Women
Latest news, races, and stories from women's professional cycling
27 articles
Tech
'New season, new skin' as Visma-Lease a Bike reveals new Nimbl kit for 2026
Boutique brand Nimbl takes over all on-bike apparel for Visma-Lease a Bike in 2026, as the WorldTour squad pursues integrated aerodynamics on the bike and a premium Nike-driven lifestyle push off it.
30th December 2025
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup #8, Dendermonde
'On this loop five seconds is a big gap' – Puck Pieterse fights back for second as Brand dominates Dendermonde
Dutch champion overcomes boxed-in start on fast Dendermonde course, reads rival's lines and attacks late to take runner-up behind dominant Lucinda Brand.
28th December 2025
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup #8, Dendermonde
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Dendermonde: Lucinda Brand continues unbeaten streak with solo win
Lucinda Brand turned Dendermonde’s heavy clay into another World Cup clinic, dropping Puck Pieterse with a brutal third‑lap surge as Amandine Fouquenet capped a breakout ride in third.
28th December 2025
Training
What is the VO2max of a Tour de France cyclist – and how much does it really matter?
WorldTour cyclists routinely post VO2max numbers that look like misprints to normal riders. But what is a pro’s VO2max and how does it compare to the rest of us?
27th December 2025
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup #7, Gavere
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Gavere: Lucinda Brand crushes frozen hills for round seven win
On an icy, high-speed Gavere, Lucinda Brand turned big-engine power and clean laps into a statement solo, while Amandine Fouquenet delivered a breakout podium and Puck Pieterse salvaged third after a crash.
26th December 2025
UCI Road World Championships
Magdeleine Vallières Mill secures 2028 EF contract extension following historic World Championship win
Canada's first Elite Women's Road World Champion extends through 2028 after Kigali breakthrough, with EF Education-Oatly pivoting to build 2026 Ardennes campaign around the rainbow jersey.
23rd December 2025
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup #6, Koksijde
Koksijde World Cup: Lucinda Brand wins Elite Women’s race with ruthless sand display
Lucinda Brand finally ticks off Koksijde with a long-range sand raid, leading a Dutch top‑eight lockout and tightening her grip on the World Cup overall.
21st December 2025
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup #5, Antwerpen
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Antwerpen: Lucinda Brand wins Elite Women’s sand duel
Lucinda Brand outlasted Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado in a brutal Antwerpen sand battle to reclaim the World Cup leader’s jersey, as Aniek van Alphen’s fast start turned into a damage‑limitation exercise.
20th December 2025
Racing
'I tried to kiss the tarmac': Demi Vollering escapes serious injury after pre-season crash
The FDJ-SUEZ leader sustained cuts to her chin and hand after hitting the deck during a team ride near Benidorm, but avoided fractures ahead of the 2026 season
19th December 2025
News
'Motivation and enjoyment are missing' – Fem van Empel ends pro cycling contract to put career on hold
Triple cyclocross world champion Fem van Empel will leave Team Visma | Lease a Bike and step away from professional racing from 1 January 2026, after a turbulent year marked by mental health struggles and illness.
19th December 2025
News
'Luminous' look for CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto as 10th anniversary kit lights up 2026
A darker, purple-led palette, integrated Aeroad CFR bikes and a strong development message define CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto’s new 'Luminous' kit ahead of the team’s 10th season in the women’s WorldTour.
17th December 2025
News
Brussels submits bid to host 2030 Tour de France Femmes Grand Départ
Brussels has entered the race to host the 2030 Tour de France Femmes avez Zwift Grand Départ, aiming to pair the start with the UCI Road World Championships in a landmark year for Belgian cycling.
16th December 2025
News
Chinese bike giant XDS continues expansion into pro cycling with Laboral Kutxa-Euskadi deal
Following its major investment in the men’s WorldTour with Astana, the Chinese manufacturing giant expands its footprint to women’s cycling. The Basque ProTeam will race on X-LAB AD9 frames for 2026, targeting Grand Tour success despite declining a WorldTour licence.
15th December 2025
News
'Fresh twist on a fan favourite' as Lidl–Trek unveil 2026 kit
Deep blue, louder red and new tech sponsors define Lidl–Trek’s 2026 look, with Santini back on board and replica kits set to hit the Trek Race Shop in December.
11th December 2025
Industry
Uno-X promoted, Cofidis relegated as UCI confirms new WorldTour licences
Uno-X Mobility step up, Cofidis drop out and Team Picnic PostNL are put on notice as the UCI unveils a reshaped WorldTour and a tougher financial line for 2026–2028.
10th December 2025
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup #4, Namur
Olympic MTB champion Jolanda Neff set for Namur World Cup cyclo-cross return after four-year gap
Olympic mountain bike champion Jolanda Neff is on the provisional start list for the Namur Cyclo-cross World Cup, signalling a high-profile return to the discipline at one of its most brutal courses.
9th December 2025
Tech
Marianne Vos's Gravel Worlds secret becomes €2,995 Gravaa x Handgespaakt wheelset
On-the-fly tyre pressure, proven in Marianne Vos's dramatic Gravel Worlds win, now arrives in a 10-piece Dutch collab that trades grams and tubeless convenience for a weaponised gain in rolling resistance at €2,995.
5th December 2025
Racing
Building a future Grand Tour winner – SD Worx-Protime snaps up Tour de France white jersey winner in three-year deal
Tour de France Femmes white jersey winner Nienke Vinke is stepping into cycling’s biggest winning machine from 2026, with SD Worx-Protime betting long on the 21-year-old as their next Grand Tour and Ardennes force.
4th December 2025
Racing
'Full recovery' the priority as Veronica Ewers and EF Education-Oatly agree early split
Persistent RED-S issues have led the 29-year-old American and EF Education-Oatly to end their contract before 2026, with the team pledging to continue medical support as Ewers focuses on long-term health.
3rd December 2025
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup #2, Flamanville
How to watch the Flamanville World Cup #2 2025 Live – Free Streams, TV coverage & VPN access from anywhere
Full viewing guide for UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Round 2 in Flamanville 2025, including global TV broadcasters, legal free streams, and how to use a VPN to keep watching your usual coverage securely while travelling.
28th November 2025
Racing
Lorena Wiebes claims award for Dutch Cyclist of the Year as her sights fix on Amstel Gold redemption in 2026
Lorena Wiebes is Dutch Cyclist of the Year after a 25‑win, three‑world‑title 2025. She called the honour “something special” and immediately set her next goal, targeting Amstel Gold Race 2026 after the painful 2024 near‑miss.
25th November 2025
Strava
Gravel, snow and 2,000m of climbing - Demi Vollering's 109km freezing winter training flex
109.0 km, 1,998 m of climbing, 5:05 moving time. Demi Vollering logged a snowy gravel loop yesterday in the Lucerne–Zug region suggests the European champion is rolling into her base block ahead of team camp season.
24th November 2025
Racing
'Some power in the mountains' — Olympic rower turned climber Valentina Cavallar signs three‑year SD Worx deal
SD Worx-Protime have signed Austrian climber Valentina Cavallar on a three‑year contract from 2026, with sports manager Danny Stam saying the team needed more “power in the mountains”. The 24‑year‑old ex‑Olympian joins from Arkéa‑B&B after rapid progress in stage races.
24th November 2025
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup #1, Tábor
Final-minute surge sees Lucinda Brand take World Cup Tábor victory
Lucinda Brand opened the World Cup with a razor-thin win in Tábor, outsprinting Sara Casasola after a late kick on a fast, frozen circuit. Record equalled; a new podium name arrives.
24th November 2025
Analysis
Three Giants and a Sprint Queen: How Kopecky, Vollering and Ferrand‑Prévot Will Shape 2026
With Lorena Wiebes vacuuming up bunch sprints, the rest of the women’s WorldTour is increasingly defined by three multi‑discipline giants: Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand‑Prévot. Here’s how their priorities, teams and the 2026 calendar line up – and where their battles are most likely to explode.
24th November 2025
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup #1, Tábor
Lucinda Brand equals Vos with 51 straight World Cup podiums after Tábor sprint
Lucinda Brand outsprinted Sara Casasola to win the Tábor World Cup opener and equal Marianne Vos’s record of 51 consecutive World Cup podiums. The 36-year-old now has a shot at standing alone with 52 next time out.
24th November 2025
Ronde van Vlaanderen
'In 2026, I want to win Flanders and Liège' Ferrand‑Prévot throws down Classics gauntlet to Kopecky
After winning Paris‑Roubaix Femmes and the Tour de France Femmes in 2025, Pauline Ferrand‑Prévot says her 2026 priorities are Flanders and Liège, setting up a marquee rivalry with triple Ronde winner Lotte Kopecky.
17th November 2025