“Audrey is such a quiet achiever, she has won more races than people realise and she’s most certainly one of the strongest and most talented riders in the peloton,” Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Owner and Team Manager Rochelle Gilmore said in a team press release.
“Our team of athletes and staff are so proud of everything Audrey has achieved in 2015, and we can’t wait to see what she can do in 2016. Audrey’s biggest asset is her willingness to sacrifice her own chances for her teammates and this is why the entire team absolutely adores her.”
Cordon-Ragot took her first senior French title in the time trial this year and won Chloet-Pays de Loire. Her best work was done as a domestique for the team’s 36 victories. “It has been the most successful season of my career as a teammate,” Cordon-Ragot said. “To be part of this amazing amount of victories is just an honour, and I'm really proud.”
Alongside Cordon-Ragot, Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling has also confirmed that current athletes Amy Roberts, Anna Christian, Olympic Champion Dani King, Japanese Champion Mayuko Hagiwara, Italians Elisa Longo Borghini and Giorgia Bronzini and Belgian Champion Jolien D’hoore will be part of the team in 2016; along with new signings, Swedish Champion Emma Johansson, Dutch all-rounder Amy Pieters and British former two-time Junior World Champion Lucy Garner.
Canadian women’s team pursuit set fastest qualifying time in New Zealand World Cup
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The Canadian women’s team pursuit squad set the fastest qualifying time during the opening night of the second of three UCI Track World Cup events of the 2016 season. The event is being held in Cambridge, New Zealand, and critical Olympic qualifications points are on the line.
“We’ve only been here three days so we didn’t quite know what to expect today or what the conditions were going to be like,” Glaesser said. “I think it was a little slower than in training so we had to pick it up a bit and adapt but I think we adapted really well to finish off strong.”
The Canadian team went into the event as the World Cup leaders. The team included Allison Beveridge, Laura Brown, Jasmin Glaesser and Kristi Lay. They set the fastest time of 4:19.35 over the four-kilometre distance.
The Canadian team is wearing the white skin suits signifying their World Cup lead. Glaesser noted that winning the jersey isn’t a priority rather a sign that they are on the right track heading into an Olympic year.
“While winning the jersey isn't a priority for us this season, it's a sign that we are on track to hit our targets at the World Championships next March, and, of course, Rio in the summer. It will give us the confidence to attack every race and to change our mentality from trying to be one of the best, to trying to be the best, period.”
Canada will face USA in the first round on Saturday morning while Australia will ride against New Zealand.
Pressure is on for Cant to win in Essen
World Cup leader Sanne Cant (BKCP-Enertherm) may be on a winning streak in the Superprestige series, but she has yet to win a round of the Bpost Bank Trofee. The fourth round will be held in Essen, Belgium, on Saturday.
“I naturally hope to change that, but really I do not lie awake over it," Cant said to Sport.be. "I'm especially looking forward to the race itself. Essen is always a special race, especially in such weather conditions. It will be very tough with quite a bit of gear, but it certainly has its charms."
Cant has placed fourth in Ronse and Oudenaarde, and then second in Hamme. She is currently sitting in third place overall behind series leader Jolien Verschueren and runner-up Nikki Harris.
US cyclo-cross picks up in Iowa City, Broken Arrow and Warwick
USA Cycling’s Professional Cyclo-cross Calendar will showcase three events held this weekend across the nation.
The three-day Jingle Cross will kick things off on Friday in Iowa City, Iowa, and conclude on Sunday. NBX Grand Prix of Cyclo-cross will be held in Warwick, Rhode Island and Ruts N’ Guts in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, both on Saturday and Sunday.
Caroline Mani (Raleigh-Clement) is leading the women’s series ahead of Crystal Anthony and Amanda Miller, both race for Boulder Cycle Sport.
