, and, now, a major race-winning squad is set to close its doors due to sponsorship troubles – It’s been quite the week for nostalgia merchants of cycling’s not-so-distant past.
And despite winning Paris-Roubaix in April courtesy of a courageously bold performance by fellow Canadian Alison Jackson, Jackson’s search for a new sponsor was also hindered by EF Education’s announcement in June that it was going to launch its own women’s team for 2024, which will operate under the same umbrella as the Jonathan Vaughters-led men’s WorldTour outfit.
“All of that hard work, all of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into building a team from scratch. Women’s cycling had FINALLY made it, and just as we made it, my team failed.” The closure of EF Education-TIBCO-SVB – and the news that its WorldTour licence will not be acquired by either the new EF team or any other existing outfit – means that a number of big-name riders, such as Paris-Roubaix winner Jackson, Lauren Stephens, Georgia Williams, and rising British star Zoe Bäckstedt, will be scrambling to find a team for 2024.