Team BikeExchange have continued to strengthen their roster ahead of next season, announcing that Georgia Williams will continue racing with the team for another year.
Following a successful 2018 season in which she won a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games Road Race, finished fourth in the Tour of Guangxi and fifth overall at the Women Herald Sun Tour, Williams has been beset by injuries and illnesses relating to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S) syndrome. This is caused by insufficient calorific intake combined with excessive energy expenditure and, in Williams’ case, led to decreased bone density.
Now, after changing her approach to nutrition and training, Williams is hoping to recapture her early-career form.
“I’m just as excited for this next season with the team as I was in my first,” she said, “and I’m motivated to make the next one my best yet. I was happy with the first half of my season this year but then I had some bad luck during the last few months. I am hoping to come back stronger and looking forward to my pre-season build.”
Indeed, 2021 began brightly for Williams as she became New Zealand’s national champion in both the road race and time-trial for the second time in her career. Although the rest of the year did not yield the same results, and she crashed on stage 8 of the Giro and could not start stage 9, and did not finish Simac Ladies Tour or Paris-Roubaix Femmes.
Williams’ double victory at nationals, her strong team work ethic, and experience, suggests her return to form and offers a platform on which build for next season where she will take on more of a team leadership role for the incoming riders.
“It’s exciting to be racing with new riders in 2022 which will mean slightly different race tactics for us,” she said. “I think they will all be a great addition to the team and will lift us up to another level.”
As she prepares for next season, Williams will occupy a slightly different place in the team, one that acknowledges and utilises her growing experience.
“Next year will be the sixth season at Team BikeExchange for Georgia, she is one of the veterans of the women’s team now and we really count on her support on and off the bike,” Brett Copeland.
“With all the changes we are going through next season, with many new riders joining Team BikeExchange, she will play an important role in showing the spirit of the team and way we work. We have confidence that we can truly rely on Georgia in many races throughout the year, it is great she will continue with us for 2022.”
