Search our site:

Sign up for our Email Newsletter

Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2022 Tour de France | 2022 Giro d'Italia

Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy. - William Butler Yeats

Les Woodland's book Cycling's 50 Triumphs and Tragedies: The rise and fall of bicycle racing's champions is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Upcoming racing

• Dec 4: Scheldecross Antwerp
• Dec 10: Exact Cross Essen
• Dec 26: Gavere Cyclocross
• Dec 27: Heusden-Zolder Cyclocross
• Dec 29: Diegem Cyclocross
• Dec 30: Azencross-Loenhout
• Jan 1: GP Sven Nys Cyclocross
• Jan 14 - 22: Schwalbe Classic & Tour Down Under
• Jan 22 - 29: Vuelta a San Juan
• Jan 25 - 29: Challenge Illes Balears-Volta Ciclista a Mallorca
• Jan 28 & 29: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race

Latest completed racing:

• Nov 20: Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Overijse Cross
• Nov 5 & 6: European Cyclocross Championships
• Nov 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
• Oct 29: Superprestige Ruddervoorde Cyclocross
• Oct 11 - 18: Tour de Langkawi
• Oct 16: Japan Cup
• Oct 16: Veneto Classic
• Oct 16: Chrono des Nations
• Oct 12: Giro del Veneto

The team sent me this:

Team BikeExchange-Jayco women confirm its complete team line-up for the 2023 season - its largest and most international roster since the team’s inception in 2012. The team will comprise of 15 riders from nine different countries and three different continents, with the Australian outfit looking to build on delivering consistent performances across the entire season.

Stage Race Targets:
With women’s cycling continuing in a rapid upward trajectory, the inclusion of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and other longer stage races, means a greater focus on general classification success. After proving her level throughout 2022, Kristen Faulkner will continue to be a leader for the team for the overall GC battles, with a strong squad made up of opportunistic riders around her.

Kristen Faulkner

“We have seen over the last couple of years how much women’s cycling is progressing. It has been incredible to witness and be a part of and it was demonstrated this year with a very successful Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Naturally, with the inclusion of these high-profile stage races, the team’s focus leans more towards overall stage racing success. We have built a team for 2023 that is well balanced, and we believe we have the right pedigree of riders to challenge for general classification podium placing and wins. We saw with the great support from their teammates this season, riders such as Kristen Faulkner and Alex Manly showed their huge potential in racing consistently through long stage races and I’m sure we will see them challenging for overall victories in many tours next season.” – General Manager Brent Copeland

Five New Faces:
As the team continues to develop fresh new talent, three Australian newcomers, Amber Pate, Alyssa Polites and Georgie Howe are exciting additions, all set to make their debut in the UCI Women’s WorldTour peloton in 2023. Having each shown potential in their own right, GreenEDGE Cycling staff are motivated to see what these riders can achieve as they are welcomed into the new environment.

Despite her fairly young age, experienced Italian Letizia Paternoster will boost the team’s sprint campaign, bringing her intensive track speed and fast kick to the team line-up. The fifth rider to join will be Norweigian Ingvild Gåskjenn, another young promising all-rounder that can be of great value to the team in a range of racing scenarios.

“It is always exciting bringing on new riders and we believe that the five new additions we have for 2023, will really complement our women’s team, as we bring on a mix of experience, speed, and newfound talent. We are looking forward to working with and assisting with the development of these riders and we have a clear vision for the future and continuing to create a well-balanced team that is able to challenge in all types of races, over varied terrain and throughout the lengthy season. The roster for 2023 will be our largest to date with a great mix of nationalities, and this is something we are very pleased and proud to have, and it again demonstrates the growth of women’s cycling in general and the level of riders internationally.” - Copeland

Building on Success:
After enjoying breakthrough seasons in 2022, Australian trio Alex Manly, Georgia Baker and Ruby Roseman-Gannon have high ambitions for 2023 having each won big races this year. A ‘stepping stone’ season saw Roseman-Gannon make a successful debut in the Women’s WorldTour peloton, which she took in her stride, whilst both Manly and Baker returned to the road, displaying how their track backgrounds have assisted with their step up a level on the road. With this, Team BikeExchange-Jayco believe the new roster has all the right ingredients to create a special 2023 season.

“This season the team enjoyed some great results with wins from seven different riders, this gives us a lot of confidence heading into the new year. We don’t need to rely on one leader, we have a range of talent. The riders gelled well, they have great trust in each other and that is always very important to be successful. With the strong foundations they have built, the things they learnt and the progress that individual riders made this year, we are all ready to fight for plenty more wins in 2023 and build on what was achieved in 2022.” - Copeland

Team BikeExchange-Jayco 2023 Roster: (15 riders)
Jess Allen (AUS)
Georgia Baker (AUS)
Teniel Campbell (TTO)
Kristen Faulkner (USA)
Ingvild Gåskjenn (NOR) *New Rider
Georgie Howe (AUS) *New Rider
Nina Kessler (NED)
Alex Manly (AUS)
Amber Pate (AUS) *New Rider
Letizia Paternoster (ITA) *New Rider
Alyssa Polites (AUS) *New Rider
Ruby Roseman-Gannon (AUS)
Ane Santesteban (ESP)
Chelsie Tan (SGP)
Urška Žigart (SLO)

Team BikeExchange Jayco:
No. of riders: 15
No. of Australians: 8
No. of Other Nationalities: 7x (1x USA, 1x NOR, 1x NED, 1x ITA, 1x ESP, 1x SLO, 1x SGP)
Youngest rider: 19 – Alyssa Polites
Oldest rider: 34 – Nina Kessler
Average age: 27.4

The team sent me this:

INEOS Grenadiers is excited to welcome back former team member Ian Stannard as a Sport Director from 2023, as well as welcoming Dajo Sanders, who will bolster the team’s elite coaching group.

Stannard spent ten years of his cycling career racing for the team and became renowned for his racing grit and success in some of cycling’s toughest races. This included winning back-to-back editions of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2014 and 2015 - the latter where he famously outraced two Etixx-Quick-step riders and won in an incredible two-up sprint.

Ian Stannard wins the 2015 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Stannard honed his race savviness through many Classics seasons and as part of three of the team’s seven successful Tour de France campaigns. After retiring in 2020 Stannard joined Trinity Racing as Sport Director, working with some of the young talent who are now racing with the INEOS Grenadiers. 

Stannard said: “It's very exciting to be coming back to the INEOS Grenadiers. I had two great years and a steep learning curve at Trinity Racing which I think puts me in a good place to be stepping into a DS role. I’m looking forward to taking on new challenges with the Team, which has some of the young riders I worked with at Trinity. It’s been great to see the way the Team is building for the future and that is something I’m looking forward to being part of. It will be fun to be back working with some of my old teammates as well.”

Rod Ellingworth, Deputy Team Principal said: “It felt like it would only be a matter of time before Ian came back to work with us again. He has a wealth of knowledge to pass on, especially when I think about our Spring Classics and Grand Tour teams. I’m looking forward to working with him and sharing time on the road with him again. If there’s anyone who embodies our ‘all in’ racing spirit, it’s Ian." 

The INEOS Grenadiers coaching staff will also be bolstered by the addition of Dajo Sanders. The highly experienced Dutchman competed at national and international level while also completing his BSc and MSc in Exercise Physiology at the University of Maastricht. Sanders has co-authored more than 30 widely published papers and has conducted applied sport science projects with multiple professional cycling teams.

Rod Ellingworth, Deputy Team Principal added: “Dajo will be an invaluable addition to our coaching team. He is highly experienced and comes with a unique mix of academic knowledge, personal racing experience and practical coaching insights. While coaching at UCI World Tour level for the last four years, he has twice successfully coached a rider to the podium of a Grand Tour as well as multiple Grand Tour stage victories.”

Here’s the team’s news release:

22-year-old Gleb Syritsa signed his first professional contract with the Kazakh WorldTour team Astana Qazaqstan Team, where he is going to spend two following seasons (2023 and 2024).

“This year I’ve got a unique chance to try myself on the professional level, joining Astana Qazaqstan Team as a trainee. I did all I could to show myself in the best possible way in every race I was riding for Astana and now I am really happy to sign my first professional contract with the team. Debut at the WorldTour level as a part of such a famous team as Astana is an incredible possibility for me and I am ready to provide my all to use it in the best way. I am grateful to the management of the team for trust and this chance. There is a lot of work ahead, there are many trainings and races to gain experience which I am still missing of. But I am here, I am ready for all the challenges to become better to compete against the best riders of the world”, – said Gleb Syritsa.

Gleb Syritsa wins stage one of the 2022 Tour de Langkawi.

Gleb Syritsa spent a solid stagiary in Astana Qazaqstan Team and in just five races with the team he managed to score a victory (Stage 1 of Le Tour de Langkawi) and four podium places (stages of Arctic Race of Norway, Tour of Slovakia and Le Tour de Langkawi).

“I am happy that the team gave Gleb a chance to prove himself as a trainee, which he took a full advantage of. A victory and four podiums in just several races is a significant result. His sprinting qualities speak for themselves, however, there is a lot of work to be done both to improve the sprint and to evaluate the capabilities of the rider in other specializations. Nevertheless, Gleb Syritsa impressed with his results and his attitude during the stagiary, so I am happy that he will join Astana in next season as a rider of the main team”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary