Dani King (Cylance)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mieke Kroger (Canyon-SRAM)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alex Manly (Orica-Scott)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Anna van der Breggen continues to lead the WorldTour rankings(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig leads the Womens WorldTour young rider classification(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Dani Rowe (née King) will join the soon-to-be renamed WaowDeals Pro Cycling team next season after signing a deal with the Dutch squad. A gold medallist on the track at the 2012 Olympic Games, Rowe hopes to continue her progression on the road after spending the past season with the American Cylance team.
"The transfer to this team is an amazing opportunity for me," said Rowe. "Watching from outside, I have always had a lot of appreciation for the professionalism of the riders and the organisation of this team. The way in which they race is very appealing: the team management communicates a clear plan of action and everyone contributes to that success and is valued for their contribution, crucial in times when women's cycling becomes increasingly professional."
The 2017 season was only Rowe's second full year on the road after choosing to make the full-time switch ahead of 2016. She had a solid start at the Tour Down Under, where her teammate Kirsten Wild won two of the four stages. There were some promising results with ninth at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and GP de Plouay WorldTour races. She is currently enjoying her honeymoon after getting married to her long-term partner Matt Rowe, but says that she will be back to training soon as she focuses on the forthcoming season.
"As soon as I'm back, I will start to train in order to be ready for the season. My career as a road cyclist is still young. This year, I have ridden many races for the first time, and I hope to prove next year that I have improved as a road cyclist and that I am more experienced. I also want to be strong for the Commonwealth Games."
Kröger signs for Virtu Cycling
Team Virtu Cycling has strengthened their roster for 2018 with the signing of former German road race champion Mieke Kröger. The 24-year-old moves to the team on a one-year deal after three seasons with the Canyon-SRAM outfit.
In a press release issued by the team, Kröger said that she hoped to improve her road racing skills with the team as well as working on her time trialling with sports director Carmen Small.
"I want to improve in the road races, so I don't rely so much on my ITT skills. I still want to do well and take part in the ITT and the TTT for sure. I'm looking forward to next year's Worlds too, but I have to wait for the courses – that is a big goal for me," Kröger said. "I had a few options, but in the end I chose Team Virtu Cycling because of the riders on the team, and when I talked to Carmen, it sounded promising for next year. And also, the focus on the TTT and ITT is obviously also important to me."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Kröger won the German national road race in 2016 after a lone move that saw her beat the chasing pack by 10 seconds. She has been a key component in the team time trial set-up at Canyon-SRAM, helping them to fourth this year and second the year before.
"Mieke has all the physical abilities to become one of the absolute best time trial riders in the world. She is still young and can improve herself in many ways, and if we can help her with it, she can also become a power factor in the road races. Her potential is huge," said Small.
Manly extends with Orica-Scott
Orica-Scott has been shoring up their squad for next season with a series of new signings and contract extensions. The 21-year-old Alexandra Manly is the latest rider to ensure their spot in the team for 2018, joining the likes of Annemiek van Vleuten, Jessica Allen and Gracie Elvin as re-signings, while Jolien D'hoore is a new addition to the squad.
Originally from a track background, Manly has shown some promise on the road and hopes to build on that with another year at the team.
"I'm thrilled to be heading back to Orica-Scott for my third season in Europe," said Manly. "I have had some fantastic opportunities over the past couple of years and have developed some really good relationships with my teammates who have become like a family to me.
"I have big goals for the upcoming years and I am excited and thankful to be given the chance to chase my dreams with Orica-Scott."
Best moments from the Women's WorldTour
The women's WorldTour wrapped up last month when Jolien D'hoore claimed victory at the Madrid Challenge. Anna van der Breggen ended the year as the top rider, while her Boels Dolmans outfit walked away with the team prize.
This year's competition consisted of 20 rounds and the UCI has collated some of the best moments from the season in this short video.
