Team BikeExchange women head to northern Holland this week for their final outing of the 2021 season in Drente. The squad will race the UCI 1.1 level race, Drentse Acht van Westerveld on Friday, as a warm-up event for the one-day WorldTour race, Miron Women’s Ronde van Drenthe, on Saturday.
Hoping to close out the eventful 2021 season style, the team line-up with Australian Champion Sarah Roy, fresh from numerous top-10 placings at the recent Women’s Tour, Tour de Ardeche stage winner Teniel Campbell and local Dutch rider Janneke Ensing, who will be pinning a number on for the final time in her professional career. Adding strength and depth to the team will be compatriot Moniek Tenniglo and Australian rider Jess Allen.
With typical narrow, open and twisty roads, positioning will be key, and after a strong showing at Paris-Roubaix Femmes, the motivated squad is looking forward to the 10 short pavé sections during Saturday’s event.
Team BikeExchange in Drenthe (22nd & 23rd Oct):
Jess Allen (AUS)
Teniel Campbell (TTO)
Janneke Ensing (NED)
Sarah Roy (AUS)
Moniek Tenniglo (NED)
Janneke Ensing
“For these two final races of the season and my career in Drenthe, I will give everything, and we will see what the result are. The WorldTour race on Saturday is special, as it passes my home city. The conditions are good for me and it’s always a hard race.
I am really looking forward to ending my professional sporting life after 20 years, but I am also very happy that I can finish my home area and so that my friends & family can also share this moment with me.
The VAM berg we will do four times at the end of the race. That’s perfect for me as it’s a short, hard effort. This is also a really good race for Sarah Roy.
For sure I will try to go for a break but it’s a long race, almost 160 kilometres. We need to ride smart and use the other strong teams at the start. With crashes and injuries, it’s been a hard year already for us as a team so hopefully we can have a good race here to end the year.”
Martin Vestby – Head Sport Director:
“It is late on in the season, and I expect to see lots of difference in levels, both in teams and riders. With some late form left and good moral, it is a great opportunity for us to make a good final result in 2021 and end the season well.
The races in Drente have lots of open roads and as usual, the wind will play a major part in these races, so good positioning will be the key. With multiple cobble sections and this year, four ascents of the VAM Berg, which is more than in the past, all of these sections will be really crucial.
Sarah Roy and Teniel Campbell look to be our strongest cards for the weekend, but a lot can happen so will have to play it a bit open. It will also be Janneke Ensing’s final race so I am sure she will be very motivated for a good race.”
2021 Women’s Drenthe Race Details:
Friday, 22nd October: Drentse Acht van Westerveld, 139km
Saturday, 23rd October: Miron Women’s Ronde van Drenthe, 140.2km
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