The Ceratizit Festival Jacobs returns for 2025, continuing its role as the biggest event in Luxembourg’s women’s cycling calendar. Traditionally a stage race, the event once again takes the shape of two standalone one-day races, with the peloton tackling Garnich on Saturday 3rd May and then moving to near Luxembourg City on Sunday 4th May.
The Festival Elsy Jacobs honours one of the sport’s early icons. Elsy Jacobs made history as the first ever women’s world road race champion in 1958 and held the Hour Record for an extraordinary 14 years. Since its launch in 2008, the event bearing her name has grown in status, evolving from a UCI 1.1 race to a stage race at 2.1 level from 2012 until 2023. The switch to the two-race format came into effect in 2024 due to calendar clashes with La Vuelta Femenina. That transition has allowed organisers to adapt and enhance the event’s appeal by offering two separate sets of UCI points across the weekend, making the race more attractive to a broader spread of teams.
Poland’s Marta Lach made the most of the format change in 2024, winning both Garnich and Luxembourg to complete a dominant weekend. Previous editions of the race have been won by some of the sport’s biggest names, including Marianne Vos, Anna van der Breggen, Lisa Brennauer, Kasia Niewiadoma, and Emma Norsgaard, really drilling down on the quality of its historical relevance and ongoing competitiveness.
With a blend of rolling terrain, fast finishes and selective climbs, both races typically offer opportunities for puncheurs, sprinters and riders willing to commit to early attacks. In its new form, the Ceratizit Festival Jacobs continues to offer high-level racing while maintaining its identity as a race rooted in tradition and adaptation.
Previous Winners
2024
Marta Lach | Marta Lach
2023
Ally Wollaston
2022
Marta Bastianelli
2025 Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs à Garnich Race Profile
2025 Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs à Luxembourg Race Profile
Live TV Coverage
Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th May 2025
Live on Festival Elsy Jacobs race website
Saturday: 12:30-15:15
Sunday: 12:30-15:30
All times in BST
Twitter: #felsey
Startlist: FirstCycling
Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs 2025 Contenders
Last year, Marta Lach was flawless across both races in this unique two-day event format, winning solo in Garnich and outsprinting the reduced bunch in Luxembourg. Her 2025 season has already seen her take an important win at Nokere Koerse, a result that reflects precisely the kind of form needed here: sharp acceleration over rolling hills and strength in a small group. The Polish rider thrives on these lumpy profiles, and SD Worx will arrive with a team built around her repeat ambitions. Support will come from Elena Cecchini and Martina Alzini, both strong enough to cover moves or help in the chase, while Martina Guarischi brings sprint experience and could double as a back-up option. Julia Kopecky, making her debut here, adds further firepower – the Czech rider has quietly impressed in support roles this season.
Uno-X Mobility will be pinning a lot on Maria Giulia Confalonieri, whose 6th at Paris-Roubaix and 8th at Dwars door Vlaanderen show she is in great shape. A classic all-rounder, she handles short climbs and chaotic finales well, and the Elsy Jacobs parcours should play right into her wheelhouse. Anniina Ahtosalo, by contrast, is still trying to rediscover her best. After an encouraging 2023, her 2025 has been anonymous, with no result better than 53rd since March. These races could give her a platform to rebuild confidence. If she can get over the climbs, the sprint remains her weapon.
VolkerWessels brings ambition with Margot Vanpachtenbeke, who was 20th here last season but has yet to land a meaningful result in 2025. A series of quiet rides through the Spring, including outside the top 25 at her last few outings, suggests she’s yet to fully find her rhythm. That said, this kind of parcours still suits her, and the lower-pressure environment of this race could see her bounce back. Anne Knijnenburg is an intriguing one. She’s had a habit of launching long, fruitless attacks this spring, but she’s still been able to deliver 2nd at Pays de la Loire Tour and 4th at Trofeo Oro in Euro. If the right move goes and she’s in it, she could be one of the race’s more dangerous outsiders — especially on the Garnich circuit, where punch and positioning are key.
Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team has depth but may lack a standout leader on paper. Mylene de Zoete, 22nd overall last year, has had a solid if unspectacular 2025 so far, including 16th at Ronde de Mouscron – a race with some similarities to the Luxembourg profiles. The real excitement might come from the younger riders: Sarah van Dam, who was 3rd at Mouscron, has carried over the form she showed with two top-5 finishes at the Tour Down Under. She’s powerful and well-suited to this kind of terrain, especially if the group is trimmed down late. Kristyna Burlova also impressed at Mouscron with 5th, and the Czech rider might be allowed some freedom to follow wheels and sprint from a reduced bunch.
There are a few riders capable of finishing inside the top 10 for Cofidis. Valentine Fortin is the most reliable sprint option, coming off a strong Spring Classics campaign that included 8th at Classic Brugge–De Panne, 11th at Gent–Wevelgem and 14th at Omloop van het Hageland. If the peloton arrives reduced, Fortin has the speed to contest the podium. Victoire Berteau, who was 8th at both GP Oetingen and Nokere Koerse, hasn’t raced in over a month, so her form is uncertain – but on a good day, she’s aggressive and tough enough to make key selections. Nadia Quagliotto has quietly been one of Cofidis’ most dependable workers this spring, finishing 10th at Trofeo Oro in Euro and 14th at Trofeo Alfredo Binda. She’s been in a domestique role for most of the classics, but if given a chance to race for herself, she’s another who suits this rolling terrain.
Visma | Lease a Bike arrives with several riders capable of going deep into the final of both races. Martina Fidanza remains one of the fastest pure sprinters in the field, though her 2025 season has been quieter than expected. A 6th place on the final stage of the UAE Tour is still her best result of the year, but with the likely reduced bunch finishes here, she’ll be hoping to reset that trend. Sophie von Berswordt and Margaux Vigié have both been delivering consistent top 20s. Von Berswordt placed 12th at Dwars door Vlaanderen and 17th at Paris-Roubaix, while Vigié was 12th at GP Oetingen and 17th at Nokere Koerse. If the race opens up, expect Eva van Agt to be on the front foot as well. She was 15th at Dwars and could feature in a late move.
Roland arrives with some riders who’ve all tasted success this season but remain a little unpredictable heading into the Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs. Tamara Dronova is usually a contender on rolling terrain like this, but her recent DNF at GP della Liberazione PINK raises some questions, especially given the flat nature of that race. She did win a prologue at the Vuelta El Salvador earlier in the year, which will have given her a boost, but it’s hard to gauge her current level. In contrast, Kaja Rysz comes in on a clear upward trajectory. She claimed her first UCI victory at the Grand Prix Surf City El Salvador and backed it up with a strong 7th at GP della Liberazione PINK. Her sprint is sharp at the moment, and if the race comes down to a reduced group, she’s in the conversation. Mia Griffin also carries good momentum, 24th here last year, but now with a stage win in El Salvador, a pair of top-5s, and a solid 9th at Liberazione PINK, she has clearly stepped up a level and could threaten the top-10 again.
Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs 2025 Outsiders
Finally, St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93 may not have an obvious favourite for the terrain, but they do have a couple of outside options worth watching. Ségolène Thomas was 10th at the GP de Chambéry and could again sneak into the top 20 if she survives the short climbs. Alison Avoine, usually in a supporting role, gets a chance to ride for herself here with no Lucie Fityus in the line-up. Her 18th at Omloop van het Hageland and 23rd at Nokere Koerse earlier in the spring suggest she has the tools to feature if she times her effort well.
DAS Hutchinson’s Natalie Grinczer is another rider who could shine if the climbs are selective enough to thin the bunch without dropping her. While her sprint isn’t likely to land her a podium in a big group, she has the engine to hang on over the climbs and take advantage of others fading late. A top 25 at the Pays de la Loire Tour marked a solid start to her 2025, and there’s room to build on that here.
After a solid early spring and a podium finish at the non-UCI Loire Tour, Natalie Quinn will lead the USA National Team into the Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs with quiet confidence. Normally racing with Cynisca Cycling, Quinn has yet to grab a major UCI result this year, but her consistency in Spain and recent 2nd overall in France suggest she’s ready to take the next step. The lumpy roads around Garnich and Luxembourg should suit her attributes well if the race breaks up into a selective group.
Returning to a more favourable race profile after a string of tough Classics, Manon de Boer will lead DD Group Pro Cycling with confidence after taking her first UCI win at the Porec Trophy Ladies. This race offers the kind of terrain where she can manage the undulations and aim for another breakthrough against a high-quality field.
The debut of Valentina Corvi for Canyon SRAM zondacrypto Generation adds an element of intrigue. Known more for her off-road exploits, she’s the current U23 Italian cyclocross champion and joins a growing list of riders making the transition from MTB and CX to the road. How she fares in a tactical, punchy road race setting will be worth watching closely, especially if the team backs her with freedom.
