It’s Ella Picks Monday, and we’re handling this week’s link round-up of the best women’s cycling content we read and watched this week a little bit differently because there was just so much of it. Our picks for the week include updates on Carmen Small’s gutsy ride in the elite men’s field at the North Star Grand Prix, Jered Gruber’s brilliant pictorial following Lizzie Armitstead’s dramatic finish line crash at the Aviva Women’s Tour, updates on the Veloroos as they Race Across America, and an article by The Guardian that examines the relationship between cycling and equality.
News
Hanna Solovey made news again – first when her Astana-Acca-Due O team announced that she was fired for unprofessional behavior and then again when the Ukranian Cycling Federation hit back at the trade team, contending Solovey was fired not for unprofessionalism but an unwillingness to become a Kazakhstan citizen. Amidst the controversy, Solovey managed a silver medal time trial ride at the 2015 Baku European Games.
Four additional athletes were named to the 2015 Subaru High5 Australian Women’s Road Development Team. Ellen Skerritt, Jessica Mundy, Jenelle Crooks and Shannon Malseed will join Amy Gillett Foundation scholarship winner Kimberely Wells in Europe next month.
Aviva Women’s Tour
Sean Robinson of Velofocus produced daily photo galleries out of the Women’s Tour that showcase every aspect of the race we love.
Lizzie Armitstead spoke to The Guardian about her stage one crash, saying she saw her career flying away as lay on the ground.
Wiggle Honda produced excellent videos daily at The Women’s Tour. Their video from stage five is one my favourites –but they’re all worth a watch.
This piece by Jered Gruber on stage one beautifully captures the emotion at the finish line following Lizzie Armitstead’s dramatic crash. If you read one thing from Ella Picks this week, read this.
If you’re haven’t already, give Avia Women’s Tour boss Guy Elliott a follow on Twitter and check out his tweets from the last week. His passion for this race is palatable.
Veloroos
The Race Across America (RAAM) is underway – and Australia’s first all-female team is making excellent progress on its quest to win the four-women team division.
You can meet the crew in this video and check out footage from the first day in this one.
Follow the Veloross in real time here. In addition to timing station information, you can read “the daily report” and the “the daily overnight report” here.
And (ICYMI) – Meet the Veloroos includes a Q&A plus video with each member of the team.
Race Updates
Carmen Small successfully completed the North Star Grand Prix on Sunday –no small feat as she lined up with the pro men’s field following the cancellation of the elite women’s race. The only women to ever race in the pro men’s field at American stage race, Small finished the race in 72nd place overall. Scroll down to the comments in our original article for daily updates or read the final report out of North Star Grand Prix. We’re hoping to speak with Carmen later today, so stay tuned for more on this story soon.
Amanda Spratt soloed to victory at the Giro del Trentino on Saturday. A month ago, Orica-AIS had yet to win a race in Europe this year. Fast-forward four weeks and they have six wins from four different riders – Lizzie Williams , Gracie Elvin , Emma Johansson (x3) and now Amanda Spratt.
Ellen van Dijk (The Netherlands) won the gold medal in individual time trial the Baku 2015 European Games. You can watch footage from van Dijk’s winning ride here. In the road race, Alena Amialiusik (Belarus) won a three-up sprint against Kasia Niewiadoma (Poland) and Anna van der Breggen (The Netherlands) to take gold in the road race. Check out the sprint here.
Features
You’ve heard a lot from us on the AIS selection camp used to select the 2015 Subaru High5 Australian Women’s Road Development Team. The ‘Camp Heartbreak’ documentary shares further insight.
The Guardian’s story “Freewheeling to equality: how cycling helped women on the road to rights” is particularly poignant given the social agenda of the Aviva Women’s Tour.
Rider blogs
Helen Wyman wrote daily blogs out of the Aviva Women’s Tour for CyclingNews. Her final piece is a thank you note to everyone involved in this fantastic women’s cycling event.
Ashleigh Moolman-Paiso finished in second place overall in Emakumeen Euskal Bira the Sunday before last. She writes about searching for the single second that would have propelled her to the top step in her personal blog.
Beyond Cycling
We love this piece in The Independent that claims women’s sport is the best buy for business.
This piece on ESPNW on FIFA and their antiquated gender verification guidelines is an important albeit maddening read.
Ella Reads You Don’t Want to Miss
Here are a few of my favourite stories published on Ella in the last week:
- We love everything about The Aviva Women’s Tour and you will, too
- Weekly wisdom: Indoor trainer tips
- Eleven seconds separate first from fourth at the Aviva Women’s Tour heading into the final stage
- Mara Abbott’s nut butter
- Is the Aviva Women’s Tour too easy?
