AG Insurance-Soudal Team

Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio

Sarah Gigante

Kim Le Court

Marthe Goossens

Justine Ghekiere

Ilse Pluimers

Julie Van De Velde

Mireia Benito

Ally Wollaston

Julia Borgström

Maud Rijnbeek

Gaia Masetti

Anya Louw

Maaike Boogaard

Nicole Steigenga

Leonie Bentveld

Racing

Features

Racing Features

Sarah Gigante blog: Keeping that never-give-up attitude in the Vuelta Femenina

So it’s Wednesday evening now and we’ve just got to the hotel after a tough stage 4 of the 

, which was made up of 142km from Molina de Aragón to Zaragoza.

It was hard today, right from the start. The neutral zone and first couple of kilometres were relatively easy, but after that, it was full gas for the entire stage. I lost contact with the front of the peloton once the echelons began in the first 20km, but I was lucky that my group worked really well together and we kept catching riders along the way. We just kept that never-give-up attitude and eventually we caught the second group on the road. My DSs before the stage told me to be like Pippi Longstocking (well - they said the Dutch name, Pippi Langkous!) and to never give up, and that’s exactly what I did.

Although it seemed close at times, unfortunately we never made contact with the front group, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. After a small but sharp climb 80km into the stage, I sadly didn’t have any teammates with me left in this chasing group, but I kept on swapping off at the front in the final 50km so that I could minimise the gap to the top GC riders.

Vuelta Femenina GC: Vollering and Niewiadoma gain, Realini loses in stage 4 crosswinds

Of course, it is disappointing to lose two minutes to some of the other GC riders today, before we even hit the mountains, but at the same time, I’m quite happy with how the stage went because I learnt a ton about riding in echelons today and I also know that it could have been a whole lot worse in terms of time loss. I’m also super happy to see 

. As my former teammate and housemate, I know that she’s not only an amazing rider but is also a wonderful person, and this victory is so well deserved.

Coming into the Vuelta, my aim for the first half of the race was always to minimise time loss and stay out of trouble. I’ve not had a chance to test out my climbing legs yet, but my teammates have done an amazing job at keeping me safe and looking out for me so that I could do my best in achieving those two goals. They’ve been so helpful and encouraging, and then in stage 3 we also had 

 in a solo breakaway all day, which was inspiring to see and resulted in a nice white combative jersey for her. She went all out for the win and nearly got it, and now she has some points on the table when it comes to the QOM Classification.

My overall goals in the race don’t really change too much after today. I’m still optimistic, because the race is long and we’re only halfway there. I’m not the only GC rider who lost time today, and many riders will want to attack on the hard climbs coming up, for both GC and stage ambitions. For me, it’s still about taking it day-by-day. Being nearly three minutes down is a lot, but the race isn’t over yet and I’ll keep racing the way I want to race, which is hard. I’ll give it my all, and that doesn’t change whether I’m going for the GC or stages.

Vuelta Femenina: Ranking the GC contenders

My highlight over the first four days has been the sense of teamwork and how we are all striving for the same goals while having fun together. Because of this, my favourite day so far was the first day, when we raced the team time trial. As a squad, we were all really excited to line up together for the first stage and take on that challenge. We were so passionate about it, and you could feel it in the air during our two pre-race training sessions too. We just wanted to get stuck in, even though we had no idea what to expect because it was our first TTT together. Some of us hadn’t even raced this discipline before, but that feeling of sharing the nerves, the suffering and the touch of disappointment together was second to none and I can’t wait for the next time we get to do one.

It’s time to head down for dinner now, but I’m already so excited for the harder stages that start tomorrow, with the first uphill finish. It’s going to be a wonderful day and definitely a tough but fun four days to come!

For everything you need to know about the 2024 Vuelta Femenina, from the

Sarah Gigante blog: I feel ready for the Vuelta Femenina

There’s just one day to go until my Grand Tour debut at the 

 and it’s both exciting and surreal at the same time.

For the last couple of years, I’ve been watching the Grand Tours from the sidelines and seeing them all get bigger and better. I’ve seen their status rise with each passing season, and now I finally have my own chance to line up. It’s a massive moment and opportunity for me, and I can’t wait to take it with both hands.

We arrived in sunny Valencia a couple of days ago, which was a little bit earlier than we’d normally arrive for a typical race and that already made the coming 

 feel like a really big deal. I have to admit that it’s also super nice being in short sleeves again, after the freezing cold and wet weather that we were treated to in Belgium during the recent Ardennes. On Friday afternoon, we even took a trip into the beautiful city to do some cool headshots for ASO, and little details like that are really getting me excited about the race. You can feel that it’s just around the corner and that the hype is high.

La Vuelta Femenina 2024 – essential race preview

Looking at the stage profiles, the parcours certainly gets harder as the race goes on, and I think I like that. I tend to train with quite high intensity and volume, so having the hard stages at the end, when everyone is tired, should suit me well. Of course, for now, my current focus is on the start of the Vuelta, not the end of it. We begin with a team time trial on Sunday afternoon, and although we’re a pretty inexperienced team in this discipline, our two training sessions together in Valencia have gone super well and actually exceeded everyone’s expectations.

We felt strong and smooth from the beginning, as though we’d done it many times before. I’ve only ever done one TTT in my professional career so I was initially feeling quite nervous for stage 1, but the training here has gone so well and been so fun that I’m now really looking forward to the shared pain this time around.

The big news that came out this morning is that, unfortunately, we’re starting the Vuelta without our pre-race leader 

. She’s fallen sick since the Ardennes, which is really disappointing for her and the whole team. Ash has been in amazing form lately and worked really hard in the build-up to the Vuelta. She even missed a lot of the Spring Classics in favour of an intense three-week altitude camp in Colombia. It’s such a huge shame, but we all know that she’ll be back stronger than ever, so now we just want to see her get back to full health and join us at the next race.

It’s definitely a bit strange without her here, but we’re all going to give it our best shot anyway. I think there are a lot of opportunities for all seven of us. Personally, I just want to avoid losing time in the early stages and then see what I have in the mountains. It’s my first Grand Tour, and I have a lot of learning to do, but at the same time, I don’t see why we can’t go for a good result, both in the stages and in GC. We’ve got a strong team and I’m in great shape. There’s no pressure if it doesn't pan out, but there’s also no reason not to try.

Although my last race, LIège-Bastogne-Liège, was completely different to the Vuelta, my performance there gave me some confidence heading into this week. I was a bit nervous when my director Jolien D'hoore told me to attack on the very first climb, just 15km into the 150km race, but I came away happy that I managed to not only get away, but also stay away for most of the race. It didn’t end up leading to a top result, but it was nice to test my legs against some of the other riders who will be lining up here in Spain. I already knew that my training had been going well, but it’s never the same as when you line up in a race. In saying that, my performance at Liège made me even hungrier for some results at the finish line too, rather than just the many QOM prizes I collected!

After the Australian block back in January, I'd say the Vuelta is definitely my next peak in form and with that, also the next peak in my excitement. Even during the Ardennes Classics, I did two twenty-minute efforts the day after De Brabantse Pijl and two fifteen-minute efforts the day after La Flèche Wallone, in order to maintain my threshold power ahead of this next big race, so I feel ready. I still need to see how I back up after each day, and of course, it’s a huge disappointment not to have Ash with us, but the mood in the team is excellent nevertheless. We’re staying positive and I'm sure we’ll get as much out of the race as we can. There’s so much enthusiasm in the camp, from riders and staff alike, and we will take that commitment into the race. One day to go…I can’t wait to get started.

Tech

Tech Features

2024 Women’s WorldTour bikes, wheels and groupsets: A complete guide

With 28 events spread across 82 days of racing, the 

 is set to deliver another blockbuster year of racing in 2024. 

As is usual when a new season begins, there will be a period of acclimatisation as fans get used to the changes in kits, riders and, in some instances, bikes too. While most teams are tied into long-term partnerships with their brands and will be sticking with the same bikes for 2024, there are a few who will be sporting new equipment.

To help, we've pulled together this complete guide to the bikes, groupsets, wheels and tyres every Women’s WorldTour team will be using during the 2024 season. 

2024 Men's WorldTour bikes: A guide to the bikes, groupsets, and tech of the top-tier teams

Factor on the move, Specialized here to stay

The start of a new season can be a confusing time for fans. There are new names and kits to get used to, not to mention all of the rider transfers to remember. There will also be new teams on the WorldTour roster in 2024, with 

 being awarded the two free WorldTour licences. Those spots became free following the closure of the EF Education-TIBCO-SVB team and the merger between Jayco-AlUla and Liv Racing TeqFind to form 

Things are much simpler in the world of bike tech where, barring the odd change, most things stay the same season-to-season. 2024 is no different and the majority of teams will be using the same bikes and equipment as they did in 2023.

 whose all-conquering exploits in 2023 bagged them an incredible 40 WorldTour wins. At the end of the season they topped the UCI rankings, finishing over 10,000 points clear of second-placed Lidl-Trek. Those victories and points were delivered atop 

 bikes and they’ll be linking up for plenty more wins over the coming season, having extended their partnership with the American brand until the end of 2028.

Only two team has swapped bike brands for the 2024 season, with 

Human Powered Health agreeing a three-year deal with Factor

, bringing to an end their five-year partnership with Felt. Roland Cycling, meanwhile, will step off their 

, which marks a historic moment as the Italian brand is used by a Women's WorldTeam 

Elsewhere, Liv will only sponsor one team after Jayco-AlUla and Liv Racing TeqFind - both of whom it sponsored in 2023 - merged to form Liv AlUla Jayco.

 is the most popular brand in the Women’s WorldTour, used by three different teams: Canyon-SRAM, Fenix-Deceuninck and Movistar. Specialized follows closely behind with two teams, along with the aforementioned Factor. 

 is a new addition to the list for 2024 following Ceratizit-WNT's step up to the highest tier.

Which bikes won the most races in the 2023 Women’s WorldTour?

Shimano edges SRAM, Campagnolo absent from Women’s WorldTour

 dominates the men’s WorldTour, but in the women’s peloton there’s a slightly more even split with 

, although the Japanese brand still enjoys the slight upper hand.

It currently sponsors nine of the 15 Women's WorldTour teams, while SRAM lays claim to the remaining six. 

 will once again be absent from the Women’s WorldTour in 2024. That’s indicative of its wider woes in elite cycling and the historic Italian brand will also be absent from the men's WorldTour peloton after 

While it loses out on the numbers stake, SRAM currently sponsors SD Worx who won virtually everything in 2023. That’s a slight exaggeration as Movistar halted that progress at two of the three Grand Tours, but the Spanish outfit also uses SRAM components, as do Lidl-Trek who finished second in the UCI rankings in 2023.

UAE Team Emirates and SD Worx top UCI world rankings

Fresh off the back of their most successful season to date, 

 are stepping up to WorldTour level in 2024. The team’s tally of seven wins in 2023, or 10 if you include National Championships, were taken atop the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 and S-Works Shiv TT bikes. Since they last triumphed in June, the team has moved over to the new Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 which they’ll hope will propel their star riders, including 

Stiffer, lighter, more aerodynamic – Specialized launches new Tarmac SL8

Canyon-SRAM and - no points for guessing this one - their Canyon bikes teamed up to claim three WorldTour wins in 2023. Two of those were stage wins at Grand Tours, but their biggest victory arguably came after the road season when 

 was crowned the gravel world champion atop the then-unreleased 

. Just as unsurprisingly, the team uses the SRAM Red groupset along with 

All-new Canyon Grail gains in-frame storage and seamless bar integration

 wasn’t present in the Women’s WorldTour in 2023 but that will change in 2024 with 

 making the jump from the Continental ranks.

Willing to buck common trends, the Spanish brand 

launched its latest Orca climbing bike in 2023

. Purely built to be lightweight, it wasn’t accompanied by any aero claims - a rarity in modern cycling. It made its racing debut at the Tour de France Femmes where Ceratizit-WNT’s 

 won the best young rider’s white jersey.

Pro bike: Kathrin Schweinberger’s Orbea Orca

 to SD Worx, who claimed the majority of their wins in 2022. If that left question marks over the team’s winning potential, they were quickly answered by 

 Foil to devastating effect. By the end of the season, the flying Dutchwoman had 13 wins and she’ll be hoping to take many more in 2024, once again atop Scott’s bikes.

In the world of cycling tech, the biggest surprise of the off-season came when

 and Groupama-FDJ ended their 22-year collaboration. That doesn’t extend to the 

 who are also supported by FDJ, as they will continue to use the French brand’s bikes in 2024. Their riders will use the Xelius SL, which will be paired with Shimano’s Dura-Ace groupset and wheels.

Lapierre and Groupama-FDJ split after 22 years of collaboration

’s upwards trajectory continued in 2023 as the team made the step up to WorldTour level, along with their Canyon bikes. 

’s stage victory at the Tour de France Femmes was the pinnacle of the team’s year on the road, but it was an equally seismic moment for Canyon who shared a clean sweep of stage wins at the French Grand Tour with Specialized. By the end of the race, both brands had four stage wins apiece, although Specialized also claimed the overall yellow jersey through Demi Vollering.

Fenix-Deceuninck Team Talk: Few wins but promising signs for WorldTour debutants

It’s was a hectic year in 2023 for the 

 umbrella whose men’s team folded. Things are more stable for the women’s team which continues in 2024, although they've done so atop Factor bikes having ended their long five-year partnership with 

. The American outfit will get to choose between the 

released in 2023 with claims that it’s “the world’s lightest climbing bike”

. The team will also make the switch to Black Inc wheels for 2024.

Human Powered Health switch to Factor bikes for 2024

With one of the strongest rosters in the WorldTour, 

 are a powerhouse of women’s cycling, although they struggled to convert that into WorldTour wins in 2023 against the might of SD Worx. Their six WorldTour wins isn’t too shabby, but they’ll hope to take more in 2024 atop their 

 and Madone which have both been around for a while, although they’ve adapted over the years. Most recently the Madone has undergone a makeover, leading to a hole in its seat tube that helps it to stand out from the WorldTour crowd. 

Pro bike: Elisa Longo Borghini’s Trek Émonda SLR

Mergers between teams can be chaotic, especially when there are conflicting brands to accommodate. Of course, a team can only have one bike sponsor, so one brand usually loses out. Things were much simpler in the merger between Jayco AlUla and Liv Racing TeqFind who both rode 

 bikes in 2023, and the Giant-owned brand will continue to serve the newly merged Liv AlUla Jayco outfit.

Liv is the only women-specific bike brand in the pro peloton, with the team choosing between the Langma Advanced and EnviLiv advanced bikes for road stages, and the Avow Advanced for time trials.

 Liv Langma Advanced and EnviLiv Advanced

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Why I'm Ditching Dura-Ace For Mechanical 105

How A Bike Tyre Is Made | Pirelli Factory Tour

Name	Age	UCI Career Wins	UCI Points
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio	38	47	1450
Sarah Gigante	23	7	581
Kim Le Court	28	3	367
Marthe Goossens	22	0	361
Justine Ghekiere	28	1	313

AG Insurance-Soudal Team

AG Insurance-Soudal Team

The Team

Top AG Insurance-Soudal Team Stories

Sarah Gigante blog: Keeping that never-give-up attitude in the Vuelta Femenina

Sarah Gigante blog: I feel ready for the Vuelta Femenina

2024 Women’s WorldTour bikes, wheels and groupsets: A complete guide

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