Following the successes of last week’s Giro d’Italia Femminile, Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling is heading to the Thüringen Rundfahrt, which starts in eastern Germany on Friday. The five-day race is one of the most prestigious in the women’s calendar, has been won three times by Emma Johansson, and Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling’s Swedish Champion will be leading the black and orange team in this year’s race.
“For Thüringen I’m always excited,” Johansson said. “I’m coming out of a big training block and I’m looking forward to get a hard week of racing on top of it.
The 2.1-ranked Thüringen Rundfahrt will be the last major stage race before the Olympic Games, in Rio, Brazil, and will be vital preparation for a number of riders. Johansson will be representing Sweden once again, in the road race on the 7th of August, and the time trial on the 10th.
“With my focus on the Olympics as for many of the riders it might be a bit of different style of racing than what we are used to,” she explained. “But I’m sure the Wigglets will keep the fire burning from last weeks Giro.”
Alongside Johansson in the black and orange team this week will be three of the riders that competed so strongly in last week’s Giro. Elisa Longo Borghini finished on the stage podium three times – including a very close finish in the stage seven time trial – and ended the race in the green jersey of the Mountains Classification. The Italian Time Trial Champion will be competing in the Thüringen Rundfahrt for the first time since 2012.
Giorgia Bronzini took two stage victories in the Giro last week; once in a bunch sprint, and once from a highly select breakaway, largely thanks to the efforts of teammate Longo Borghini. The former two-time road World Champion will surely be the sprinter to watch in Germany, but has shown that she can be a threat over virtually any terrain.
Asian Time Trial Champion Mayuko Hagiwara worked hard for her teammates in the Giro Rosa, and was part of what turned out to be the stage-winning break on the final day. the Japanese rider bases herself in Germany for much of the racing season, but will be competing in the country’s biggest stage race for the first time.
Olympic track Champion Dani King will be a powerful presence in the Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling team, following her crushing victory in last weekend’s Redhook Criterium in London, as will Aviva Women’s Tour stage winner Amy Pieters, who returns to international action following strong performances in the Netherlands Championships.
Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling Team for the Thüringen Rundfahrt
Giorgia Bronzini (Italy), Mayuko Hagiwara (Japan), Emma Johansson (Sweden), Dani King (Great Britain), Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy), Amy Pieters (Netherlands)
