Liv AlUla Jayco women head into Sunday’s iconic one-day race, the Queen of the cobble classics, the Tour of Flanders with high ambitions of pulling off a top result. After racing consistently throughout the classics period, notably picking up third place on Wednesday at Dwars door Vlaanderen, Letizia Paternoster will lead the stellar team.
Alongside Paternoster will be a trio of Australian riders in the shape of Alex Manly, Georgie Howe and Amber Pater. Rounding out the mixed squad will be Dutch duo Jeanne Korevaar and Silke Smulders with Australian champion Ruby Roseman-Gannon unfortunately sidelined for the race, which was a major goal of hers, due to a knee injury.
For the 2024 edition, the women’s peloton will cover 163 testing kilometres and will once again start and finish in Oudenaarde. Along with the brutal duo of climbs the Oude-Kwaremont and Paterberg the women’s peloton will also get to tackle the Koppenberg.
Liv AlUla Jayco line-up:
Georgie Howe
Jeanne Korevaar
Alex Manly
Amber Pate
Letizia Paternoster
Silke Smulders
Letizia Paternoster
“For Flanders I feel really motivated, I feel really hungry to take the best results and I feel really well, honestly, I feel in great shape. I just want to dream big, and I had don’t have too much experience in these races, but I know the team believes in me and I just want us to trust in the directors in the car and trust the girl. I think we have a strong team – Alex she did the amazing with me in Dwars Door and I know I have also Jeanne; she is important for me because she’s always on the front and she helped me also in Drente to have a really big result. Georgie is a really good TT rider so for the lead-out she’s so important. We have strong engines and I think we have a good team. We go to try and take the maximum result. I just want to be a dream big and fight for the best of in Flanders.”
Martin Vestby – Sport Director
“It’s time for the big one, the Tour of Flanders and the whole team is very motivated and excited for Sunday. The riders have come together well over this long classics block, Paternoster has shown she has good form and has been close to a podium, finally she was able to take a podium in Dwars door Vlaanderen. So her confidence is high and we will fight for a result.
Of course everything has to go right in Flanders to get a top result. The riders know the course well, they are in good form, all fit and healthy. We know it will be a big challenge and a hard race as it always is but we are ready to go for it and give our best. The race is always about positioning and now with the Koppenberg it will be even more important.”
Photo: Sprint Cycling
