General Manager’s Blog: Opening Weekend
WORDS: TOM VARNEY
IMAGES: HONOR ELLIOTT
After all the preparation, the training camps and planning sessions, one of the most exciting weekends of the year is finally here. This is where, for the first time in 2022, we will see the cycling circus descend upon its heartland.
This is the weekend where we really see the women's peloton kick off the season. There's a frisson of excitement and newness. Teams have changed names, we have a whole load of new kits to get used to seeing in the peloton, and plenty of riders that have switched teams too. I think most excitingly for me, we are at the start of a new narrative, one that has the makings of the best yet.
Our excitement is of course focused on ourselves – and for me it's never been this big. We've had a positive off-season, thanks in large part to the security of our two main sponsors, Le Col and Wahoo. This strengthened relationship is something that we're both getting used to, but also relishing. It certainly makes a difference from just surviving.
For the first off-season in a few years we haven't had many changes to our staff group and that feels really significant. Why do I lead with the staff? Because they are key to how we grow. Key to the way we work and the processes we are putting in place. The staff provide the base and infrastructure from which our whole programme will grow. We’ve kept the expertise from the 2021 season and added several key personnel including the experienced ex-WorldTour pro, Julia Soek – who unfortunately will miss the opening week of racing due to a COVID-19 close contact. Julia will begin her new career in the car alongside Nicolas Marche who led the team so well last season. You can read more about our ‘dynamic duo’, here.
As far as the transfer market goes, we were really happy with the business that we were able to do. Particularly in light of the huge growth in the Women’s WorldTour, which meant there was a real ‘gold rush’ for talented racers.
First of all, we managed to extend the contracts of some of our 2021 stars. This challenge, which saw us effectively butting heads against the bigger teams, was important for us. It comes back once again to stability, having a familiar base to build upon. Bringing in Eider Merino, Gladys Verhulst and Jesse Vandenbulcke, who all bring a large amount of experience and potential to the team, was also vital.
We’ve added a few new British youngsters, who have shown us in just a few short months an impressive work ethic and huge potential. As a team with a big British heart, we love seeing young riders from the UK flourish.
I believe the group we have is the most exciting we’ve ever had.
Unfortunately, we’ve been affected by COVID-19 more in the past three weeks than we have the preceding two years. With the omicron variant proving to spread much more easily and rapidly, but also with product supply chains and stock availability. We aren’t exactly where we want to be one day before the season begins, but we’re pushing to overcome those challenges. Crucially, the issues we’re facing are not impacting the team and we’re able to line up on Saturday in great shape.
We have a huge number of opportunities to take this spring thanks to a good programme and the trust placed in us by race organisers. You can see our full calendar here, but the main headline is that we will return to many big races this year, such as Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold and Paris–Roubaix.
I was sure of a nice programme this spring, but also had a worry due to a UCI rule change which decided the automatic invitations for the best Continental teams. In the end, we missed the top spots by one place, based on last year’s team rankings.
I feel slightly nervous for some of the Continental teams ranked 21st and below, about just how much racing they will get and the quality of it. The UCI have allowed more WorldTeam’s at some lower level events, and of course, the races want the big teams to attend – but we also need to find the balance.
In my opinion, the UCI don’t get enough credit for the work they’ve done with the Women’s WorldTour, we now have 14 teams supporting at least 10 riders with maternity leave, various insurances and a much larger minimum salary than ever imagined three years ago, but I feel like the next step is to support the level below. Not every race can be WorldTour, not every rider or team can be WorldTour either.
A well-considered plan for this is key to the future and developing riders ready for the WorldTour. I feel like Le Col - Wahoo is a good example of this as we are now ready to progress to the World Tour with our current crop of riders and staff.