Autumn over an alleged unpaid race licence fee. 

It's understood that as well as the men’s race, British Cycling will also strive to ensure that the future of the Women’s Tour is also not left in the balance. 

A British Cycling spokesperson told Cycling Weekly: “We are making every possible effort to ensure that the Tour of Britain and a UCI Women’s World Tour stage race take place in 2024 and beyond, and will be in a position to provide further details in the coming weeks.”

Deignan acknowledged the positivity of British Cycling’s statement but said that she hoped a resolution could be reached quickly.  

She added: “It’s encouraging that British Cycling have said they are making every effort to make sure it happens though and I hope we can get some clarification soon.”

Deignan’s team, formerly known as Trek-Segafredo, have triumphed at the Women’s Tour twice in recent years. Deignan took the victory herself in 2019 and her teammate, Elisa Longho Borghini, won the race in 2022. 

Longo Borghini’s victory was also the last time the race was held. It was postponed in 2023 after SweetSpot’s financial issues first materialised. The promoter cancelled the race due to a lack of sponsorship funds. 

Longo Borghini echoed the sentiment of her teammate and said that the race had helped “raise the level” of women’s cycling. 

“It was slowly becoming one of the races that riders were looking at in their calendar to race,” she said. “So I will be very very sad [if it does not take place].” 

“It was an important stage race,” she added. “It always had a very good parcours, was very well organised, the crowd was really nice and you could feel a good vibe there. We as riders were always really happy to race it.

“I also have very good memories of the race. Especially from 2019 winning the GC with Lizzie, then in 2022 winning the GC myself in that very thrilling finale.” 

Elisa Longo Borghini, the most recent winner of the Women’s Tour, has said that the race not being held would be a major blow for the peloton. 

The Italian triumphed in the 2022 edition of the race, which happened to be the last time it was held before it was then postponed the following year by the promoter SweetSpot. 

Cycling Weekly revealed on Thursday that SweetSpot - the former promoter of both the Tour of Britain and the Women's Tour - has now entered liquidation after being beset by financial difficulties all but confirming the race is now at risk of vanishing completely. 

Longo Borghini said that she feared for the future of the race and highlighted its importance on the women’s WorldTour calendar.  

She said: “It's not nice if the Women's Tour is not taking place this year too because it's been one of the first races to really raise the level of women's cycling.

“It was slowly becoming one of the races that riders were looking at in their calendar to race. So I will be very very sad [if it does not take place].” 

“It was an important stage race,” she added. “It always had a very good parcours, was very well organised, the crowd was really nice and you could feel a good vibe there. We as riders were always really happy to race it.” 

As well as her own victory in 2022, Longo Borghini was also part of the Trek-Segafredo [now Lidl-Trek] team when Lizzie Deignan won the overall classification in 2019. 

“I also have very good memories of the race,” she explained. “Especially from 2019 winning the GC with Lizzie, then in 2022 winning the GC myself in that very thrilling finale.” 

The Italian also acknowledged that the potential loss of the race would be a huge disappointment for cycling fans in Britain. 

She said: “I did notice that the fans were always really cheering and they were really involved in the race and it was really nice for us, I can tell you. 

“I always really like to race in the UK because the people are very kind, they are very cheerful. Of course it will be something that they will miss, but we are also going to miss them. It also works the other way you know, we will be missing them too.”

After stripping SweetSpot of the Tour of Britain race licence last Autumn, all eyes now turn to British Cycling and the governing body’s plans for the future of the women's and men’s races. 

It's understood that as well as the Tour of Britain, British Cycling will also strive to ensure that a women's event will take place within the existing Women's Tour calendar slot. 

A British Cycling spokesperson told Cycling Weekly: “We are making every possible effort to ensure that the Tour of Britain and a UCI Women’s World Tour stage race take place in 2024 and beyond, and will be in a position to provide further details in the coming weeks.” 

There is no easy route to the top of world cycling. Izzy Sharp knows that. So when, at the age of 17, the Brit was entering her second and final year in the junior ranks, she decided to make her dreams come to her. 

A powerful rouleur and specialist against the clock, the teenager came through the same British Cycling cohort as Zoe Bäckstedt, who joined EF Education-TIBCO-SVB as a stagiaire in August 2022. 

Sharp wanted a pro contract, too. So she picked up her phone, and started reaching out. 

“In December [2022] and January [2023], I decided to contact teams myself and try and do it myself,” she tells Cycling Weekly. “My agent who I’m with now spoke to me back then about wanting to work with me, but my gut just didn’t tell me it was the right time yet.” 

Today, the 18-year-old is gearing up for her first races with Lidl-Trek, one of the top women’s WorldTour teams, with whom she has signed a three-year contract. Negotiations started with a message to one of the team’s most decorated riders. 

“I actually contacted Elisa Longo Borghini because I couldn’t find a contact for Ina[-Yoko Teutenberg, Lidl-Trek sports director], and she replied in like 10 minutes and gave me the email. It’s kind of a big thanks to her that I managed to make the contact.” 

Getting a contract, though, would not be that simple. 

“Ina just said it was way too early to give me anything more than interest,” Sharp recalls. “It was January, you know, the season hadn’t begun.” 

The teenager set out to impress when racing eventually came around in March.

She finished fourth in her first event, won her second at Gent-Wevelgem Juniors, before taking victory in the opening time trial at Omloop van Borsele, a three-stage race she went on to win. 

At the side of the road, watching from the other side of the barriers at Borsele, was three-time time trial world champion and Lidl-Trek rider Ellen van Dijk. 

“The team sent her as like a scout for riders,” Sharp says. “She ended up speaking to me and was asking me questions. 

“Then my agent happened to be at the race and it all started falling into place. Ellen spoke to him, and he ended up getting in contact with Ina. As soon as they showed interest, I said to my agent, ‘That’s the team I want to go with.’ There was no question about it. And that was that.” 

This year, Sharp is one of five 18-year-olds at Lidl-Trek. Van Dijk, she says, has joked to her about the age gap between the two of them. “She was like, ‘When I was your age, you were born,’” the teenager laughs. 

"If four years ago someone told me what I’d be doing now, I wouldn’t believe it. But because It’s happening, you just kind of keep going with the flow.” 

Although she is yet to race with her new teammates, Sharp has spent time with them on a trip to Chicago, USA, and a training camp in Spain. One rider she has clicked with is former world champion Lizzie Deignan. 

“I call her a tech dino[saur],” the 18-year-old laughs. “She’s so useless, honestly. You see her Instagram and you can just tell it’s done by other people.

“I get on with her really well. To be honest, I got home [from the training camp] and my parents were like, ‘Who do you get on with the most?’ And I couldn’t really say. It’s a nice environment where you’re just all one big group. I keep referring to it as like a family. That’s what it feels like.” 

Now, Sharp is less than a month away from her first pro race, the WorldTour-ranked UAE Tour. Coincidentally, last year’s edition was won by Longo Borghini, the rider who helped kickstart the teenager’s path into the squad.  

“It’s pretty mega,” Sharp says of the prospect of racing alongside the Italian. In fact, the whole experience, she says, is “a little bit surreal”.

“It’s the little things, that are so normal for some, but to me are so, so cool,” she says, “like it has my name on my kit and my bag. 

“It makes you feel, I guess, professional, but I still don’t like people calling me it yet. My mum made a joke the other day like, ‘Oh you’re a professional cyclist now,’ and I was like, ‘Don’t say it yet!’” Sharp smiles. “I still feel like little old me from the New Forest.” 

There's just one more sleep until the second edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift gets underway. 

It's a race that arrives with a lot of anticipation, and this year, the organisers have turned it up a notch. For the first time, the peloton will contest a high-mountain finish in the Col du Tourmalet, before taking on a final-day time trial.  

Ahead of the race, here's a closer look at five riders we expect to be in the mix of the GC battle, whether they're jostling for the yellow jersey, or fighting for the final podium spot. 

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar)

The reigning champion is the out-and-out favourite for victory at this year’s Tour de France Femmes. It’s almost as if the route was tailored to fit her; she’s often unrivalled in the high mountains, and is one of the fastest against the clock, as her Olympic gold medal proves. 

This season, Van Vleuten has sacrificed some of her explosiveness to focus more on consistency in stage races… and it’s paying off. She won the first two Grand Tours of the year - the Vuelta Femenina and the Giro d’Italia Donne - and her form puts her on course to complete another impressive treble. 

Supporting her bid this year, the Movistar rider will have the benefit of some quality climbing domestiques in new recruits Liane Lippert and Floortje Mackaij. The pair, formerly of Team DSM, were brought in to bolster the squad at the start of this season, and could prove crucial in the team’s yellow jersey hunt. 

Demi Vollering (SD Worx)

Second last time round, the SD Worx rider enters the race as the main pretender to Van Vleuten’s throne. 

Her results this season have been staggering. After winning Strade Bianche in March, Vollering went on to take a historic clean sweep in the Ardennes, before finishing a narrow runner-up to Van Vleuten at the Vuelta Femenina, losing out on the title by just nine seconds. 

By the time the race reaches Pau, the 26-year-old hopes it’ll be her on the top step. “She has a very big chance,” said her team-mate Lotte Kopecky, who has pledged her full support as a lieutenant. “I think all of our riders really believe that she can win this Tour de France.”

Juliette Labous (dsm-firmenich)

With all the build-up centred around the two Dutchwomen, Labous’s talent has gone somewhat under the radar. The Frenchwoman, however, should be right up there in the GC fight. 

At last July’s first edition, she finished as the top-ranked home rider, placing fourth, less than a minute off the podium. She comes into this year’s race in better form, having taken a career-best GC result at the Giro Donne, where she finished second to Van Vleuten, and showed she could hold pace uphill. 

Labous’s goal, she has made clear, is the final podium spot. “If I get the podium, that would be great,” she said ahead of the race. “But if, for example, I come sixth, knowing I’ve given everything, I would have no regrets.”

Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek)

The Italian is one of the peloton’s finest climbers, and will have circled stage seven’s summit finish on the Col du Tourmalet as a day to make a difference. 

That said, there’s not a stage that doesn’t suit the 31-year-old all-rounder. She’s the current Italian road race and time trial champion, and has proved herself in hillier Classics races, like Strade Bianche and the Trofeo Alfredo Binda. 

There is, however, a big question mark over Longo Borghini at this year’s Tour de France Femmes. She crashed out of the Giro Donne earlier this month, abandoning with a suspected concussion (which she fortunately didn’t have), and hasn’t raced since. 

She will also be without her diminutive climbing sidekick, Gaia Realini, who is sitting this race out.

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance - Soudal Quick-Step) 

Moolman Pasio is one of only a handful of riders who can say they’ve beaten Van Vleuten in a stage race in recent years. For the South African, that victory came last October at the Tour de Romandie, where she ruled supreme on the long climb to Thyon 2000. 

Interestingly, the Swiss climb isn’t unalike the Col du Tourmalet. They’re similar in length, and reach almost the exact same altitude, both just over 2,000 metres tall. Could the 37-year-old repeat the feat? 

Last year, she rode in support of Vollering at SD Worx, but with a whole team now built around her, there's an excitement about what she can do. “I believe I’m on the perfect trajectory to really be the best I’ve ever been,” she recently told Cyclingnews. 

On Sunday, Remco Evenepoel and Demi Vollering took the spoils in the final race of the spring block, Liège-Bastogne-Liège. 

There, in the industrial heartlands of Belgium, rain fell on the peloton. Some wondered if the world champion might have regretted his choice of white bib shorts, but, even water-soaked, they made for a powerful image as he crossed the line solo. 

Fashion critique aside, here are five things we learned from the day's racing.  

Tadej Pogačar is fallible

Tadej Pogačar, despite suspicions otherwise, is human after all. The two-time Tour de France champion fractured his wrist in the early stages of the race, following a  crash with EF Education-EasyPost’s Mikkel Honoré. 

Interestingly, it was the first time Pogačar has had to abandon a race due to a crash since joining UAE Team Emirates in 2019. Previous DNFs, of which there are few across his results, have been due to fatigue or illness. 

Pogačar’s crash in Liège sadly meant that his string of victories, and the possibility of an Ardennes triple, came to an abrupt end on Sunday. He’s now expected to be sidelined for the next four to six weeks, before returning to the Tour of Slovenia, his home race, which he has won the past two years' editions. 

Demi Vollering is indomitable

SD Worx rider Demi Vollering has been the standout performer in the Spring Classics this season, with five wins already to her name. 

Her victory in Liège, where she outkicked Elisa Longo Borghini to the line, crowned a historic Ardennes triple, making her the first rider to complete the feat since her team sports director Anna van der Breggen did so in 2017. 

When Vollering bridged across to the front of the race with 11km to go, everything looked true to the script. Longo Borghini did her best to topple the SD Worx leader, but with Vollering’s current form and confidence, second was the best the Italian could manage. 

Much of the discussion at the start of the season surrounded the Dutchwoman's team-mates Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes, and how the two might dominate the flatter events. Yet, as spring comes to a close, it's Vollering who has so far shone the brightest at SD Worx. 

EF have a real talent in Ben Healy

If Vollering was spring's standout performer, then Irishman Ben Healy was the surprise package. It’s a credit to the way the 22-year-old is racing that he was listed alongside Remco Evenepoel and Pogačar as one of the pre-race favourites for Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and telling that he was disappointed with fourth place. 

Still, he said: “If you had told me two weeks ago, I would’ve bitten your hand off for it." 

After Evenepoel and Tom Pidcock broke free over the Côte de La Redoute, Healy kept the faith, “dieseled away” and attacked his way into the chasing group. He’d later pay for his efforts, lacking the punch to compete in the sprint for the podium. 

A first-year WorldTour pro with EF Education-EasyPost, Healy’s next race will be the Giro d’Italia, where he’ll make his Grand Tour debut. Many are tipping him as a contender for stage wins. The Irishman, too, will fancy his chances. 

Elisa Longo Borghini is back to her best

Longo Borghini’s early-season campaign was thrown into doubt when she tested positive for Covid after the Tour of Flanders. Struck down by illness, she was bed-ridden for 10 days, and forced to sit out her home Classics: Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Strade Bianche. 

The Italian returned to action at Paris-Roubaix, hoping to defend her 2022 title, but came down in a heavy crash on the cobbles and rode home for 21st place. Similar results came at Amstel Gold and Flèche Wallonne, but top 10s eluded her.  

Sunday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège, however, marked a turning point for the Trek-Segafredo rider. She rode aggressively, as she has always liked to, and narrowly missed out on glory in a two-up finish with Vollering. With the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift fast approaching, Longo Borghini is quickly returning to form. 

TV coverage disappoints

For a race of the historic calibre of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, it was disappointing to see limited coverage of both the women’s and men’s races. Viewers were left in the dark for the first 100km of each event, missing the formation of the breakaway in the women’s race, and Pogačar’s critical crash in the men’s. 

Broadcasters, of course, can only show the footage they are given by the hosts. Ahead of the men’s race, organisers ASO chose to show pre-race interviews, social media clippings and an EF Education-EasyPost team briefing rather than cutting straight to the live coverage. 

Commentator Ned Boulting summed up the wait for live coverage with a witty comparison on Twitter. Referring to the women’s race, of which viewers only saw the final 46km, he wrote: “Welcome to the last 10 minutes of the FA Cup final. But first, here’s how the two teams made it to Wembley.”

It's J-100 until the second edition of the Tour de France Femmes (D-100 for those who don't speak French). That is not just what the press release from the race organisers says, but that is what the numbers say that I have scrawled in front of me, which is why Marion Rousse ascended the Arc de Triomphe on Friday to celebrate the big day.

100 days is a long time, and there is a lot of racing to happen in between - the Ardennes Classics, La Vuelta Femenina and the Giro d'Italia Donne to name some - but it will pass astonishingly quickly, and one can quite easily pick out the riders who will be challenging in the south of France this summer.

On Friday, the 22 teams that will contest the second edition were announced: the 15 Women's WorldTour teams, plus Ceratizit WNT and Lifeplus Wahoo, and five wildcard teams. The wildcards are AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step, Arkéa, Cofidis, St Michel Mavic-Auber93, and Coop-Hitec Products.

Last year's Tour was dominated by Lorena Wiebes (then DSM, now SD Worx), Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) and Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), who won the final two mountainous stages and thus the overall.

This year, it could be the same, but it seems unlikely. First of all, the route is completely different, taking in the Col du Tourmalet among a challenging route, and only one of the three riders mentioned above - Wiebes - has won anything to date in 2023.

As a result, it's time to take a look at the contenders for the maillot jaune this July. Will anyone be able to wrest it out of Van Vleuten's hands this time around?

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar)

Age: 40
Nationality: Dutch
Tour de France overall wins: 1
Tour de France stage wins: 2
Best GC position: 1st
GC wins: 14

The defending champion will inevitably go into the second edition of the Tour de France Femmes as the overwhelming favourite again. She is currently still the best GC rider in the world, and in her final year as a professional will not want to show any signs of slowing down. Just look at the margin with which she won last year's race: 3-48.

Her 2023 to date has been underwhelming by Van Vleuten's high standards, without a win so far, although fourth place at Valenciana and Strade Bianche would be impressive for anyone else. 

It is when the road starts going upwards that the Dutchwoman's abilities will show themselves, however, and with the inclusion of the Col du Tourmalet in this year's race, all signs point to another Van Vleuten masterclass in the Pyrenees.

Add in a final day time trial - a discipline she has twice been world champion in - and it is hard to look past another Van Vleuten victory. Her performances at La Vuelta Femenina and the Giro d'Italia Donne (two races she won last year) will point to whether she is in form still.

After a disappointing 27th in her final Tour of Flanders, Van Vleuten argued she was still at the top of her game: “I did my best 60-minute power numbers ever, but that’s not much use if you’re not in the front. I really would have liked to test my legs and see if I could have followed Lotte [Kopecky, the eventual winner]."

Demi Vollering (SD Worx)

Age: 26
Nationality: Dutch
Tour de France overall wins: 0
Tour de France stage wins: 0
Best GC position: 2nd
GC wins: 2

If not Van Vleuten, then who? Tour runner-up Demi Vollering is surely in the box-seat to take over the title as best Dutchwoman in the peloton, and therefore more or less the best rider in the world.

The 26-year-old has raced just five times this season, but that includes two victories (Strade Bianche and Dwars door Vlaanderen) and two second places (Tour of Flanders and Brabantse Pijl). She will hope to add to this tally in the Ardennes over the next week.

The Tour will be the perfect opportunity for Vollering to prove that her climbing has improved, especially on long drags. As the woman who finished second behind Van Vleuten on Le Markstein and La Planche des Belles Filles last summer, Vollering will be one of the big favourites this summer.

Her SD Worx team is as strong as ever, dominating the Spring Classics, but will a split-strategy between GC and sprints with Lorena Wiebes backfire? Movistar will be all-in behind Van Vleuten, comparatively. However, with the likes of Lotte Kopecky, Marlen Reusser and Christine Majerus supporting her, Vollering should have enough firepower to challenge.

"If I look at my own training, I know I grow so much every year, and at the Tour de France I set new records, because I was my best self there," Vollering explained earlier this year. "I really believe that I am good, and also I'm getting better, and I'm getting better faster than she [Van Vleuten] does at the moment. 

"Of course she's older, so it's more difficult for her to gain more. I really believe it's possible to beat her, but I try more to focus on my own race, and get everything out of myself, and then I hope I'm strong enough to beat her."

Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo)

Age: 31
Nationality: Italian
Tour de France overall wins: 0
Tour de France stage wins: 0
Best GC position: 6th
GC wins: 6

Elisa Longo Borghini has had an interesting season to date, winning the inaugural UAE Tour Women before Covid took her out of action in the run up to the cobbled Classics. She still managed an impressive third at the Tour of Flanders, before a crash ruined her chances at Paris-Roubaix.

It is her form at the UAE Tour that is relevant to the Tour de France more than anything else, however, with the Italian being the fastest up Jebel Hafeet, something that bodes well for more climbing-heavy races later this year.

Longo Borghini competed at the Giro and the Tour last summer, a double which would not be unexpected again this season; fourth and sixth feels like a record that could be bettered, though.

The Italian will have the same problem as Vollering in having a team with a split-strategy: Elisa Balsamo will be there for the sprints. With the return of Lizzie Deignan, however, and support from the likes of Brodie Chapman and Amanda Spratt, the Trek team for the Tour will be strong.

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Suez)

Age: 27
Nationality: Danish
Tour de France overall wins: 0
Tour de France stage wins: 1
Best GC position: 7th
GC wins: 3

One of only four riders to win a stage at last year's Tour de France, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig will hope to go even better at this year's edition. The Dane is coming into the years which should mark her best, and with the support of the only French team on the Women's WorldTour, could do something special this July.

Victory at last summer's Tour of Scandinavia was the 27-year-old's first WorldTour GC win, and this should give her confidence for stage races in 2023. Third at Strade Bianche is her best result this year to date, but one feels like there is more to come.

Uttrup Ludwig is one of the best climbers in the women's peloton, so is positioned well to take advantage of the hillier stages in this year's route. Add in her strong FDJ Suez squad with the likes of Marie Le Net, Évita Muzic and Grace Brown, and she could mount a serious GC challenge.

"Annemiek last year showed that she was clearly the strongest," the Dane said in March. "To try and beat her and to beat a team like, say, SD Worx, who also have strong cards, I think we need to use our force, our strong cards." 

Juliette Labous (DSM)

Age: 24
Nationality: French
Tour de France overall wins: 0
Tour de France stage wins: 0
Best GC position: 4th
GC wins: 1

France expects. No pressure, Juliette. The 24-year-old finished fourth at last year's Tour de France Femmes, 7-28 down on Van Vleuten, sure, but well within the conversation for a podium spot. Another year's development could only be a good thing for the DSM rider, who despite her youth has been around for a few years now.

A solid first experience of the Tour de France means she is ready for a second tilt at the biggest race of them all, a race which has meant she is now well-know in France.

Over the off-season, she has been working on her ability to match the attacks of those around her.

"I worked on my climbing ability for three seasons, but we changed it a bit this winter to become more complete while still keeping those resistance capabilities," Labous told Cyclingnews this month.

"I was not explosive enough to cover attacks, and so we have tried to work on that more so that I can react better while keeping the climbing level as high as possible, and I still need to make some steps to race with the best."

DSM do not appear to have been unduly impacted by the departure of Lorena Wiebes to SD Worx, having a ready-made replacement in Charlotte Kool. While the rest of the team is largely inexperienced, it could be that youthful exuberance helps Labous to glory.

The best of the rest: Niewiadoma, Persico, Brown and Moolman Pasio

Third place last year, Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM), cannot be discounted from the conversation. The 28-year-old has had a below-radar 2023 to date, but will surely be on top of her game come July. The Pole was 6-35 behind Van Vleuten and almost three minutes behind Vollering, but could easily be the best of the rest at the Tour.

Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) has made the step up to WorldTour this year and has impressed so far, finishing third at the UAE Tour, fourth at Flanders and winning Brabantse Pijl, in front of Vollering. The Italian finished fifth at the inaugural Tour, so clearly has the legs to challenge, and is a comfortable bet for a top-ten spot, but can she go higher?

It's difficult to see Grace Brown (FDJ Suez) launching an all-in tilt at Tour glory, largely due to the preeminence of her teammate Uttrup Ludwig, but the Australian could be a GC contender in her own right. One of the two winners of a WordTour stage race this season, at the Tour Down Under, the 30-year-old would not be out of place as a stage winner, or up there on the overall.

Free of the need to work for others at SD Worx, Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) will be ready to launch her own challenge at the Tour this summer. The South African won the Tour de Romandie last year, in front of Van Vleuten, so is obviously an excellent rider. Second at Valenciana in February also showed good form, and the 37-year-old has a point to prove at her new team.

Stage hunters: Elisa Balsamo, Lorena Wiebes, Lotte Kopecky and Charlotte Kool

SD Worx will be packed with talent at the second Tour de France Femmes, with Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes both likely to lineup. The latter is one of the fastest riders in the world, while the former has proved throughout this season to be the best puncheur in the peloton. It would not shock if the Dutch team dominated the Tour; Wiebes already has two stage wins and will be hungry for more.

Wiebes' biggest rivals in the sprints will be Charlotte Kool (DSM) and Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo), two riders that have bested her at times this season, proving that the European champion is not unbeatable. How much freedom all these riders get from working for their GC options remains to be seen.

Meanwhile Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma), the green jersey winner at last year's Tour de France Femmes, after two stage wins, will surely be targeting it once more. Her slow start to 2023 should not be an issue come July.

For most sprinters, being boxed in in a finale is a nightmare. Not for Charlotte Kool, though. 

As the Team DSM rider hurtled towards the finish line in Abu Dhabi on stage four of the UAE Tour Women, she found herself trapped behind her former team-mate Lorena Wiebes. It wasn’t the plan, but fortunately the elements were on her side. 

“The plan was to start actually earlier,” Kool told the media, including Cycling Weekly, after the stage. “I guess with the wind it was perfect timing and it turned out pretty good.” 

By the city’s marina, boat sails grappled with the breeze. Kool, having lost her lead-out woman Pfeiffer Georgi on the run-in to the line, was forced to improvise, latching onto Wiebes’s wheel and biding her time into the headwind.

“I think, if I saw it right, her lead-out was done quite early, so she was kind of forced to go early,” Kool said of her SD Worx sprint rival. “I have to say, we also didn’t expect this wind. It wasn’t really on the weather protocols.

“It was really chaotic. I was quite boxed in, but I just said ok, wait, wait, wait, wait until I find a gap, then I found a gap and I launched my sprint.” 

With 50m to go, Kool kicked down on the pedals and rounded her compatriot. It was déjà vu for many. Wiebes had been caught out again by the wind - as had happened on stage one - and Kool was poised to pounce. So too was UAE Team ADQ’s Chiara Consonni, who pipped Wiebes to second. 

“It seems it was perfect being boxed in,” Kool said. 

Reflecting on her bookended victories at the race, she added: “I think we started it the right way, and we finished it in the right way. I’m really, really happy we ended it this way with the team. We had an amazing week and it’s a dream come true.”

At the start of the stage, a local brass band performed the Rocky theme as the riders rolled out. It seemed an odd soundtrack, but ultimately a fitting one. For in the race’s final sprint match-up, Kool dealt a knockout blow, proving not only that she has the power, but also the tactical nous to win. 

Elisa Longo Borghini seals red jersey

On the podium in Abu Dhabi, Trek-Segafredo’s Elisa Longo Borghini stood in a cloud of red and gold confetti as the winner of the UAE Tour. 

It seemed somewhat of a formality, really. Having conquered Jebel Hafeet on Saturday, drawing out an advantage of over a minute to UAE Team ADQ’s Silvia Persico, Sunday’s final stage ended up being a victory procession. A late dig from Liane Lippert (Movistar) threatened to spoil the parade, but it was quickly quashed, and the Italian was able to cross the line with a smile. 

“It was quite an easy day,” Longo Borghini said after the race. “It’s been an amazing four days for us, for Trek-Segafredo, and we are delighted to be here.

“I feel actually really proud to be the first woman to win this Tour and I’m looking forward to the next edition. I hope this Tour will become a classic of the February calendar.” 

The day before the inaugural UAE Tour began, Longo Borghini took part in a pre-race press conference. There, Cycling Weekly asked her if she was hoping to win. “Well," she replied, "to say that I’m here to win it, it’s a little bit arrogant. I’m here to give my best together with my team and to make it a good race.” 

From forcing splits in the crosswinds on stage two, to riding clear of the peloton on stage three, the Italian certainly stayed true to her word. 

After the race, as road workers dismantled the barriers down the home straight, Longo Borghini was asked how she plans to celebrate her victory. “We are planning to go out with the staff to have some drinks and some ice cream,” she said. A well-earned treat after an impressive four days of racing.

Kool won the green jersey as the best sprinter, while Gaia Realini (Trek-Segafredo) was named the race's best young rider and Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka (Canyon-Sram) the winner of the intermediate sprints competition. 

When the podium announcer read out Gaia Realini’s name as the best young rider at the UAE Tour Women, Elisa Longo Borghini punched the air. 

Her diminutive Trek-Segafredo team-mate, who has idolised her since she was seven years old, had given everything for her on stage three’s climb to Jebel Hafeet. So strong were the duo, that from 5km to go, they rode solo up the craggy limestone monolith. They laughed together as they approached the line, where Realini eased off and let Longo Borghini roll her wheel over first. 

The Paris-Roubaix winner didn’t want to speak about herself in her press interviews after the race. Immediately, she launched into a eulogy of her 21-year-old compatriot. “Gaia is such a young talent,” she said, “and I really want to have her on my side in the next years, to see her grow as a rider and a person. 

“She’s a very strong climber and I’m looking forward to see her climbing up the world rankings.”

For most of the steeply pitched 10km ascent, Realini rode with Longo Borghini in tow, leaving their rivals in tatters. First they dropped UAE Team ADQ's Silvia Persico - who eventually fought back to finish third - before young Brit Anna Shackley (SD Worx) lost the wheel. Team DSM’s Esmée Peperkamp held on the longest, but at the halfway point, she couldn’t hold the pace, and watched on as the Trek duo floated away up the road. 

With victory guaranteed, Longo Borghini and Realini needed to decide who would take it. “First I said ‘Gaia takes the win, and I take the jersey’,” Longo Borghini said. But with just three seconds separating them in the GC, and bonus seconds on the line, the team bosses intervened. 

“The sports director of course did some calculations and said ‘It’s better that Elisa takes the jersey and the victory and we give Gaia an opportunity the next time.’

“Gaia was like ‘I really want you to win this race.’ She was really, really into it, and then all of a sudden, when I was in the front, she said in a South Italian dialect ‘Oh gosh, I want to cry.’ And it was just funny, I had to laugh. She’s always making everybody laugh.” 

When Realini came to the media tent, it was Longo Borghini’s turn to protect her team-mate. “Her English is good,” the stage winner told the press, “but only ask simple questions.” 

How had the 21-year-old found the day? “Incredible,” she replied. “For me this is the first race in the big team, this team, and for me to arrive in second position… Whoa. It’s a good day, it’s impossible for me."

Asked what her own career ambitions are, Realini spoke like a true domestique. “For me, my goal in the future is to help Elisa in other races, on the climbs,” she said, “and Elisa will help me on the climbs as well.” 

Longo Borghini now leads the UAE Tour ahead of Sunday's finale in Abu Dhabi. Barring any incidents, Realini should finish in second. The question now is who will join them on the podium, with the final spot currently held by Persico. 

There were 168 race days across the men's WorldTour season, with the World Championships added in, and 75 race days in the Women's WorldTour, meaning deciding which were the best triumphs of 2022 is a quite difficult endeavour.

I mean, it would be difficult were it not clear which was the best win of the year already: Annemiek van Vleuten's World Championship road race victory in Wollongong was the most memorable end to a race of the year, and possibly one of the most incredible finishes ever, such was the drama.

However, it would be quite a boring list were this to just contain Van Vleuten's Australian adventure, so there are eight more on here for you to recall; some you might have forgotten, and some you almost definitely have not.

Seeing as there is such a breadth of racing to take a pick from, from both women's and men's races, there should probably be some ground rules.

Firstly, all these races are from the WorldTour, the highest level of racing, or the World Championships, or we would get stuck in a never ending list of our own making. Secondly, there can only be one pick per race, otherwise some would dominate while others were forgotten.

The Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes were great, but they can only be represented once. Interestingly, one wonders whether these seem so great in our memory because they were the events of the year, with all the hype; memory is a fickle thing.

Finally, only one pick per rider, or it could be a bit imbalanced towards certain riders, so only one win from Wout van Aert, Tadej Pogačar or Annemiek van Vleuten.

So, off the back of these rules, honourable mentions must go to Mark Cavendish at the British nationals, Tom Pidcock at the Tour, Annemiek van Vleuten at the Giro d'Italia Donne, and Lotte Kopecky at the Tour of Flanders, among others. If you disagree, please feel free to get angry, but remember, this is just my opinion, not a comprehensive list. 

Anyway, here we go, chronologically...

Lotte Kopecky - Strade Bianche

Lotte Kopecky had a great season, which was made all the more impressive by it being her first year with SD Worx, a super team where she could have been crowded out by other talents. Instead, she thrived under pressure. I could have picked her victory at the Tour of Flanders, which I was there for, with all the emotion of a Belgian winning in the Belgian tricolor, but her win at Strade Bianche was more impressive.

The 27-year-old was off the front of the race on three separate occasions, twice with Annemiek van Vleuten, the only rider to have ever won the race twice. The all-conquering Dutchwoman was clearly the rider to watch, and was part of the large group which came into Siena together, along with Kopecky.

However, with the help of her teammate Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, the Belgian timed her attacks perfectly, sprinting around the final corner into the Piazza del Campo in front of Van Vleuten, preventing her from winning a third, and showing what a powerful and shrewd racer she has become.

She used the right line around that last bend, forcing Van Vleuten wide in the process, guaranteeing her the best shot at that famous finish in the middle of the medieval city. It was a perfect start to her time at SD Worx.

"You’re never confident [of beating van Vleuten], but I had a good feeling today, and I knew the person to follow was Annemiek and first, I had to let her go a bit," Kopecky said after. "I don’t know what happened in my head, but I just kept going, and when we turned to the right, I passed her, but then the other corner, she passed me again, and it was really just one sprint to the last corner. It is amazing to win this race."

Tadej Pogačar - Strade Bianche

Back to Tuscany once again - there is something about Strade Bianche that makes it a must-watch, and seems to always produce fantastic racing.

Back in March Tadej Pogačar took a different approach to Kopecky had done earlier the same day, and rather than sticking with the favourites until the final climb, decided to go it alone from far out, very far out in fact. The kilometres to go ticker had barely gone down past 50km when the Slovenian powered off the front on a gravel sector.

It wasn't as much a stinging attack as gliding away, and then holding onto that lead for well over an hour. By the final climb into Siena the race was over, and it looked like a year in which Pogačar would conquer all again - this might not have exactly come true, but there were still golden moments.

Christophe Laporte - Paris-Nice, stage one

Jumbo-Visma seemed on fire throughout the year, and we will come back to their brilliant teamwork a bit later, but this statement victory at the beginning of Paris-Nice set the tone.

Jumbo-Visma used a short third category climb six kilometres from the finish to unleash panic in the peloton and to put themselves into a commanding position that set them up for the win and denied the sprinters the chance they had been hoping would arise.

The trio of Primož Roglič, Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte flew up the final ascent with the peloton behind them unable to respond, before the three riders descended in unison and then crossed the line as one, Laporte being afforded the honours of taking the stage win with Roglič coming home in second. The peloton were 22 seconds in arrears.

Roglič ended up winning overall, after his team controlled the race from start to finish. Not a bad start to the stage racing season.

Matej Mohorič - Milan-San Remo

With the help of an innovation - a dropper seat post - Matej Mohorič descended to victory at Milan-San Remo, taking his first Monument in the process. 

With the bunch settling momentarily as the Poggio was crested, the Slovenian took his chance to attack, descending with nerves of steel and managing to create a slender gap back to the bunch. There were a couple of nervy moments as he went wide into a corner or two, but he kept it going to power to the line.

As he told Cycling Weekly before Christmas: “To have a plan come together like this is probably a once in a lifetime experience.”

Marta Cavalli - Amstel Gold Race

As we will see, when Annemiek van Vleuten makes a decisive attack, that is usually that, race over. However, back at the Amstel Gold Race it did not go the Dutchwoman's way - although it would at Liège-Bastogne-Liège three weeks later. On this Sunday, though, on her home roads, it was not a day for AVV but for Marta Cavalli.

The Italian caught her companions in the lead group by surprise with just under 2km to go, on the final ascent of the Cauberg, and stormed to victory. In an FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope shorn of their natural leader in Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, the French squad had to get inventive, and were aggressive all day. That spirit did not end, with Cavalli proving her mettle.

Despite the presence of two SD Worx riders - Ashleigh Moolman Pasio and Demi Vollering - and other fast finishers like Kasia Niewiadoma and Elisa Balsamo chasing, Cavalli picked her moment to perfection, and once she got going, no one could stop her. It was an attack full of bravery.

The Frenchwoman would go on to triumph at Flèche Wallonne a fortnight later, proving herself as the Queen of the Ardennes races for 2022.

Elisa Longo Borghini - Paris-Roubaix

There have only been two editions of Paris-Roubaix Femmes to date, and yet we appear to have stumbled upon a formula for the race already: A Trek-Segafredo rider goes on a perfectly timed solo attack, and wins alone in the velodrome. We will have to wait until April to see if this stands up for a third time in a row.

In 2022 it was Elisa Longo Borghini's turn to power to victory across the cobbles. The Italian champion attacked solo with 38km of the race remaining, and though her lead was never secure, her Trek-Segafredo team mates behind made the case difficult.

Behind her, a group of seven women formed in pursuit, but with two team mates in attendance the chase was unable to gel and the Italian took a lead approaching 30 seconds into the Roubaix velodrome.

The win had been set up from early on, with Ellen van Dijk forcing the pace on the first cobbled sector, and by the time Longo Borghini went, no one could match her. A glorious day for the Italian.

Biniam Girmay - Giro d'Italia, stage 10

As landmark wins go, this was a big one, with Biniam Girmay becoming the first Eritrean and first black African rider to win a Grand Tour stage.

The win was a lot more than that though, with stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia becoming more and more chaotic on the run in to the finish in Jesi. The difficulty of the finalé can be seen in the varied names of competitors who finished behind Girmay: Mathieu van der Poel, Richard Carapaz and Romain Bardet were all close.

Coming into the final 500m, the Eritrean hit the front as he launched off of teammate Domenico Pozzovivo's rear wheel. The Eritrean superbly managed to fend off Van der Poel in the closing stages with his superior strength.

Recognising he didn't have the legs to beat Girmay, the Dutchman gave his rival a thumbs up while crossing the finish line. It was beautiful.

Sadly, an incident with the Prosecco cork on the podium meant he had to depart the race early, but the young man will be back at the top. 

Wout van Aert - Tour de France, stage four

Another race in France, another masterclass from Jumbo-Visma. This time, Wout van Aert was the beneficiary of excellent teamwork from Tiesj Benoot and Christophe Laporte, with the final categorised hill providing the launch pad for his audacious attack with 11km to go. Simply put, no one could catch the Belgian in yellow once he had gone.

Jumbo had dramatically upped the tempo on that final climb, splitting the peloton up the hill. Only Ineos Grenadiers were attempting to keep pace through Adam Yates, but Van Aert attacked again and was never seen again.

Such was the surprise of his solo attack that Jasper Philipsen didn't even realise that his sprint for the line was for second place, and the Belgian celebrated as if he had won. The problem was, Van Aert was already warming down ahead of the peloton.

It wasn't the last of Jumbo-Visma's impressive attacks at the Tour - the Col du Granon stage which saw Jonas Vingegaard crack Tadej Pogačar was a highlight, but the day in Calais stands out as a great win.

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig - Tour de France Femmes, stage three

Uttrup Ludwig's biggest victory to date came at the end of a long, tough, lumpy day from Reims to Épernay, and from an elite group that contained the yellow jersey, Marianne Vos, and the eventual overall winner, Annemiek van Vleuten. It also followed an opening couple of days of the Tour where things had been tough for Uttrup Ludwig’s FDJ-Suez- Futuroscope team, with her losing lots of time on GC on stage two, and Marta Cavalli being forced to abandon. 

Even with 200 metres to go, the Dane looked out of it, with Vos, Ashleigh Moolman Pasio and Kasia Niewiadoma looking like they were in the driving seat, but Uttrup Ludwig would surge around the trio in the final 100 metres, to take the biggest win of her career. 

The whole race was a stunning advertisement for women's cycling, Van Vleuten's dominance excepted, and stage three was just another part of that. 

Speaking to Cycling Weekly in December, Uttrup Ludwig could barely believe her success still: “The Tour definitely stands out as the highlight of the season. It was more the circumstances of that day having lost so much time on GC, and having lost Marta [Cavalli] the day before, and everything looking so black and dark, and the team being so down. The day after, to win, to go through such a roller coaster, was very special and kind of amazing. 

“I didn’t know I had won until I had almost crossed the line. OK, the last few metres, when I couldn’t see anyone, but it was not until I crossed the line when I was like, ‘Did this happen?’ I didn’t really think that much, it was just getting to the line. I wanted to make sure no one could overtake me, I wanted this so bad. I was just fighting.” 

Annemiek van Vleuten - World Championships road race

Just remember that Annemiek van Vleuten had a broken elbow when she did this, when she won the worlds for a second time. The Dutchwoman had crashed heavily in the mixed relay TTT just days before the road race, her participation was in doubt, the race looked decided, and then she just went and won the whole thing.

The race looked to be decided by a group of 13 riders heading into the final, with fast finishers like Lotte Kopecky and Arlenis Sierra up there, ready to pounce in the last hundred metres. However, Van Vleuten, who looked like she was out of it, suddenly came out of nowhere in the last kilometre, powering past to claim the win. The moment where nobody jumped onto her wheel decided the whole race; perhaps they were so surprised that they just could not make a decision.

Van Vleuten is a serial winner, but often her victories are not highly entertaining, such is the way she crushes her rivals into submission. But in a wet day in Wollongong, it was an incredible turn of speed which saw her sprint to victory. Simple.

"I’m still waiting for the moment for someone to tell me it’s not true,” Van Vleuten said after the race. “I had such a different plan beforehand. Today I was just a domestique with a broken elbow. And now I’m world champion."

Quantifying a rider's impact on their team comes down to several factors. Did they pick up some victories themselves? Were they constantly on the attack in a Grand Tour like the Tour de France getting TV time for the sponsors? Or maybe they picked up victory in a monument. 

These were all questions that we asked ourselves when looking back on the campaign just gone. 

So many riders made a difference. 

Some achieved huge victories at the first time of asking, others went above and beyond and helped their new teammates to do the same. Others also finally achieved their stage race potential that they had been promising for so long. 

Here are our top nine signings that made an impact in the men's and women's WorldTour in 2022. 

GRACE BROWN

Aussie Grace Brown has had a stunning year with new team FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope after spending two years with her native Mitchelton-Scott squad. 

The 30-year-old’s success was all year long, and started with her taking the honours in the women’s time trial at the Australian National Championships, as well as finishing second in the road race. After that, Brown achieved seventh at the Tour of Flanders and then finished second at Liège–Bastogne–Liège in April. 

Her scintillating form continued as she finished second overall to Elisa Longo Borghini at the Women’s Tour before winning gold in the women’s time trial at the Commonwealth Games. 

Brown then took a stage win at the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta in August, before finishing second in the time trial at the World Championships in her native Australia. 

Some season indeed. 

JAI HINDLEY

Australian Jai Hindley may seem like an obvious choice, although after winning the Giro d’Italia in his debut season with Bora-Hansgrohe you simply have to include him. 

Hindley finished second at the rearranged Giro in 2020 by literally seconds to Ineos Grenadiers’ Tao Geohagen Hart, and was then forced to withdraw from the 2021 edition on stage 13. Clearly feeling he had a score to settle at the Italian Grand Tour, Hindley returned in the colours of his new German team Bora-Hansgrohe with a vengeance. 

Coming into the Giro, the Aussie had finished fifth at Tirreno-Adriatico. Once the Giro was underway, his sparkling form was then clear for all to see when he outsprinted all of the other favourites to take an impressive stage win on the iconic Blockhaus mountain. 

After being teed up by teammate Lennard Kämna, Hindley then snatched the Maglia Rosa, or pink jersey, from the shoulders of Richard Carapaz with a daring late attack on the Marmolada pass on the penultimate stage to ensure he’d lift the Giro trophy in Verona the following day.

CHRISTOPHE LAPORTE 

After consistently flying under the radar at Cofidis, Frenchman Christophe Laporte really took next level after signing for Jumbo-Visma. 

Laporte was instrumental in Jumbo-Visma’s dominance at Paris-Nice, crossing the line first in the team's spectacular 1-2-3 on the opening stage. He then ensured that team leaders Wout van Aert and Primož Roglič were kept out of trouble for the rest of the week, with the latter taking the overall win. He then set up his teammate Van Aert for victory at the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, before finishing in second place again at Gent-Wevelgem. 

The former Cofidis man went on to play a huge part in his team's sensational Tour de France victory from Jonas Vingegaard, helping to keep the team's leader safe through the flatter stages as well as occasionally being present in the mountains. 

Laporte was rewarded by being given his own chance to shine on stage 19, capping a superb three weeks for Jumbo as he spoiled the party for the sprinters, taking the stage 19 victory in Cahors. The Frenchman then won a silver medal in the road race at the World Championships in September. 

Marlen Reusser

SD Worx know how to conduct a shrewd bit of business, and in signing Marlen Reusser they got one of the pre-eminent rouleurs of the women's peloton. Despite only being on the Women's WorldTour for a year, the Swiss rider was hot property, and played a crucial role for the Dutch super team throughout the year. 

As well as being a top ally for her starrier teammates, Reusser won one stage four of the inaugural Tour de France Femmes, one of only two riders that won a stage who weren't Dutch. The fact she did it in such a storming way over the gravel sectors, finishing the day off with a 23.1km solo attack shows how valuable she was and is to her team.

Reusser went on to win the time trial at the European Championships and then help her team to mixed relay gold at the World Championships. One feels there's more to come from the Swiss time trial specialist.

MARC SOLER

Marc Soler enjoyed a brilliant debut season with UAE Team Emirates, in which he played a significant role in keeping Tadej Pogačar in contention at the Tour de France. 

Many questioned Soler’s move from Movistar to his new team, although the Spaniard vindicated his transfer from his old stomping ground with a memorable stage win in UAE colours at the Vuelta a España. 

Furthermore, Soler was consistently on the attack throughout the entire three weeks, and went close to stage victories on other occasions. Ultimately he was rewarded for his efforts with the prize for the most combative rider. 

Soler’s climbing brilliance also helped to ensure a third overall for his young fellow Spanish teammate, Juan Ayuso. 

LOTTE KOPECKY

27-year-old Lotte Kopecky had an incredible year since making the switch from Liv Racing to SD Worx. 

Last year was special for Kopecky, as she took victories in both the female road race and time trial at the Belgian National Championships as well as Le Samyn. She also came second at the women's edition of Gent-Wevelgem. 

However, moving to SD Worx saw Kopecky well and truly take her performances to the next level. This year the Belgian retained her title as Belgian time trial champion, before she then took a stunning win at the Tour of Flanders, something which cemented her position as a home favourite.

Prior to that Kopecky, had already won the female edition of Strade Bianche and the rest of the spring saw her finish second to Eliso Longo Borghini at Paris Roubaix. 

Later in the year, Kopecky won an outstanding silver medal in the road race at the World Championships in Australia. She will be one to watch once again next spring when the Classics come back around. 

TIESJ BENOOT

Tiesj Benoot was part of the new signing double-act at Jumbo-Visma, playing an equally as starring role as his fellow new signing Laporte in their new team's success this campaign. 

Bringing in Benoot along with Laporte was a shrewd bit of business by the Jumbo top brass, and the 28-year-old delivered. 

The former Strade Bianche winner finished second at Dwars door Vlaanderen in the Spring, before finishing third at the Amstel Gold race. Not quite the coveted classics wins that he may have hoped for, but solid results nonetheless. 

Later on in the Spring, the all-rounder played a huge role in ensuring that Wout van Aert took the win at the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, but it was the Tour de France where he really shone. 

On the final climb of stage four before the run into Calais, both Benoot and Laporte moved to the front of the peloton and put in a stinging two-up attack that launched teammate Van Aert to a stunning stage victory in the yellow jersey. 

ELISA BALSAMO

Trek-Segafredo’s Elisa Balsamo had yet another fantastic year on both the road and track.

The 24-year-old Italian joined her fellow countrywoman, Elisa Longo Borghini, at Trek this year and didn’t look back. On the road Balsamo took the victory in the women’s Italian national championships. She was also on fire throughout the spring, winning the female edition of Gent-Wevelgem, a race she had finished fourth at the year before.

As well as that, Balsamo also took two stage wins at the Giro Donne and finished eighth in the Amstel Gold Race.

On the track Balsamo was part of the victorious Italian team pursuit squad at the Track World Championships. 

MAGNUS SHEFFIELD

Young American Magnus Sheffield was riding for Rally Cycling in 2021 but was offered a dream move to Ineos Grenadiers for 2022.

A big step up, but one which the 20-year-old American certainly relished. In his debut season with Ineos, Sheffield won Brabantse Pijl at the first time of asking, and was consistently in the thick of the action during some of the early spring classics. 

As well as his big win in Belgium, Sheffield also took a resounding victory on stage three of the Vuelta a Andalucia and finished a highly respectable second in the men’s time trial at the US national championships.

The Ineos man will certainly be one to watch in 2023.

Enric Mas (Movistar) surged to victory in the Giro dell’Emilia on Saturday, dropping two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in the closing moments of the race. 

The Spaniard, who finished second at last month’s Vuelta a España, put in one of the performances of his career, attacking on the final ascent of the iconic San Luca climb to triumph in Bologna. 

With this victory, Mas claimed his first race win in 18 months, and his first ever in a one-day event. 

Speaking after the race, Pogačar said: "In the end, Enric was much much stronger in the final climb. I'm happy with the result. I must admit that he was better."

The Giro dell’Emilia route spanned 198.7km, taking in two challenging climbs before tackling five laps of the finishing San Luca circuit. 

With 9km to go, Mas broke free from the peloton alongside Pogačar in a two-pronged move. The duo were joined at the front of the race 5km later by Domenico Pozzovivo (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-EasyPost) and Mas’s teammate at Movistar, Alejandro Valverde. 

With 2km remaining, Mas dealt his race-winning blow and quickly drew out a 10-second gap to the group on the uphill drag. Both Pogačar and Pozzovivo tried to follow, but could only watch on as the Spaniard powered solo alongside the arches of the San Luca to cross the finish line first.  

The Movistar rider is scheduled to compete next weekend in Il Lombardia, the final Monument of the year, where he will be hoping to repeat his Italian success. 

Earlier in the day, Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) claimed the honours in the Giro dell’Emilia Donne, beating EF-Education-TIBCO-SVB’s Veronica Ewers by three seconds. 

The Italian punched the air as she crossed the line, taking her third victory in the race she previously won in 2015 and 2016. Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ) finished third, eight seconds behind her compatriot Longo Borghini. 

Contrary to the men’s edition, the women’s race played out on a pan-flat parcours over a distance of just 89.7km. Though they shared the same hilltop finish, the women’s peloton tackled just one ascent of the San Luca, four fewer than the men.

Trek-Segafredo put down a marker by winning the opening stage team trial at the Ceratizit challenge by La Vuelta on Wednesday.

The US registered team covered the 19.9km race in northern Spain in a time of 23.31, beating their nearest challengers, BikeExchange-Jayco by six seconds. FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope finished third, a further five seconds down.

After winning the Vårgårda team time trial just under five weeks ago Trek-Segafredo started the day as the squad to be and so it proved, finishing with only the required four women from their six starters, they covered the final kilometre in less than a minute, setting a time of 23-31.

Elisa Longo Borghini was first across the line and will wear the red leader’s jersey going into the second of the race’s five stages, and as their best climber, has a genuine shot at overall victory.

Defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten got off to a good defence of her title, her Movistar team finishing fifth, only only 25 seconds behind the winners. Two stage wins saw the Dutch rider win last year’s race conclusively, and she will be hoping for a repeat this year.

Victory would be a remarkable achievement, and mean she had won the women’s versions of all three grand tours in one year, all within 10 weeks of each other, and on the first time such a feat was available.

How it happened

For 2022 the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta has expanded once again. First ran in 2015 the opening three editions were one day races ridden around the men’s Vuelta finish circuit in Madrid. In 2018 organisers added a team time trial in a Madrid suburb, switching that to an individual effort on the same course the following year. 

In 2020 an opening road stage was added before it became a proper gnarly four stage race with a mountain time trial and very tough hilly day around the north-western province of Galicia. 

This year’s five day race is the last to be run alongside the men’s Vuelta, as next season’s race will grow more and move to May as part of a block of Spanish WorldTour stage races next spring.

For 2022 though, the race began with a 19.9km team time trial starting and finishing in Marina de Cudeyo, just a short ride east of Santander on the country's northern coast, the race looping clockwise to the coast and back.

First down the ramp were Rio Meira-Cantabria Deporte. Riding in their home region, they have not raced a UCI event outside Spain this year, and Wednesday was their first WorldTour race for the year. And that showed, their six women eventually finishing last, almost five minutes down.

Another Spanish team, Soltec were third down the ramp, and included Olympic road race champion and time trial specialist Anna Kiesenhofer among their international squad. But even with Kiesenhofer’s talent they managed only 20th place.

Sixth to start, Human Powered Health were the first WorldTour team to start, and briefly took the lead with 25-49, but they were bested first by UNO-X and then by Ceratizit-WNT, whose 24-52 saw them settle into the hot seat. 

But they had little time to get comfortable, as BikeExchange-Jayco smashed their time, clocking 23-37, an average of more than 48kph. They were pushed close by FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope, the French team finishing only five seconds down, but the Australian squad’s effort was good enough for the day’s podium, putting Ane Santesteban and Kristen Faulkner in strong positions for the rest of the race.

For its second stage the peloton remains in the northern region of Cantabria, heading a few kilometres east for a winding, circuitous 105.9 stage covering five classified climbs where the GC should begin to take proper shape.

ResultCeratizit Challenge by La Vuelta, stage one: Marina de Cudeyo - Marina de Cudeyo Race (19.9km)

1. Trek-Segafredo (USA) in 23-31
2. BikeExchange-Jayco (Aus) at 06 sec
3. FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope (Fra) at 11 sec
4. SDWorx (Ned) at 23 sec
5. Movistar (Esp) at 25 sec
6. DSM (Ned) at 44 sec
7. Canyon-SRAM (Ger) at 59 sec
8. Jumbo-Visma (Ned) at 1-01
9. Ceratizit-WNT (Ger) at 1-21
10. UAE ADQ (UAE) at 1-28

General classification after stage one

1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo in 23-31
2. Elynor Bäckstedt (GBr) Trek-Segafredo
3. Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
4. Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo all at same time 
5. Georgia Williams (NZ) BikeExchange-Jayco at 06 sec
6. Alex Manly (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
7. Kristen Faulkner (USA) BikeExchange-Jayco
8. Ane Santesteban (Esp) BikeExchange-Jayco
9.  Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco all at same time 
10. Grace Brown (Aus) FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope at 11 sec

Rarely are 14th century Italian poets invoked in press conferences. It's usually staid comments about the legs feeling good or having faith in one's team. It was different on Saturday, as Elisa Longo Borghini spoke eloquently about one of the biggest victories of her career.

Speaking about the experience of riding Paris-Roubaix for a second time, and this time winning, the Italian said: "It’s like going through the Dantesque hell and then being in the paradise."

Riding on hard cobbles in the dust might well fit in as one of the punishments in Dante's Inferno, but Longo Borghini conquered the pavé, attacking from over 33km out to solo to victory in the end, in a race she revealed that she wasn't supposed to ride. She always had faith in her move, however.

"If you don’t believe in your attack you never win," the Trek-Segafredo rider explained to the press. 

"It was pure instinct actually," Longo Borghini said. "I saw the breakaway was caught, and I thought it was a good move to be on the front, and put Lucinda in the best position to follow wheels, and make SD-Worx chase me. Therefore, I just went full from there on. I can't believe it."

The Italian national anthem always feels triumphant, and it was particularly apposite on Saturday afternoon, as the Trek-Segafredo rider lifted the cobblestone above her head in her national champion's jersey.

Roubaix is just the latest title to be added to her palmarès, which also contains a win at the Tour of Flanders, two Trofeo Alfredo Binda victories, and Strade Bianche.

It was a redemptive ride for Longo Borghini, who had struggled to be at her usual top level thanks to illness. She said, matter-of-factly, that as soon as she returned to health she performed.

"The beginning of the season was not ideal for me, I got sinusitis and I couldn’t really breathe. I had to do a step back to do two forwards. I skipped Amstel and Brabantse Pijl because I had to take antibiotics. 

"I wasn’t supposed to come to this race, the team made me come here and I had no pressure at all. 

"In the end I felt really good, because I did everything good this winter, and this spring I was just sick for the entire time. I couldn't perform the way I was supposed to. As soon as I got healthy I performed well."

The Italian finished third at the inaugural edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes, behind her Trek teammate Lizzie Deignan, who also won from a long solo attack.

Asked if the team has been doing something special to give them an advantage in The Hell of the North, Longo Borghini said: "I think we have the best bike for this type of race."

"The [Trek] Domane has been projected specially for Roubaix. Equipment makes a huge difference. We are testing the materials during the winter in terms of performing the best in this race. The technical staff have put a lot of work into it, and I’m thankful to them. 

"It’s such a world you don’t see, it’s not very much highlighted but it’s really fundamental for us. They are trying to put us on the best bike ever, and I think they did. Honestly, I think the Domane is the perfect bike for Roubaix."

While she has rode both editions, they were vastly different, with October's race ridden in the rain and mud, as opposed to the sun and dust of Saturday.

"The weather conditions were completely different, but it was not an easy race," Longo Borghini said. "There was a lot of dust on the road, on the cobbles especially. When there is a dry road people are daring too much and there is more chaos. This is also why I tried to go a little bit alone and I could choose my lines."

However, there was one moment, with 18.9km to go on the sector of Camphin-en-Pévèle, where the Trek rider ran wide on a corner and only just stayed upright.

"Last year I probably crashed four or five times, and this year I learned that you always need to keep pedalling," she said. "I'm very much looking forward to hearing a good joke from the men's team about this, because last year they were joking about my cadence, which was very low in sectors, and this year they will probably joke about my turn, but I take it in a good way, I like it."

After crossing the line, Longo Borghini rapped her knuckles on her head, in reference to being a "wood-head", which is an Italian phrase. She laughed when asked to explain it.

"I’m a very stubborn person, and since my spring wasn’t ideal I was a little bit angry," she explained. "We say in Italian I am a little bit of a wood-head, because my head is really tough. That’s my tough head that brought me here. 

"It’s the amazing work of my teammates, the amazing work of the staff that is not in the highlights. The good morale that my family gives me, especially my boyfriend."

The commitment of her boyfriend, fellow Trek-Segafredo rider Jacopo Mosca, helped give Longo Borghini the energy to perform, she said.

"He finished Tour of Sicily yesterday and he flew here to say hi for ten minutes and then flew back to altitude."

The Italian was clearly pleased to see more media attention on women's racing, especially as she said, the race was "intense and nice, and ridden from the beginning".

"I'm really looking forward to the upcoming races, especially the Tour de France," she continued. "I always try to say that Tour de France is returning, we don’t have to forget history. It’s back because there have been many women riding in the past, and we are thankful to them because they made history."

Longo Borghini is now part of that story, being the second ever winner of Roubaix. She has established herself as one of the greats of her generation, and yet she still cannot fully grasp it.

"I still don’t really believe in it actually," she concluded. "You’re riding in this velodrome where the history of cycling has been made, and in the end I’m just Elisa."

That's Elisa, Paris-Roubaix champion now.

A double win at the Giro d'Italia Donne and the eight stage Tour de France Femmes is "possible", for a "big champion", Elisa Longo Borghini has said.

Speaking at a Trek-Segafredo training camp, the Italian champion said scheduling both races for July wasn't her preference, but riders had to "accept it" and do everything they can to be in their "best shape for both races."

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Both the ten-stage Giro d'Italia Donne and the eight-stage Tour will take place in July, while the men's editions take place in May and July respectively. Longo Borghini is down to ride both prestigious stage races.

She said: "It would be great if the Giro could be May straight after the men's Giro, then it would give a better structure to the calendar. This season it's like this and we have to accept it and go with it, and do everything to be in our best shape for both races. 

"Or maybe go to the Giro having in the head that we want to be very strong at the Tour. For me it's prestige to be at the start line of both races, and I would not choose only one, at least not this year."

The last man to win both the Tour and the Giro in the same season was Marco Pantani in 1998; with both women's races happening in July this year there is a chance that one woman will attempt both.

"It depends who is taking the start at the Giro and what she wants from the Giro too," Longo Borghini said. "I see some riders going into the Giro with a good block of training. It needs to be a hard Giro where people can train hard rather than staying at home. I think it's possible to do the double, but you have to be a big champion to do so."

The route itself is "very exciting", she said. "All the girls that were at the presentation told me that it was something really big, and the expectations are really high. I want to stand with my feet on the pavement, and not fly too much, and be there fighting all the time. This is the only thing I am able to do."

Longo Borghini, who won four individual races in 2021, including the GP Plouay and the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, said that she would like to go to the inaugural Tour de France Femmes with an "open role".

"I would like to go there with an open mind and also an open role," she explained. "If you just focus on the overall, then you put too much pressure on yourself. It's good to be there and just dive into the race, and see what's happening at every stage, and try and get away with a stage win."

The strength of Trek-Segafredo comes from its "unity", Longo Borghini has said, explaining that the environment within the team is "really good".

"We have a very good strong point, which is our unity. We can switch roles during the race pretty easily, and the environment is really good. We like to race for each other and with each other, and it can be natural who is the leader. Sometime we decide during the race too."

There will be a new Italian at Trek-Segafredo in 2021, another Elisa, Elisa Balsamo. The young rider won the World Championship road race for Italy back in September.

The pair have a good relationship, according to Longo Borghini, as they come from the same police department and they raced the Italian championships together.

"I think Elisa is a very talented rider, as you can see," she said. "I have always had an eye on her when she was younger, because in my opinion she can still grow a lot and grow into a very good classics rider. I'm very happy to have her on the team."