World time trial silver medallist Hanna Solovey of Ukraine will ride for the Astana-Acca Due O team in 2015 and ride a full international calendar for the first time in her career.
Solovery's hometown of Luhansk has been at the heart of the conflict between pro-Russian rebels and the Ukraine government, and she had to move 1,400km west to Lvov to avoid the warfare and train for the Worlds. The 22-year-old finished second to Lisa Brennauer in the time trial and then took ninth in the road race.
"Unfortunately in 2014 I didn't race much but I like to have always new challenges and I'm excited about the idea of being at some awesome races, maybe a World Cup event or the Giro Rosa," said Solovey, who also expressed an interest in tackling the Hour Record.
A double world champion in the time trial as a junior, Solovey's progress was stalled by a positive test for Drostanolone in 2011. She returned last year to win the European under-23 time trial title and the Chrono des Nations.
"Sure, we know her past but she was winning already before that stop and now she's back to a high level and we trust in Hanna," said Astana-Acca Due O team president Maurizio Fabretto. "I've been clear with her, just like with every other rider at the start of every season: I've been in women's cycling for almost 20 years now and in my teams we never had a doping case I want to keep it this way."
Guimard resigns from French Cycling Federation
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Cyrille Guimard has resigned from the federal council of the French Cycling Federation, citing his frustration at the FFC's failure to consult with him on sporting matters.
"I was there for two years and before that I had four years on the executive. I was never asked my opinion on sporting matters, in which I had some qualifications and results, it's extraordinary," Guimard told Ouest France. "I don't see what I can bring to the federation so I'm stepping down."
As a directeur sportif, Guimard achieved the feat of guiding three different riders to Tour de France victory – Lucien Van Impe, Bernard Hinault and Laurent Fignon – and he remains involved with the Roubaix-Lille Métropole Continental team.
Machado leads Katusha at the Tour Down Under
The Katusha team has revealed its squad for the Tour Down Under in Australia, with Portugal's Tiago Machado named as team leader for the first WorldTour races of the 2015 season.
Machado rode for the NetApp-Endura team in 2014, winning the Tour de Slovénie. He finished third overall in the 2012 Tour Down Under while riding for Radioshack.
"The Santos Tour Down Under will be my first race for Team Katusha. I look forward to proving to the team they did well by contracting me. It's always very hot around Adelaide. Many European riders suffer from it, but I don't. Also in Portugal we have those extreme temperatures in summer. I like it," Machado in the announcement from race organisers.
Also in the Katusha team are Maxim Belkov, Giampaolo Caruso, Vladimir Isaychev, Sergey Lagutin, Rudi Selig and Aleksei Tsatevich. The 2015 Tour Down Under will be held in Adelaide and South Australia from January 17-25.
Roompot secures Classics invitations
The new Dutch Roompot team has revealed it has secured wild card invitations to several of the Spring Classics as it works to build its 2015 racing calendar.
The team will be officially presented on January 2 in the Netherlands during the Rotterdam Six Day and then head to Spain for a training camp.
"We'll be able to ride the opening weekend in Belgium (Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne) and also all the Flanders Classics races," team manager Erik Breukink revealed to the Dutch media.
Flanders Classics organise the Dwars door Vlaanderen, E3 Prijs, Gent-Wevelgem, Ronde van Vlaanderen, Scheldeprijs and Brabantse Pijl races.
The team is still waiting to hear if it has secured wild card places from ASO for Paris-Roubaix, the Fleche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège but hopes to ride a full schedule of Spring races that will also include the Amstel Gold Race in the Netherlands.
The Roompot team is expected to make its debut at the Ruta del Sol in Southern Spain in early February. It's all-Dutch 18-rider 2015 rider roster includes Jonny Hoogerland, Marc De Maar, Michel, Raymond and Wesley Kreder.
