ROAD | Women's Development team launches in Belgium

The Australian women's road development team has launched its 2019 winter road racing program in Belgium.

Four National Road Series (NRS) riders in Sarah Gigante (Roxsolt Attaquer), Josie Talbot (Roxsolt Attaquer), Ruby Roseman-Gannon (St LukesHealth TIS Racing Team) and Anya Louw (St LukesHealth TIS Racing Team) have joined Australian Cycling Team Podium Potential Academy^ members Maeve Plouffe (SA), Alexandra Martin-Wallace (QLD), Samantha de Riter (VIC) and Sophie Edwards (SA) for the trip. 

The riders opened their season on July 14 with two Belgian kermesses, with the outfit set to be tested at the Bene Tour (UCI 2.1) from July 18-21. 

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Race #2 was another new experience for us all, with our first Euro crit. It was crazy fast to say the least, but it was also really cool to visit Holland and even get a mini interview before the start! □ Sending healing vibes to our amazingly tough teammie @maeveplouffe ❤️❤️❤️ - □ Leon Verbraeken/Marcel’s Cycling Photos

A post shared by Sarah Gigante (@slipstreamsarah) on Jul 17, 2019 at 2:05pm PDT

Unfortunately, Plouffe will return to Australia after breaking her ulna and radius in a race crash in the opening weekend.

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Thanks everyone for their support & well wishes today. Verdict is a broken ulna, radius and dislocation. After two (painful) manipulations, the doctors at the Netherlands hospital couldn’t move it back into place, so I’ll be back in Australia for surgery soon □. Hurts but smiling again and on the mend □□

A post shared by MAEVE PLOUFFE (@maeveplouffe) on Jul 16, 2019 at 3:40pm PDT

The program follows a successful partnership between CA and NRS teams in the 2019 Summer of Cycling which saw riders contesting the Santos Women's Tour Down Under, Deakin University Women's Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and Lexus of Blackburn Women's Herald Sun Tour.

Schedule

• Jul 14 GP Sofie Goos Borgerhout 1.15A
• Jul 17 Arendonk 1.15A
• Jul 18 to 21 Bene Tour UCI 2.1
• Jul 19 Vrasene 1.15A
• Jul 23 Zottegem-Strijpen 1.15A
• Jul 26 Bambrugge-Erpe Mere 1.15A
• Jul 27 St Maria-Lierde 1.15A
• Jul 29 Boezinge WE UCI Crit
• Jul 30 Kapellen 1.15
• Jul 31 Antwerpen WE UCI Crit
• Aug 1 Herentals Fietst WE UCI Crit
• Aug 3 Erondeg Pijl (Erpe Mere) UCI 1.2

​^ The Podium Potential Academy (PPA) was launched in November 2018 with an inaugural class of thirteen athletes across both endurance and sprint disciplines. The PPA programme, which is supported and partly funded by Commonwealth Games Australia, focuses on the long term development of athletes orientated around success at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and through to the 2024 Olympic Games and beyond.