Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling is delighted to announce that Chloe Hosking is the latest new athlete signing ahead of 2015, while Emilia Fahlin has renewed her contract for another year. Despite just being 25-years of age, Australian Hosking has been racing at the head of the women’s peloton for the past six years, and will be reunited with close friend and former teammate, former Swedish Champion Fahlin, in her new black and orange colours.
“I spoke with [Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling Managing Director] Rochelle Gilmore in 2012 when Wiggle Honda was just about to launch its first season and I was already impressed by what she had put together,” Hosking said. “Over the last two seasons I’ve watched Wiggle Honda become one of the biggest, most professional and strongest teams in the women’s peloton and to join an outfit like that is both exciting and motivating.
“I’ve raced with, against and for Rochelle since I entered the senior ranks in 2009 and to now race on her team is actually something really special,” Chloe added. “I’m very committed to helping grow women’s cycling, and to work alongside Rochelle to do this is really exciting because she really has done a lot to professionalise the sport which is something really important to me.
“For me, at this point in my career, the most important thing was being in a team environment that was professional and organised, and had some of the best equipment and support in the peloton. I know that Wiggle Honda can offer me all this and more.
“To have the opportunity to continue racing alongside Elisa Longo Borghini and Audrey Cordon is fantastic, and to be reunited with Emilia Fahlin who I had raced with for four years with Specialized Lululemon and Hitec Products is also awesome,” Hosking smiled. “They’re all good friends and to have the opportunity to race alongside them all for another year is something I’m really looking forward to.
“The opportunity to work with Egon who has so much experience at the elite level of our sport is pretty special,” Hosking concluded. “I have no doubt that I will be able to learn a lot from him and the other experienced riders in the team. With his experience and the team Rochelle has put together for 2015 I have no doubt that I’m joining a team capable of winning races on all sorts of terrain. I can’t wait to pull on the orange and black colours of Wiggle Honda at the Bay Crits in Australia in January.”
As one of the fastest, and most consistent finishers in the peloton, Chloe’s palmares is peppered with high quality victories in races including the Tour of Chongming Island – where she took the overall victory in 2009, aged just 18 – the Tour of Qatar and the Drentse 8 van Dwingeloo. 2010 also saw her take the Bronze Medal in the Commonwealth Games road race in Delhi, India, behind compatriot and new team manager Rochelle Gilmore.
Chloe’s 2014 season began with a stage victory at the Mitchelton Bay Crits, where she beat Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Giorgia Bronzini and new teammate Nettie Edmondson. Prestigious results in Europe included the EPZ Omloop van Borsele and a stage of the Lotto-Belisol Belgium Tour.
“It’s difficult to recognise that Chloe is still so young,” Gilmore said. “Chloe did her trade as a domestique under the guidance of Ina Teutenberg four years ago at the age of 20 – not many athletes could dream of such an experience.
“Chloe is an athlete whose presence in a race, as part of a strong team can increase opportunities for our team in many different scenarios,” Gilmore added. “Chloe is one of three world class sprinters announced on Wiggle Honda for 2015 sofar, indicating that she may find herself back in, or on a dominant ‘High Road’ type sprint train. The signing of Chloe Hosking is like the icing on the cake for Wiggle Honda.”
26-year-old Emilia Fahlin is a former four-time Swedish National Champion, having won both the road race and time trial twice. More important than the results she takes for herself, however, is the support that she gives to her teammates, both on and off the bike, which has made Emilia such an important member of Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling.
“I’m really excited to be back in the black and orange kit next year!” she exclaimed. “I’ve really enjoyed this past season, we’ve shared some great success, and at the same time had plenty of fun – and the people around me have given me a great boost of motivation!
“I look forward to building on this for next year,” she added, “and I also think the team, with the new additions, will have an even bigger depth and will be up to challenge in all types of races.
“I’m extra happy having a couple of old teammates, and friends to be back racing together with!”
So much of Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s success in 2014 can be attributed to Emilia’s hard work. She was able to get herself into the break in the Open de Suède Vårgåda World Cup, her home World Cup race in Sweden, in August, much to the delight of her family and friends on the course, but even this was a selfless move that allowed her teammates to save themselves in the peloton behind.
“Emilia has been one of the most reliable domestiques in the women’s peloton and after years of working for others, she’s still famous for exactly that,” said Gilmore. “Our leaders depend on Emilia’s strength and fortunately, Emilia thrives on that type of pressure from the start of the season through until the end. It’s not easy to find an athlete who is so strong, so cycling savvy and so committed to others. Wiggle Honda are blessed to have such an easy-going talented athlete like Emilia fulfil this role on the team.”
With Chloe and Emilia, as well as yesterday’s announcement of Eileen Roe, there are now ten riders confirmed at Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling for 2015. They join Olympic Champion Dani King, Commonwealth Champion and Olympic medallist Nettie Edmondson, two-time Giro d’Italia winner Mara Abbott, Belgian Champion Jolien D’hoore, Italian time trial Champion Elisa Longo Borghini, Breton Champion Audrey Cordon-Ragot and our exciting young Manx talent, Anna Christian.
