{"id":172469,"date":"2019-02-22T10:54:53","date_gmt":"2019-02-22T10:54:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=172469"},"modified":"2019-02-22T10:54:53","modified_gmt":"2019-02-22T10:54:53","slug":"your-guide-to-the-2019-uci-womens-world-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2019\/02\/22\/your-guide-to-the-2019-uci-womens-world-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Guide to the 2019 UCI Women\u2019s World Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many\u00a0held their breath as Annemiek van Vleuten rode to victory during the nerve-racking finish of last year’s\u00a0La Course. In what was arguably the most exciting race of 2018,\u00a0pro women’s racing was once again shown to be a thrilling sport to watch, becoming more so every season. With new teams being formed, young stars emerging, and more ambitious courses than ever before, we\u2019re sure to see the women\u2019s peloton continue to prove they can consistently deliver exhilarating racing. As we look forward to kicking things off in a few short weeks, here\u2019s the line-up and a few highlights that you definitely don\u2019t want to miss in 2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019re off to the races at the Strade Bianche<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The official season opener for the women\u2019s UCI 2019 schedule, the\u00a0Strade Bianche Donne, will be\u00a0played out on Saturday, March 9th. Since its inception, the Strade Bianche has garnered attention for its dirt roads, the unpaved sectors characterised by uneven surfaces and gravel. With unpredictable conditions challenging enough to cause splits, these give the Classic a unique and adventurous feel.<\/p>\n<\/lite-youtube>\n

This year, the women\u2019s Strade Bianche covers 136 km, with 8 sectors and 31.4 km of gravel roads. The route travels on the same roads as the men\u2019s race, with the finale also taking place at the eminent Piazza del Campo in Siena, following a short, steep climb. Last year, Anna van der Breggen soloed in cold conditions to take the title ahead of Kasia Niewiadoma and Elisa Longo Borghini. Let\u2019s hope the riders get some sunshine this year, as we see who conquers the gravel and takes the first big win of the women\u2019s 2019 calendar.<\/p>\n

Epic climbing at the Tour of California<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The route of the\u00a02019\u00a0Amgen Tour of California Women\u2019s Race,\u00a0one of the most well-promoted races on the women\u2019s tour, will span three days from May 16th to 18th. This year\u2019s edition will be the longest course to date for a women\u2019s event and includes the infamous Mt. Baldy ascent.<\/p>\n<\/lite-youtube>\n

2019 marks the first time the climb is featured in the women\u2019s event, making stage 2 a must-see for anyone who loves a good mountaintop finish. The ascent is part of 6000 m of climbing over 3 stages, with the first and the final stage expected to end in field sprints. Throw Mt. Baldy in the middle and there\u2019s no doubt this one will be action-packed from start to finish.<\/p>\n

The one, the only, the Giro<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Of course, no discussion of women\u2019s road racing is complete without mention of the Giro Rosa.<\/p>\n

The 30th edition starts on Friday, July 5th with a TTT and finishes Sunday the 14th on a\u00a0cobbled climb to the Castle of Udine. Although the route is set to be presented fully in March, reportedly, the Queen Stage will finish atop the mighty Passo Gavia, which stands at an altitude of 2,621 metres. It is said that another summit finish will take place on Malga Montasio, making this another one likely to be dominated by the climbers.<\/p>\n<\/lite-youtube>\n

Speaking of climbers, Annemiek van Vleuten was the winner in 2018, taking three stages, including a summit finish at the illustrious Monte Zoncolan. Coming back from an injury, it will be interesting to see whether or not she can defend her number one ranking at this year\u2019s race.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Tour Britain adds a sixth stage<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Women’s Tour in Britain will increase to six stages of racing for 2019. Launched in 2014, the Tour, won last year by American Coryn Rivera (the first non-European to win), has previously been run over five days. Also making news in 2018, the prize fund is now equal to that of the men\u2019s\u00a0Tour of Britain, increasing significantly from \u20ac35,000 (\u00a331,000) to \u20ac90,000 (\u00a380,000).<\/p>\n

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Nobody wants to watch women's sport, they said… \ud83d\ude48#ThrowbackThursday<\/a> to when thousands of people came out for last year's start in Atherstone!#OVOWT<\/a> #UCIWWT<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/zELVwi9gww<\/a><\/p>\n

— The Women's Tour (@thewomenstour) February 21, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n