Kiesanowski ends 16-year cycling career - Women's News Shorts

Image 1 of 5

Kiesanowski ends 16-year cycling career

Jo Kiesanowski announced Wednesday that she will retire at the end of this season, ending a 16-year cycling career. The New Zealander spent nine of those years with the American-based Tibco-SVB.

Asked why she decided to retire this year, in a team press release, Kiesanowski said.

"I felt I was ready; the old cliché of "you know when you're ready" was true for me! This year was my 16th year racing as a professional and I decided I was content and ready for life after racing. I don't have any plans to keep racing but who knows, I might find it fun to race the odd criterium and some track," said Kiesanowski, who started racing at 16 years old.

Kiesanowski had a successful career that included representing New Zealand in three Olympic Games, 14 World Championships, three Commonwealth Games and won eight national titles in road and track disciplines.

On the road, she was second overall at the Tour de Bretagne, eighth at the 2008 World Championships, 3rd at White Spot Delta Road Race and second in GP Gatineau, all UCI events. She also won stages in Thuringen Rundfhart, Ronde Van Drenthe, Giro Donne, Tour de L’Aude, Tour de Bretagne and La Grand Boucle.

During her career, she raced for teams Procter and Gamble, Diet Rite, Nobili Rubinetterie - Menikini - Cogeas and Cervelo-Lifeforce before joining the Tibco squad in 2009.

Asked what her special highlights include, she said, "I'm most proud of being able to race on both the road and the track at the very highest level and race them both at the Olympic Games with 7th place in London 2012. Winning a silver medal on the track in the Commonwealth Games was also a highlight."

Kiesanowski's last race this year was at the Mayor's Cup in Boston in September. She plans to open a coaching, training and cycling adventure business with her husband.

Catlin joins Rally Cycling in 2017

Rally Cycling announced Tuesday the signing of Kelly Catlin for the 2017 season. Catlin secured the silver medal in the team pursuit at the Olympic Games in Rio and is a world team pursuit champion, and individual pursuit Pan American champion, and is a promising up-and-coming talent on the track and road.

"Rally Cycling has been a well-regarded name in the domestic peloton since I started racing," Catlin said. "The opportunity to learn from such an experienced team while hopefully playing some small part in their upward trajectory was irresistible. My goal for this season is primarily to learn. While I have some measure of experience on the road, I am hoping to contribute to the goals and successes of Rally Cycling while enhancing my ability to contribute in a team environment."

Catlin is also a full-time student with a dual major in Mathematics and Chinese at the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering. She will divide her time between road racing and studies during the 2017 season.

"Kelly will bring a great dynamic to the team," said Team Director Zach Bell. "A key to our team’s success is having great athletes that are also exceptional people. This helps create an atmosphere of excellence within the program, both on and off the bike. Kelly has demonstrated with her Olympic success and recent Pan American win that she is a fantastic athlete. She will balance her time with the team with the pursuit of a high level education. The dynamic presence she will bring to the group will improve the quality of our team."

Weekend wins boost Compton into US Pro CX lead

A pair of weekend wins October 22 and 23 in Washington, D.C., boosted US cycle-cross champion Katie Compton (KFC Racing p/b Trek-Panache) into the lead of USA Cycling's Pro CX calendar. 

Compton's wins at the DCCX C2 races on Saturday and Sunday lofted her past previous leader Ellen Noble (Aspire Racing) in the season-long series, which she now leads by 64 points over Noble and 72 over Caroline Mani (Raleigh-Clement).

Compton won Saturday's race ahead of Christel Ferrier-Bruneau and Serena Gordon, and then took Sunday's win ahead of Ferrier-Bruneau and Arley Kemmerer. Over the same weekend in Cleveland, Ohio, Amanda Nauman, currently 14th overall in the series, won both days at the North Coast Gran Prix of Cyclocross.

The series will see several UCI 'cross races take place next weekend, including the Pan Am Continental Championships in Covington, Kentucky, on October 29, two days of the HPCX in New Jersey on October 29 and 30, and the Cincinnati KingsCX on October 30.

US Pro CX women's top 5

Astana sign Agnieszka Skalniak for 2017

The Astana Women's Team have signed Polish rider Agnieszka Skalniak for the 2017 season. The 19-year-old Polish rider had two successful years in the junior category, finishing third in the World Championship road race both in Ponferrada 2014 and Richmond 2015, where she finished bend US riders Chloe Dygert and Emma White. She added a gold medal in the time trial at the European Championship in Estonia in 2015.

Skalniak's first year at the elite level in 2016 was hampered by an injuries that eventually requires surgery, and she chose to spend most of the season recovering and coming back in 2017.

"I am very happy that in the 2017 season I will be able to represent one of the best teams in the world," she said in a statement released by the team. "My main goal for next year is to develop my skills through the participation to international races, and Astana Women's Team will give me this opportunity.

"Teamwork is the most important thing for me, but I love to fight in the race when possible: I give my best on mountainous terrains and time trials, but I can't wait to test myself in some Women's WorldTour races. I would like also to say a big thank you to my former club and to everyone who supported me during these years."