The new Uno-X and Cofidis teams will join the Women’s WorldTour in 2022 after Uno-X successfully lobbied the UCI for a change to the rules. Previously, teams had to be established for 1 season before being able to apply to reach WorldTour status. This saw the likes of Jumbo-Visma spent the 2021 season as a UCI Continental team (ProTeams and the ProTour level aren’t a thing in women’s cycling). With that rule changed, Uno-X and Cofidis are free to join the WorldTour and gain automatic invites to the biggest races. With the new Tour de France Femmes due to start in 2022, this is an important consideration.
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 2022 Line-up
Uno-X runs a men’s team at ProTeam level that has been very successful in 2021. Ramus Tiller won Dwars door het Hageland and has been consistent all year. Markus Hoelgaard was in the top-10 at E3 Saxo Bank Classic (E3 Harelbeke for traditionalists). Kristoffer Halvorsen has refound the form that took him to Team Sky and Johan Price-Pejtersen has just won both the European and World U23 TT titles.
The team is based in Norway and unsurprisingly their women’s team has a strong Scandinavian contingent. There’s also a decent amount of Brits on the 2022 roster with the team not afraid to use foreign riders too. A good mix of youth and experience has been blended together with the team able to fight for results on almost any terrain. Possibly the only weakness in the roster is the lack of a genuine climber.
- Susanne Andersen (NOR)
- Hannah Barnes (GBR)
- Julie Leth (DEN)
- Jos Lowden (GBR)
- Hannah Ludwig (GER)
- Elinor Barker (GBR)
- Wilma Olausson (SWE)
- Anne Dorthe Ysland (NOR)
- Amalie Lutro (NOR)
- Annina Ahtosalo (FIN)
- Mie Bjorndal Ottestad (NOR)
- Rebecca Koerner (DEN)
Team Cofidis 2022 Line-up
The men’s side of Cofidis is well known and respected. They’re one of the oldest continual sponsors of a cycling team, harking back to the 90s. They’re a WorldTour team so they join the likes of Movistar, BikeExchange and Team DSM in having both a men’s and women’s team at that level. The initial announcement of the Cofidis women’s team said that there was a budget in place of €1 million, which is fairly sizeable for the women’s peloton.
The roster is nicely rounded, with Koppenburg providing the climbing opportunities with Levenez. Mathiesen and Kerbaol are strong time triallists with Neylan in particular a good one-day racer. Maybe sprints are where the team are the least well-proven but they do have Pilote Fortin, Alzini and also sometimes Castrique in that area.
- Clara Koppenburg (GER)
- Rachel Neylan (AUS)
- Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (CAN)
- Sandra Levenez (FRA)
- Martina Alzini (ITA)
- Alana Castrique (BEL)
- Pernille Mathiesen (DEN)
- Valentine Fortin (FRA)
- Cedrine Kerbaol (FRA)
- Olivia Onesti (FRA)
