Professional cycling Archives

Chloe hosking gearing up for the spring classics

January 23, 2019 Nicola Cycle racing, Professional cycling, Women cycling

When I was in Adelaide for the Women’s Tour Down Under, I was lucky enough to catch-up one-on-one with Australian female pro cyclist Chloe Hosking. I’ve written about Chloe before and have followed her career with interest, so it was really great to sit down with her for a chat after Stage 2 of the Women’s Tour Down Under. Chloe had a great start last year – the best in her career, but after winning Stage 4 of the Women’s TDU, the Cadel Evans road race and then the coveted Gold Medal at the Commonwealth Games. After those three great

What a race! – Women Who Cycle follows the Women’s Tour Down Under

January 16, 2019 Nicola Cycle racing, Professional cycling, Women cycling

Wow, what a fantastic women’s road cycling race the Women’s Tour Down Under was in Adelaide last week. Women Who Cycle was lucky enough to attend all four stages of the Women’s Tour Down Under race last week in the towns surrounding the South Australian city of Adelaide. I’ve not attended the Tour Down Under for four years and during that time the Women’s version of the race has grown from strength to strength. And while many of my riding mates chose to arrive after the women’s race just in time to see the men’s more high profile race, I

Watch La Course by Le Tour on television but don’t enjoy it too much

July 17, 2018 Nicola Cycle groups, Cycle racing, Professional cycling, Women cycling

Tonight I get to watch La Course by Le Tour on television in my living room in Australia which I’m going to enjoy but it’s a race not without its controversy. I’ve been reading a bit of media commentary over the past few days about the really lame effort the Tour de France organisers ASO have made with this event. Even the website is lame. It’s out of date (doesn’t even list the 2017 winner) and it has very little information. I really enjoy former pro rider Kathryn Bertine’s spirited commentary on the subject and I’ll let you enjoy that coverage

Is the 2018 Giro Rosa really the biggest women’s bike race of the year?

July 3, 2018 Nicola Cycle racing, Professional cycling, Women cycling

Every year at this time I write about the Women’s ‘biggest’ stage race of the year – the 2018 Giro Rosa, a race that is starting at the end of this week. This year I’m going to take a slightly different approach because I think the Giro Rosa, while it’s the women’s race with the most stages, it’s been pipped as the ‘biggest’ by some other events that are getting more attention like the Women’s Tour of Britain. The Women’s Tour of Britain which took place last month for the fifth time is getting more attention because its organisers are

A Must read for cycling fans is Bridie O’Donnell’s Life and Death – a Cycling Memoir

June 19, 2018 Nicola Cycle racing, Professional cycling, Track cycling, Women cycling

The very first interview (via email) I conducted when I started this blog nearly seven years ago was with Bridie O’Donnell, so I was very interested when I read that she’d penned a book called Life and Death – a Cycling Memoir. I’ve followed her career with interest since then, and wrote a second post after she broke the Women’s UCI Hour record the year before year. In fact, just after I published the second post I was in Geelong for the Cadel Great Ocean Ride and I spotted her across the road putting money in a parking meter. I

Emma Mackie’s marvelous move from professional cyclist to AFL player

May 8, 2018 Nicola Professional cycling, Women cycling

The Australian Football League (AFL) has done a great job of launching and promoting its AFL Women’s competition, so I was intrigued to read about a former rider who made the move from professional cyclist to AFL player. I actually met Emma Mackie a few years ago when she worked for Specialized and I was on a training course. We rode side-by-side and I asked her about her professional riding career. Since that time, it has all changed for her so this time I asked her about her new sporting career as an AFL player. Q: You reached the highest level

Help – Will cycling make my thighs bigger?

April 17, 2018 Nicola Professional cycling, Track cycling, Women cycling

This seems to be one of those recurring questions that I get asked – Will cycling make my thighs bigger? You’ll be pleased to know that the answer is an emphatic no. In my own case I’ve slimmed down in my thigh and bottom area since I took up cycling, even though I actually weigh more than I previously did. Here’s a few reasons why your legs are not going to expand: Muscle is leaner than fat Muscle weighs a lot more than fat. Cycling will change the shape of your legs, but unless you’re doing a lot of squats,

Celebrate International Women’s Day by reflecting on the plight of girls in developing nations

March 8, 2018 Nicola International Women's Day, Professional cycling, Women cycling

Happy International Women’s Day everyone. Today is a day that celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. And while I’m walking around my comfortable house singing “I am woman, hear me roar”, I think it’s important to reflect on the lives of women and girls around the world, who have so many challenges for even their basic needs. Last week I met up with the fabulous Dagmar who is charged with the responsibility of starting the work of the amazing charity World Bicycle Relief in Australia. And this is where the International Women’s Day tie-in comes. World

Women gain equal prize money for Women’s Tour Down Under

January 23, 2018 Nicola Cycle racing, Professional cycling, Women cycling

Congratulations to the South Australian Government on its inspired decision to offer equal prize money for the Women’s Tour Down Under pro cycling race. As the men’s edition of the race was wrapping up on the weekend, the Sports Minister announced that his Government would add extra cash to the prize pool. I believe this is a first for women’s professional road cycling, where the women usually earn way less in prize money even for similar races. In last year’s Tour of Flanders race, the women’s prize money was reportedly 1,100 euros, compared to about 20,000 euros for the men.

The Cyclists’ Alliance is a huge leap forward for women’s professional cycling

January 16, 2018 Nicola Professional cycling, Women cycling

I almost missed the news that slipped out just before Christmas that a fantastic new initiative for women’s professional cycling, The Cyclists’ Alliance was here. Formed and backed by some of women’s cycling’s biggest names, the new international cycling union aims to be a resource and a cohesive voice for professional cyclists in order to promote and protect athlete safety and enhance professionalism within the sport. “We will work as a partner with the UCI and the UCI-registered women’s teams to help them form the first women’s teams association in global cycling,” says founder Iris Slappendel. “The Alliance is here to