Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s two German riders, Charlotte Becker and Anna-Bianca Schnitzmeier, are excited for the return of the UCI Women’s World Cup to their nation, with the Sparkassen Giro, in Bochum, on Sunday. This will be the first race in the series to take place in Germany since the 2009 edition of the Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt, as German cycle sport continues its revival.
The black and orange team will be built around former two-time road World Champion Giorgia Bronzini, but both German riders expect to get their chance in front of a home crowd.
“Bochum is something special for me for some reasons,” said Becker. “First it is in Germany, and because I missed the Thüringen Rundfahrt this year I am doubly motivated for this!
“And then it is so close to my hometown of Waltrop,” she continued. “I have done this race so often and my family is always around there. AND it is a World Cup this year which is so cool. The last World Cup in Germany was the one in Nürnberg, which is already five years ago. It’s good to see that women’s cycling is making a step up again in Germany!
“I am not sure about the lap because they had quite a few different laps in the past,” Becker explained. “The lap from last year was a little bit too easy but I think also the bunch in a World Cup race is stronger and I think that for even on that course it can be painful and the bunch could split. It is right that there was usually a bunch sprint, but also a few times a breakaway… so everything is possible!”
“We have more cards to play,” Becker concluded. “With Gio we have one of the world best sprinters and we have the riders who could go in a breakaway. For myself, I feel good and fit at the moment, and I have a lot of motivation.”
Schnitzmeier, who finished second in the Sparkassen Giro’s 2012 edition, is also local to the race and looks forward to performing in such a big event in front of her home crowd. The 24-year-old Dortmunder will be giving her all for her teammates, as usual, and hopes to put on a good show.
“I think for me and Lotte its really nice to race in Germany,” said Schnitzmeier. “For me its kind of my home race because its just 15km from Dortmund where I live. It means a lot to me because heaps of friends and family will come to watch.”
“Its most important the team will get the best result and with Gio our chance is really big to finish with a win,” she continued. “I think for us its important to cover moves and try to not have the pressure on us, if Lotte can get in a break I think she can take that chance to finish it of, but if it comes to a sprint it will be all for Gio and I really hope we can all find each other and go for the win.
“Personally I just want to show the people a good race, so that they go home and say that was nice and awesome to watch,” Schnitzmeier added. “Cycling was really big here in the past and they should get the feeling back how awesome it is. Even more how awesome women’s cycling is!”
Alongside Bronzini and Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s two German riders will be Italian track specialist Beatrice Bartelloni and former Swedish Champion Emilia Fahlin. The team will be completed by last year’s Sparkassen Giro mountains classification winner, Japanese Champion Mayuko Hagiwara, for whom it will be almost a home race since she bases herself in Germany during the season.
Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling team for the Sparkassen Giro (3rd August 2014)
Beatrice Bartelloni (Italy)
Charlotte Becker (Germany)
Giorgia Bronzini (Italy)
Emilia Fahlin (Sweden)
Mayuko Hagiwara (Japan)
Anna-Bianca Schnitzmeier (Germany)
