In a reset of the Women’s WorldTeams, the UCI have awarded 15 new licences for the 2024-2025 seasons, with AG Insurance-Soudal and Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling moving up to the top tier for the first time.
This season was the end of the first-ever promotion/relegation cycle for the Women’s WorldTour, and there were 16 applicants for 15 Women’s WorldTour licences available, with Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi missing out.
It is the first season that the women’s teams face a relegation system as the sport’s governing body introduced a new ‘sporting’ requirement, which adds together each team’s UCI points across the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
This new points requirement is taken into consideration alongside the other four criteria: administrative, ethical, financial, and organisational.
Cyclingnews takes a closer look at the 15 Women’s WorldTeams for 2024.
AG Insurance-Soudal
- Best signing: Sarah Gigante
- Rider to watch: Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio
- Notable addition: Kimberley Le Court, Julie Van de Velde
AG Insurance-Soudal have secured one of the coveted 15 WorldTeam licences for the 2024-2025 seasons, a goal for the team since its inception. The team offer a three-tier program, a development pathway from under-19 to its under-23 to the new WorldTeam.
There are three new signings in 2024, with Julie Van de Velde joining the team from Fenix-Deceuninck and multi-time African Continental Champion Kimberley Le Court. A last-minute decision saw the team secure Sarah Gigante, who mutually agreed to end her contract with Movistar early. The Australian brings her powerful time trial and climbing strengths to the squad, and should shine in the mountainous stage races.
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, who intended to retire last year, made a decision to lead the AG Insurance-Soudal-QuickStep. In what has been one of her best career moves, Moolman-Pasio has reignited her drive to succeed with wins at Tour de Romandie, Setmana Valenciana, Durango Emakumeen Saria, Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées, top-10s in the Ardennes Classics, third overall at Vuelta a Burgos and sixth overall at the Tour de France Femmes.
Watch for Moolman-Pasio to help develop talent across the three AG Insurance-Soudal programmes in 2024.
Canyon-SRAM Racing
- Best signing: Zoe Bäckstedt
- Riders to watch: Ricarda…
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