Joss Lowden to target stage races and hilly classics in 2022
'I feel like I'm an all rounder' says world hour record holder
Joscelin Lowden will target stage races and hillier one-day classics with Uno-X Pro Cycling in 2022 as she looks to fill an all-rounder role in the newest women's WorldTeam.
Lowden broke the women's hour record in September and has become known for her time trialling but the Briton also showed her general classification ability in 2021 when she took overall victory at the Tour de Feminin in the Czech Republic.
"Some things are still to be ironed out, but my remit is the stage races," she said.
"With the Giro, the Tour de France and the Battle of the North, there's a lot in quite a condensed amount of time, so it will be about going into that part of the season as fresh as I can be."
With the whole WorldTour calendar ahead of her at Uno-X and hopes of doing well at the Ardennes classics, Lowden concedes that time trialling may take a backseat for much of 2022.
"I've certainly focused quite heavily on time trialling the last few years, especially with doing my hour," she said. "But I'm a big believer in the idea that you're not just a time trialist or just a climber. I feel like I'm an all-rounder.
"So in the summer, time trialling won't be so much of a focus, but when we get to the World Champs, for example, I'll definitely be wanting to target the TTs there. I think there's definitely a place for both in my calendar, but I'm not sure how the balance will be yet."
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As a latecomer to the peloton, 2022 will only be Lowden's fifth year of racing at UCI level, but she is feeling confident and comfortable in the bunch ahead of her move to Uno-X
"It's been a lot to learn," she said of her rapid rise from club racing to the WorldTour.
"You learn a lot about yourself and your ability, and you learn a lot about your confidence on the bike, like bike handling is worth a huge amount. And it's not just about your power and your fitness, there's a hell of a big game going on beyond just physiology."
Until recently, Lowden had been balancing working alongside racing, but will be focusing on cycling full time this year. With a move to Andorra also in the works, Lowden is hoping the increased commitment to her cycling career will show in her racing.
"For rest, it's already been noticeable," she said. "But also just being able to focus and not feel like my head is somewhere else when I get on my bike to go and train.
"I'm mentally in a really good place this year. I feel really happy when I'm racing, that bit more assured in my riding, so I think I'm just going to really enjoy this year and hopefully, my results will reflect that."
Matilda Price is a freelance cycling journalist and digital producer based in the UK. She is a graduate of modern languages, and recently completed an MA in sports journalism, during which she wrote her dissertation on the lives of young cyclists. Matilda began covering cycling in 2016 whilst still at university, working mainly in the British domestic scene at first. Since then, she has covered everything from the Tour Series to the Tour de France. These days, Matilda focuses most of her attention on the women’s sport, writing for Cyclingnews and working on women’s cycling show The Bunnyhop. As well as the Women’s WorldTour, Matilda loves following cyclo-cross and is a recent convert to downhill mountain biking.