Teams named for elite women’s race
Cycling New Zealand have announced a young but strong women’s team for the inaugural UCI 1.2 Gravel and Tar La Femme today.
Former Palmerston North rider Deborah Paine headlines the team fresh from her second place at the National Elite Road Cycling Championships in Napier last weekend.
‘‘Wearing the silver fern is always a privilege and I am excited to experience the dynamics of what should be a very exciting race,’’ she said.
The 21-year-old, who has a nutrition and exercise science degree, was quick to praise race director Steve Stannard.
‘‘It will be a special race for me, back in [Palmerston North] where I spent three years studying, and [the race] organised by one of my lecturers,’’ she said.
Other team members are Ella Harris, Kate Smith, Ione Johnson and Kate Wightman.
Harris was recently awarded a 2019 UCI World Tour team contract with Canyon-sram Racing after winning a worldwide Zwift Academy competition.
Team-mate Johnson, the first woman home in the 2018 Lake Taupo¯ Cycle Challenge, also made the academy’s top three.
Zwift, an online tool which allows a rider to participate in a virtual environment by pairing bikes to indoor trainers, attracted more than 5000 riders of all fitness levels to their women’s competition.
An Oceania team of top female cyclists has also been named to compete in the race.
For the first time, a team representing the Oceania Cycling region, drawn from Australia and New Zealand, has been selected.
2018 Commonwealth Games cyclist Sharlotte Lucas, along with fellow Kiwi rider Grace Anderson, and Australian riders Brodie Chapman, Lizzie Stannard and Emma Jane Chilton, will contest the 116-kilometre race, which includes challenging gravel sections totalling 40km. Lucas, who now rides professionally for Tibco-silicon Valley Bank, is chasing UCI points early in the season by competing in the Santo’s Women’s Tour in Australia before the Gravel and Tar La Femme race.
Lucas believes the 40km of gravel added its own level of complexity and made the event stand out from the others.
‘‘Gravel throws in a real technical element to a race as well as a higher chance of mechanical issues adding to the challenge’’.
Offering an equal prize purse to that of the men’s race as well as the level of difficulty has been a drawcard for the female riders.
‘‘I am impressed that Gravel and Tar has stepped up, [as] often in cycling the women’s event comes second to the guys in terms of prizemoney, coverage and race distance, and to offer equality is outstanding.
‘‘We train just as hard as the guys but do not get the same opportunities, so thanks to the organising team for this amazing opportunity,’’ she said.
La Femme race director Jo Holdaway said the selection represents the best up-and-coming elite women in Oceania.
‘‘It is awesome these women are bringing a strong team dynamic, will show their work ethic in this difficult race, and be great role models for younger riders coming after them.
‘‘Of course, they will be wanting to be in good form early in the season and collect those valuable UCI points,’’ she said.