Women's News Roundup and 2008 Rosters - Part 1
New British team, Equipe Nürnberger, Safi-Pasta Zara, Titanedi-Frezza-H2O, Lotto-Belisol, Top Girls Fassa Bortolo, Vrienden van het Platteland, other news & Photos.

By Bart Hazen

Podium World Championships: Marianne Vos, Marta Bastianelli and Giorgia Bronzini  
© Dave O'Nyons Sports Pictorial  

Nicole Cooke to lead a new British team
Nicole Cooke will be the leader of a British-sponsored professional team in 2008 after leaving the Swiss Raleigh-Lifeforce team.

David Brailsford, British Cycling’s performance director, has agreed with a major sponsor to put up the first ever Britain’s professional women’s team on the road. The team will likely have 12 riders.

The goal of the team is to give the riders the racing and support they needed to reach the Olympic Games in Beijing in the best possible conditions, ready to contend for the Gold Medals in several disciplines. The race program of this new team will include all the key World Cup events and top stage races. But they will also compete in the United Kingdom.

Nicole Cooke wins the Women's Tour of Flanders in April followed by Zabirova and Vos. Photo c. Raleigh/Lifeforce

Other riders who are linked to the team, including Nicole, are Catherine Hare (Rapha/Condor), Elizabeth Armistead (Global), Katie Curtis (Global) and Joanna Rowsell (Global). One rider, who has been approached, has already declined the offer. Emma Pooley will stay with Team Specialized Designs for Women.

However, it is believed the new team will have the flexibility to enter races under the name as “national team”, allowing Pooley to be selected for the team for some events in 2008.
More news:

Equipe Nürnberger announces team for 2008
Equipe Nürnberger has announced the team for 2008. Mie Lacota will not join the team as we mentioned earlier. Mie Lacota has decided to quit cycling again. In May she announced she would take a break for a while, but in the final part of the season she returned to participate in some races.

2008 Equipe Nürnberger Squad:
Charlotte Becker (Ger)
Christina Becker (Ger)
Claudia Häusler (Ger)
Eva Lutz (Ger)
Regina Schleicher (Ger)
Trixi Worrack (Ger)
Larissa Kleinmann (Ger)
Edita Pucinskaite (Lth)
Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Lth)
Marie Lindberg (Swe)
Suzanne de Goede (Ned)

New Riders: Christina Becker (Getränke Hoffmann), Suzanne de Goede (T-Mobile) and Larissa Kleinmann (Elite-2)
Leaving the team: Andrea Graus (Bigla) and Claudia Stumpf (?)
The lead riders of the team are still Regina Schleicher, Edita Puncinskaite and Trixi Worrack.

Safi-Pasta Zara announces teams for 2008
The Safi-Pasta Zara team has announced both of their teams for the upcoming season. Along with the Elite team they have a "second" team called Titanedi-Frezza-H2O. This team is more a “youth” development team.

2008 World Champion Italy's Marta Bastianelli
Photo © Dave O'Nyons Sports Pictorial

2008 Safi-Pasta Zara Roster
Marta Bastianelli (Ita)
Odette Bertolini (Ita)
Alessandra Borchi (Ita)
Giorgia Bronzini (Ita)
Iturriaga Echevarria Eneritz (Spa)
Simona Krupeckaite (Lth)
Luisa Tamanini (Ita)
Natallia Tsilinskaya (Uzb)
Diana Ziliute (Lth)

Luisa Tamanini at The 2007 Expert Ladies Tour  Photo © Bart Hazen

New in the team are: Odette Bertolini and Eneritz Iturriaga (Menikini)
Leaving the team are Elena Berlato (Titanedi-Frezza), Vera Carrara (Team Cmax Dila-Guerciotti), Gunn-Rita Dahle, Francesca Faustini (Titanedi-Frezza), Daniela Fusar Poli (retires), Gintare Gaivenyte (Titanedi-Frezza), Vilija Sereikaite (Titanedi-Frezza) and Anna Zugno (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo).
The leaders of the team will be World Champion Marta Bastianelli and sprinter Giorgia Bronzini.

Titanedi-Frezza-H2O
Elena Berlato (Safi-Pasta Zara)
Francesca Faustini (Safi-Pasta Zara)
Simona Frapporti (Elite-2)
Gaivenyte Gintare (Safi-Pasta Zara)
Ketti Manfrin (Team FRW)
Eleonora Patuzzo (Juniors)
Svetlana Pauliukaite (Elite-2)
Valentina Scandolara (Juniors, will join in August)
Vilda Serekaite (Safi-Pasta Zara)
Marta Tagliaferro (Juniors)
Note: this is a “second or twin” team of Safi-Pasta Zara. Between the ( ) you find the team they rode for in 2006.

Lotto Belisol Cycling Team announces team for 2008
The Lotto Belisol Cycling Team has announced there team for 2008. New riders in the team are Emma Silversides (Global Racing Team), Vera Koedooder (DSB Bank), Sofie Goor (Vlaanderen), Lien Lanssens (Junior) and Annelies van Doorslaer (Junior).

Vera Koedooder won the Parel van de Veluw this year while Emma Silversides collected a lot of top 10 results. On the other hand Sofie Goor is one of the better riders in Belgium, she won three minor races in Belgium and finished among others as 6th in the Gulpen Hills Classic, 8th in the final ranking of the L’Ardeche and 9th in the Tour of Flanders.

Leaving the team are Tamara Boyd (?), Martine Bras (Vrienden van het Platteland), Liesbet de Vocht (Vrienden van het Platteland), Siobhan Dervan (Fenixs) and Corine Hierckens (Vienne Futuroscope).

2008 Lotto Belisol Squad:
Lieselot Decroix (Bel)
Sara Carrigan (Aus, present Olympic Champion)
Catherine Delfosse (Bel)
Elise Depoorter (Bel)
Yolandi du Toit (Zaf)
Kim Schoonbaert (Bel)
Grace Verbeke (Bel)
Kathryn Watt (Aus)
Sofie Goor (Bel)
Vera Koedooder (Ned)
Lien Lanssens (Bel)
Emma Silversides (UK)
Annelies van Doorslaer (Bel)

Top Girls Fassa Bortolo announces team for 2008
The Top Girls Fassa Bortolo team has announced there team for 2008. The roster for next season will be:

Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
Francesca Tognali (Ita)
Serena Danesi (Ita)
Laura Pisaneschi (Ita)
Alessandra D'Ettore (Ita)
Anna Zugno (Ita)
Milena Pirola (Ita)
Sara Muccioli (Ita)
Maddalena Dinato (Ita)
Anna Farina (Ita)

Alessandra D’Ettore and Anna Zugno will be the leaders of the team. D’Ettore competed for the Squadra Azurri at the World Championships in Stuttgart this year.
It’s not known (yet) where the following riders will ride next season: Laura Basso, Laura Bignotto, Maria Cazzola, Anna dal Ferro, Lisa Gatto and Katia Longhin.

Vrienden van het Platteland announces team for 2008
Vrienden van het Platteland has announced there team for the 2008 season.

2008 Vrienden van het Platteland Squad:
Ellen van Dijk (Ned)
An van Rie (Bel)
Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned)
Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned)
Kristy Miggels (Ned)
Liesbeth de Vocht (Bel)
Liesbeth Bakker (Ned)
Marit Huisman (Ned)
Martine Bras (Ned)
Martine van den Herberg (Ned)
Monique Verstraeten (Ned)
Roxane Knetemann (Ned)

The team is also interested in the track riders Yvonne Hijgenaar and Willy Kanis but both sides have not reached an agreement yet.

New in the team are: Martine Bras (Lotto), Liesbet de Vocht (Lotto), Marit Huisman (Juniors), Roxane Knetemann (AA Drink), Kristy Miggels (Therme), Martine van der Herberg (Juniors), An van Rie (AA Drink) and Annemiek van Vleuten (Therme)

Leaving the team are Janne Brok, Katie Brown, Yvonne Leezer (DSB), Emma Mackie, Anita Valen (Team Flexpoint) and Monique van de Ree (Rapha/Lifeforce)

It’s a very balanced team with experienced and young riders. Ellen van Dijk is the present Dutch Time Trial Champion.

Women's News Roundup and 2008 Rosters - Part 2

Discuss Women's Pro Racing and the sport with other cycling fans from around the world on the Daily Peloton.com Forums and Chat Room.  Sponsor the daily peloton & advertise your product or service to cyclists and cycling fans on www.dailypeloton.com - contact us.