A special week for Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team commences as, together with Liv Cycling, the team will welcome four international guest riders. Part of Liv Cycling’s brand-new Grassroots Programme, the chosen four riders will attend a training camp in the Netherlands (9th– 15 th May) where they will have a unique and special opportunity, receiving the same coaching and support as the pros, with the possibility of a pro career on the horizon.
Amongst them are Gabriela López (Colombia, 21), Lotte Borremans (Finland, 15), Niamh Murphy (United Kingdom, 18) and Malou Eisen (Netherlands, 23) who have the honour of being part of the first Grassroots Programme. The quartet arrived in the Netherlands yesterday (Wednesday 8th May) ready for an action-packed week at Landal GreenParks, the top of the Cauberg, where riders compete for victory in the Amstel Gold Race every year.
Careful selection
The four female cycling talents came on the radar after various Liv Cycling offices around the world had the opportunity to suggest ambitious talents from their extensive networks. Liv AlUla Jayco coaches and trainers analysed the profiles and physical data to make their careful selection.
Valuable addition
Eric van den Boom, General Manager of the Liv AlUla Jayco Continental Team has been preparing for the Grassroots Programme for a long time. This project is an extra, valuable addition to the overall ecosystem that GreenEDGE Cycling has created within women’s cycling.
“The Women’s World Team has been an established name in our sport for many years. However, we realised that it would be good for the future of women’s cycling to encourage the development of talents even further. Since this season, with the Women’s Continental Team, we offer a pathway through which our talents find their route to the absolute top. The recent successes in Gracia Orlova are a confirmation for us that we are on the right track.”
“However, we were keen to put more focus on scouting within the overall system. With the Grassroots Programme, we are creating a professional platform where women from all over the world get the chance to put themselves in the spotlight. As Liv Cycling is active worldwide, we reach even more women through our cooperation, also in countries that traditionally do not have a cycling culture. This fits very well with our common goal of making women’s cycling accessible to everyone, regardless of their background.”
Full-fledged training camp
During their stay in the Netherlands, the four selected riders will attend a fully-fledged training camp. The programme includes workshops on equipment and nutrition, endurance training and recovery rides. They will also undergo power profile tests. These should give an even better impression of what the four are physically capable of.
“Prior to the selection, we set parameters the talents had to meet,” Van den Boom explained. “Of course, we are very curious to see whether they have made progress in the intervening time. If we see potential, we will guide them further. It could even lead to a contract with our Continental Team. That would be the ultimate goal. However, I don’t want to put too much pressure on them yet. What matters first and foremost is that we have fun together this week, and that Gabriela, Niamh, Lotte and Malou see from the inside what is required to become a pro athlete. That is the absolute basis.”
Lowering barriers
“We know that as athletes are developing and growing their skillset, they excel ten-fold with the support of coaches and trainers,” said Phoebe Liu, Giant Group Chief Branding Officer. “Despite how essential this is for aspiring professional cyclists, it’s often unavailable due to location and cost. It is important to Liv to lower these barriers, which is why we launched the Grassroots Programme for young women with Liv AlUla Jayco’s Continental Team. After this inaugural year, we will continue to promote and grow this program, providing more women around the world support in their growth into professional racing.”
At the end of the training camp, we will share how our four guests experienced the Grassroots Programme.
