The women`s Tour of Flanders has been given an even tougher finale for next season with the addition of the Taaienberg climb, making the final 40 kilometres of the race the same as the men`s edition, the race organisers have announced. The women`s event will run for the 16th time in 2019, starting in Oudenaarde on April 7 - the same day as the men`s race - and taking the riders on a tough 157-kilometre route that also finishes back in Oudenaarde. That addition of the Taaienberg climb, as well as the Steenbeekdries cobbled section, with 40 kilometres to race makes for an even tougher last quarter of the race, with the riders then still facing the climbs of the Kruisberg, the Oude Kwaremont and the final climb of the Paterberg.ADVERTISEMENT The 2018 race was won solo by Boels Dolmans` Anna van der Breggen, with her Dutch teammate Amy Pieters bringing home the chasers over a minute down, ahead of Mitchelton-Scott`s Annemiek van Vleuten and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Cervélo Bigla). Spratt looking to make it three-in-a-row at Tour Down Under While both the men`s and women`s UniSA-Australia teams that will compete at their respective races at the 2019 Tour Down Under have been announced, fans of the South Australian event eagerly await news of the full line-ups of top-class riders for January. Mitchelton-Scott, however, have confirmed that defending women`s champion Amanda Spratt will be back, looking to make it three wins in a row, having also taken the title in 2017 and 2018. Grace Garner signs with Hitec
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
|
